Bisexuals experience discrimination, marginalization, stigma, stereotyping, prejudice, oppression, and violence because they are assumed to be immoral and indecisive. Many people assume that bisexual individuals cannot have healthy romantic or sexual relationships because they supposedly do not understand themselves well enough. This paper examines how bisexual individuals can overcome this problem through embracing their complexity and developing a deep understanding of their desires. Bisexuals face challenges related to the way society views them as unreliable, fickle, promiscuous, or sexually greedy. They are often accused of being confused about their identity, which leads to mental distress.
This problem is rooted in the fact that society is unable to understand them accurately. Therefore, bisexuals must learn to resist these misconceptions through self-acceptance and knowledge.
This article explores how bisexuals can resist moral and emotional reductionism in their self-understanding. Bisexual individuals may feel pressured to choose between two genders due to the societal norms that prescribe heteronormativity.
Some bisexual individuals may feel forced to identify with one gender while dating someone from another gender. Consequently, bisexuality becomes reduced to a temporary stage before settling down into heterosexuality or homosexuality. Such cases demonstrate how society reduces bisexuality's meaning to something inferior compared to other sexual orientations. The pressure to conform can also force bisexuals to suppress their attraction towards a specific gender in order to avoid discrimination or oppression. By doing so, they lose their sense of identity and become confused about who they really are.
To counteract such misunderstandings, bisexuals should embrace their complexity. They need to accept that bisexuality is an integral part of who they are without feeling guilty or ashamed. They must acknowledge that they have equal feelings for different genders and celebrate their differences instead of trying to conceal them. Embracing their desires will help them develop a more realistic view of themselves rather than relying on stereotypes. Bisexuals should also educate themselves about their identities by reading books, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, joining support groups, speaking out against prejudice, and interacting with people who share similar experiences.
Bisexuals should understand that intimacy does not depend on any particular gender. Instead, it depends on the level of emotional connection between partners regardless of their sexual orientation. Intimate relationships require trust, honesty, communication, respect, and understanding; therefore, bi individuals must focus on building these qualities within their relationships instead of worrying about sexual attraction alone. They may find it helpful to explore non-monogamous forms of relationships where multiple partners are involved. Above all, bisexuals need to learn how to navigate society's expectations while staying true to themselves. This way, they can resist moral and emotional reductionism in their self-understanding by embracing their uniqueness and seeking healthy ways to express themselves romantically and sexually.
How do bisexual individuals resist moral and emotional reductionism in their self-understanding?
Bisexual individuals face challenges that other sexual identities may not encounter when it comes to understanding themselves. Bisexuality has been historically stigmatized as being less valid than monosexuality, which leads bisexuals to be marginalized within both heteronormative and LGBTQ+ communities (Winter et al. , 2019).