The way people think about sexual orientation has changed dramatically since the beginning of recorded history. Initially, it was thought that there were only three possible orientations: heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual. Later, researchers found evidence for many more orientations, including but not limited to asexual, pansexual, omnisexual, demisexual, and polysexual.
This still left some people feeling like their experiences didn't fit into these categories, which led to the development of terms such as "gray-asexual", "omniromantic", and "panromantic". Even then, some individuals felt that they could not be categorized due to the complexity of their experiences. This is where bisexuality comes in. Bisexuality challenges the assumption that sexual orientation is linear, fixed, or categorically defined because it acknowledges that one can experience attraction to multiple genders simultaneously or in succession.
Bisexuality refers to an individual who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to both men and women. The term was coined by biologist Alfred Kinsey in his book "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" (1948) to describe individuals who had had sexual encounters with both males and females. Since then, it has been adopted by LGBTQ+ activists as a way to recognize non-monosexual identities. Despite its widespread use, the concept remains controversial among those who believe that sexual orientation must always be either/or. Some have even suggested that bisexuals are simply confused about their true orientation.
Recent research suggests that bisexuality may not be just a phase or a transition period between hetero- and homosexuality but rather a legitimate orientation on its own.
A study published in 2016 found that bisexual women were more likely than lesbian or straight women to report having had same-sex partners over the course of their lives.
Another study published in 2017 showed that bisexual individuals may exhibit different patterns of brain activation during sexual arousal than their monosexual counterparts. These findings suggest that bisexuality is a genuine identity separate from other orientations and should be recognized as such.
Bisexuality challenges the idea that sexual attraction is predictable or controllable. Unlike homosexuality, which is based on the desire for a person of the same gender, bisexuality does not require an individual to choose one gender over another. Instead, it acknowledges that one can experience attraction simultaneously or in succession to multiple genders without necessarily feeling equally attracted to each. This means that a bisexual person could be attracted to both men and women at different times or intensities, making their sexual experiences less predictable and categorizable.
Bisexuality challenges the assumption that sexual orientation is inherently linear, fixed, or categorically defined by recognizing that one can experience attraction to multiple genders simultaneously or in succession. While some argue that this makes bisexuality invalid, recent research suggests otherwise, indicating that it is a legitimate identity separate from others. As such, we must continue to acknowledge and respect the diverse range of human sexual orientations, including but not limited to bisexuality.
How does bisexuality challenge the assumption that sexual orientation is inherently linear, fixed, or categorically defined?
Bisexuality challenges the assumptions about sexual orientation by demonstrating that it is not necessarily a linear process or something which can be easily classified as either male/female or heterosexual/homosexual.