Bisexuality is defined as an attraction to more than one gender or sex. This definition can be expanded to include all people who experience romantic, emotional, physical, and/or sexual attractions towards persons of different genders or sexes. It may also include individuals who are attracted to people of multiple genders or sexes simultaneously but do not identify exclusively as bisexual. Bisexuality challenges traditional assumptions about what constitutes a person's identity, preferences, and how they relate to others.
Attraction is usually understood in terms of physical appearance or behavior. In terms of appearance, someone might find another person attractive based on their body type, facial features, clothing, hairstyle, skin tone, etc.
There is no single physical attribute that determines whether or not a person is considered "attractive." The same goes for behavior - what is deemed attractive varies from culture to culture and even individual to individual.
Some people may find certain vocal tones or accents attractive while others do not. Bisexuality demonstrates that attraction cannot be reduced to one set of characteristics or behaviors.
Relationality refers to the way people interact with each other. Often, it is assumed that relationships must be either heterosexual or homosexual, but bisexuality complicates this binary by allowing for relationships between two or more people of different genders or sexes. Bisexual relationships can take many forms: platonic friendships, romantic partnerships, parent-child relationships, sibling bonds, etc. They may also involve power dynamics such as age differences or hierarchical roles within society (e.g., teacher/student). These complexities highlight the diversity of human experience beyond rigid binaries.
Identity involves self-conception and how we understand ourselves in relation to others. Societal norms dictate that individuals should identify exclusively as gay, straight, lesbian, queer, transgender, or cisgender. But bisexuality suggests otherwise; people can be attracted to multiple types of individuals without having to choose one identity label over another. This challenges the idea that identity is fixed or static and allows for greater fluidity in understanding oneself and others.
Bisexuality interrogates metaphysical assumptions about attraction, relationality, and identity by refusing to fit into traditional categories or boxes. It opens up new possibilities for thinking about relationships and identities beyond binary labels and stereotypes.