Bisexuality Zine

Bisexuality

Created by Julia Slater, Mari Villegas & Neha Sachdeva

@kathrin_marchenko

Definitions Romantic and/or sexual attraction and/or behavior to more than one gender Characterized by identity, behavior, and attraction

Defined in various ways by different individuals

It’s not what you may think.

Bisexuals are confused & indecisive.

Bisexuals are bisexuals.

They’re not half gay or half straight; they are 100% bisexual and 100% valid.

Bisexuals are sex-crazy.

Bisexuals are cheaters.

Bisexuals have the same sexual desire that anyone else has. Liking more an one gender doesn’t increase one’s sex drive.

Bisexuals are just as faithful as anyone else. A cheater is a cheater regardless of sexuality.

Matt Bernstein (@mattxiv)

Matt Bernstein (@mattxiv)

Frequently Asked Questions ______________________________________________ Q: Do bisexuals like men and women equally?

A: Not necessarily since not all bisexuals are 50:50 in that they prefer more than one gender equally. In fact, bisexual people may prefer one gender over another and act accordingly whether that be towards someone of their own sex or any other sex. Someone can say that they are 70:30 where they are more attracted to one gender than another or they just choose to act upon their sexual desires of one particular gender over the other. Under all of these circumstances, the person may still identify as being bisexual.

______________________________________________ Q: Do people just label themselves as bisexual as a step before coming out as gay? Are they really just straight and curious?

A: While some people may choose to identify themselves with the term bisexual to later come out as gay, it does not apply to all people who consider themselves bisexual. No one is bound to a single sexuality, so if someone wants to change their label after some time to a term that better reects themselves, then they are free to do so. Generally, however, most people who do identify as bisexual truly are. Society’s negative stigma often prevents people of any sexuality besides heterosexuality from coming out, which can lead to this misconception.

______________________________________________ Q: How do you know you’re bisexual if you’ve never been with someone of the same gender?

A: A bisexual person knows they’re bisexual the same way that a heterosexual person knows that they’re heterosexual: through their emotions, feelings, etc. Society views heterosexuality as the norm and often instills heterosexual messages through media starting with kids at a young age making it especially hard for those who are not heterosexual to come to terms with their sexuality since it is seen as “abnormal”. If they come out, not only do they have to face society’s negative perception of them along with that from their friends and family but also biphobia they feel within themselves. But if using the label “bisexual” feels right to you, then go for it and own it because you are valid in how you feel.

______________________________________________ Q: Do women identify as bisexual simply to gain more attention from men?

A: Women who identify as bisexual do so regardless of men’s perceptions. If men fetishize two women making out and are more attracted by bisexual women, then that’s solely a product of men’s preferences and desires. Identifying your sexuality, especially if it differs from heterosexuality, can be quite a life struggle for many as you are going directly against society’s norm. Using the term ‘bisexual’ holds a sort of representation of that struggle people must go through in order to achieve peace with their sexuality within society, so people don’t just inaccurately label themselves with the term just for fun.

https://cutewallpaper.org/21/bisexual-pride-flag-wallpaper/Bisexual-Wallpape rs-Top-Free-Bisexual-Backgrounds-.png

Julie Gomez (@juliegomezp)

Matt Bernstein (@mattxiv)

@youth_lgbt

***

The Dangers of Biphobia

According to Pew Research Center:

According to the CDC:

According to the CDC:

Biphobia doesn’t stop at misconceptions. In fact, these very stereotypes can lead to greater problems for bisexuals.

46.1%*

of bisexual women have experienced rape in their lifetime, while the number is 74.9% for other types of sexual violence.

61.1%**

of bisexual women have experienced violence by an intimate partner (including rape, physical violence, an/or stalking).

19%

of bisexuals have come out to the important people in their lives, as compared to 75% of their gay or lesbian peers.

*This is compared to 13.1% of lesbians and 17.4% of straight women. **This is compared to 43.8% of lesbians and 35% of straight women.

What is internalized biphobia?

As if biphobia in the outside world wasn’t enough, you might be experiencing Internalized Biphobia: It can take shape in many ways:

Feeling like you aren’t “bisexual enough”, or are somehow lying to yourself.

Feeling that bisexuality is somehow wrong or shameful.

Internalizing stereotypes and applying them to other bisexuals (“those other bisexuals are like this, I’m not like them.”)

How Does Internalized Biphobia Impact Bisexuals?

Due to internalized stereotypes, bisexuals struggle more with feeling like “real” members of the LGBT community.

Some studies find a possible increase in depression within bisexuals, as compared to their monosexual peers.

Internalized biphobia may lead to fulfilled stereotypes. When bisexuals internalize the idea that they must all be cheaters, for example, their likelihood of infidelity increases.

How to Deal with Internalized Biphobia

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2/ 3/

Know that yes, you are bisexual enough!

And even in the case that, after some experimenting, you figure out you’re not bisexual, so what? Labels are made for YOU. What you feel is valid and okay.

Don’t try to force yourself to fit into any box if you don’t want to.

Find bisexuals to look up to! The lack of accurate representation in media leads to many bi people feeling “wrong” or alone.

Go to Page 18 to find some icons that you probably didn’t know were bisexual.

Connect with other bisexual people! The internet has made it possible for us to build communities with other bi people.

One good bisexual forum is r/bisexual on Reddit, where a lot of bi people connect with stories about coming out, being in the closet, being confused, being happy, and there’s even some memes posted!

Bisexuality and The LGBTQ+ Community

http://inmagazine.ca/2018/09/biphobia-in-our-own-backyard/

From 1970-2015 bisexuality is rarely mentioned in writings on sexuality compared to gays or lesbians.

It may have a couple pages dedicated to it or a brief mention, but not much more.

A surprising fact a lot of people may not know is that when it comes to bisexuality in LGBTQ+ many people have faced biphobia. A good way to stop this is for members of the LGBTQ+ to speak up to each other when they hear someone being biphobic. We are all in the same community!

These are a couple of possible reasons why, comparatively to lesbians, very few bisexuals come out to people they are close to‌ However we would also like to focus on the bisexual representation that does exist.

Bisexual Art and Artists!

https://www.biograph y.com/artist/frida-kah lo

Frida Kahlo. (1939). Two Nudes in The Forest [Painting]. Retrieved from https://www.queerarthistory.com/tag/bisexual/

Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican bisexual painter who lived from 1907-1954. “Two Nudes in The Forest” (1939) is a painting that Kahlo made for a close woman companion of hers.

In the painting you can see one woman comforting another woman in her lap with two monkeys watching in the forest.

There are several different ways to interpret this painting, but traditionally monkeys can symbolize sin, so this painting may represent Kahlo’s internal struggles with being bisexual (Hoke 2017).

Even if Kahlo struggled with her bisexuality she was open about it with the world, which is one of the many reasons she is an icon that people admire today.

Il Sodoma. (1571). Marriage of Alexander the Great and Roxana [fresco].Retrieved from https://www.queerarthistory.com/tag/bisexual/

This fresco is called “Marriage of Alexander the Great and Roxana” (1571) and was made by Giovanni Bazzi.

Although Bazzi was gay and not bisexual, this painting is about Alexander the Great’s bisexuality. In ancient Greece bisexulaity was very common and well accpeted.

Alexander the Great is in the middle of the frame gesturing towards his soon to be wife, Roxanna. On the right side of him is Hephaestion, a man he had a close intimate relationship with for most of his life. Hephaestion is standing in front of the god of marriage.

It is fair to conclude that this painting depicts how he will marry Roxana, but how he is and will always be devoted to Hephaestion especially with Hephaestion’s physical closeness to the god of marriage (Hoke 2017).

Il Sosoma. [self portrait]. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Sodoma

Be Proud if You are Bisexual!!!

Some of the coolest most iconic people who have graced this planet are bisexual...

https://www.jazzwise.com/profile/article/billie-holiday -the-highs-and-lows-of-lady-day

Billie Holiday http://sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/fassbind er/

https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1 525103-old-school-cool

David Bowie

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Being bisexual does not conďŹ ne you to any gender! You have sexual freedom to love whoever you love.

Bisexuality stands for sexual freedom, so if you are bi be proud to be bi, and if you are not then support the bi community by listening to their voices and supporting their work :)

Works Cited Anderson E., & McCormack M. (2016). Bisexuality as a Unique Social Problem. The Changing Dynamics of Bisexual Men's Lives. Springer, Cham, 49-67. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29412-4_4 Bisexuality Community Soup. http://biresource.org/bisexuality-101/labels/ Brewster, M., & Moradi, B. (2011). The Roles of Cognitive Flexibility, Bicultural Self-efficacy, and Minority Stress in the Mental Health of Bisexual Individuals. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida].

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Brown, A. (2019, June 18). Bisexual adults are far less likely than gay men and lesbians to be 'out' to the people in their lives. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/18/bisexual-adults-arefar-less-likely-than-gay-men-and-lesbians-to-be-out-to-the-people-in-t heir-lives/ Denizet-Lewis, B. (2014, March 20). The Scientific Quest to Prove Bisexuality Exists. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/magazine/the-scientific-quest-toprove-bisexuality-exists.html Druhan, C. (2018, October 29). Biphobia In Our Own Backyard. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from http://inmagazine.ca/2018/09/biphobia-in-our-own-backyard/ EADIE, J. (1994). The motley crew: What's at stake in the production of bisexual identity (?).

Paragraph, 17(1), 17-26. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/43263418 Eliason, M.J. (1997). The Prevalence and Nature of Biphobia in Heterosexual Undergraduate Students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 26(3), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024527032040 Famous Bi People. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://bi.org/en/famous

Works Cited Continued Giacomo Ciocca, Caterina Solano, Giorgio Di Lorenzo, Erika Limoncin, Daniele Mollaiolo, Elenora Carosa, Alberto Collazzoni, Emiliano Santarnecchi, Emanuela Bianciardi, Cinzia Niolu, Alberto Siracusano, Alessandro Rossi & Emmanuele A. Jannini. (2017). Bisexuality Among a Cohort of University Students: Prevalence and Psychological Distress. International Journal of Impotence Research, 30, 79-84. https://www-nature-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/articles/s41443-017-0014-2 Griffin, K. (2009). If It's Wednesday, I Must Be Gay, and Other Thoughts on Bisexual Identity Development. Group, 33(3), 245-256. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/41719243 Herek, G. (2002). Heterosexuals' Attitudes toward Bisexual Men and Women in the United States. The Journal of Sex Research,39(4), 264-274.

Retrieved June 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/3813227 Hoke, C. (2017). Bisexual. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from https://www.queerarthistory.com/tag/bisexual/ Holthaus, C. (2015). The Future of Bisexual Activism. QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking, 2(1), 22-36. doi:10.14321/qed.2.1.0022 Hutchins, L., & Guidroz, K. (1993). Out and Proud, Bi and Sexual: An interview with Loraine Hutchins. Off Our Backs, 23(8), 8-10. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/20834532 Meyer, I.H. (2013). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence. Psychol Bull, 129(5), 674-697. http://doi.org/10.1037/2329-0382.1.S.3

Work Cited Continued Sabra L. Katz-Wise & Janet S. Hyde. (2014). Sexual Fluidity and Related Attitudes and Beliefs Among Young Adults with a Same-Gender Orientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44, 1459-1470. https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/article/10.1007/s10508-014-04 20-1 Surya Monro, Sally Hines & Antony Osborne. (2017). Is Bisexuality Invisible?

A Review of Sexualities Scholarship 1917-2015. The Sociological Review Foundation. https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.bu.edu/doi/full/10.1177/00380261 17695488

Walters, M.L., Chen J., & Breiding, M.J. (2013). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wesh, M. (2017, September 22). Bisexual Mental Health & Challenges of Internalized Biphobia. Retrieved June 26, 2020, from http://blog.time2track.com/bisexual-mental-health-challenges-of-inter nalized-biphobia Yoshino, K. (2000). The Epistemic Contract of Bisexual Erasure. Stanford Law Review, 52(2), 362-367. doi:10.2307/1229482 Zinik, G. (1985). Identity Conict or Adaptive Flexibility? Journal of Homosexuality, 11(1-2), 7-20. http://doi.org/10.1300/J082v11n01_02