Anisa Jibrell – General Assignment Reporter
Along the colorful continuum of sexuality lies a place for people who identify as bisexual, but students like sophomore biology major Catherine Given, said bisexuality is often misused as a stepping stone toward coming out as gay.
“It’s understandable,” said Given, “but it takes away from people who are coming out as bisexual. So it causes a bit of trouble.”
Biphobia, or aversion toward bisexual people as a social group, occurs both within and on the outskirts of the gay community, according to S.A.G.E Center graduate intern, Lauren Todd.
Todd said such stereotypes might be a product of the notion that bisexuals can pass as the “straight oppressor.”
“They could potentially pass as heterosexual, depending on who they’re with at the time,” said Todd. “Not that their identity would change, because they’ll of course still be bisexual.”
A survey commissioned in 2012 by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a non-profit organization working to increase understanding and encourage the adoption of LGBT-inclusive policies and practices, found that bisexual youth remain deeply disconnected from the larger LGBT community and its services.
Javier Adams, senior nursing major and president of the LGBTQIA Prism Club at Southern, an organization dedicated to increasing educational awareness of the different sexualities across the board, said bisexuality is often discredited.
“If a woman says she’s bisexual, they say ‘Oh, you just haven’t met the right guy yet,’” said Adams. “And if a guy says he’s bisexual they say, ‘oh he’s just confused.’ It’s just ignorance.”
Adams said the unwillingness to accept bisexuality usually stems from trust issues.
“They don’t want to believe this person’s bisexual because they can’t trust them around either sex,” said Adams.
Given, who identifies as bisexual, has participated in LGBT panels in the past and said people have inquired about whether or not bisexuals were more open to being with more than one partner or if they tend to be promiscuous.
“If you’re trying to date someone,” said Given, “they think you’re not gonna be happy with one gender.”
Given blames the stereotypes on mainstream media, which she said tends to over-sexualize bisexuals.
While some discredit bisexuality and avoid bisexuality altogether in the dating scene, freshman biology major Dymond Florestal, simply denies its existence.
“It’s just different,” said Florestal. “I don’t believe in people wanting both, you either want one or the other.”
Florestal said she doesn’t believe it’s possible to be attracted to both a woman and a man due her Christian faith.
“I think people think bisexuality is a phase because in life we’re told to make choices, you know,” said Dorian Bernard, senior communications major. “If you’re stuck in the middle, we’re told to make a choice.”
Given, who was a new member of the LGBTQIA Prism Club at the time, recalls participating in an activity towards the end of the year where club members were asked the question, “Do you think bisexuality is real?”
Those who agreed were told to stand on one side of the room, and those who disagreed were told to stand on the opposite side, and people who were on the fence stood in the middle.
Given said what she saw shocked her. Some stood on one side, and some on the other, while the majority occupied the middle of the room.
“It worried me because of the type of environment we’re trying to cultivate with Prism,” said Given, “But I think we’ve gotten better.”
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