Sexuality is a fundamental part of our development as people, which should be able to be discussed without problems or fear. However, that is not really the case. Within this entire spectrum, bisexuality takes a large part of the intolerance, even if it represents close to 50% of the members of the LGBTIQ+ Community.
In Colombia, until May of this year, there were 248 cases of violence and sexual discrimination. Therefore, if we want to make a change, we must begin to be empathetic and listen to what bisexuals have to say.
We want you to join us on this path of curiosities to understand and make the bisexual community visible, because one day a year is not enough.
What is bisexuality?
It is the term with which people who feel emotional and sexual attraction to people of the same gender or genders different from theirs are identified.
TheBisexual Resource Center says that an imaginary example of this sexuality would be the werewolf. If he is in human form, he does not stop being a wolf, and if he is in wolf form, he does not stop being human. He makes this analogy to explain the dynamics of being attracted to different genders, no matter who your partner is.
What should I know about bisexuality?
Now, let’s look at 6 facts you need to know to understand and empathize with bisexual people.
1. Bisexuality is not confusion
They are not confused, nor is it a stage that they go through. On this, the Spanish screenwriter and youtuber Carolina Iglesias, famous for winning the Marcela and Elisa Award due to her work in favor of LGBTIQ+ rights, mentions that many people have declared that they are bisexual before belonging to the gay community, which lends itself to this taboo.
For this reason, this sexuality is stereotypically misinterpreted as a transition process, although in reality it is a real identification, established and different from others.
2. They don’t hang out with whoever, whenever
Bisexuality is not directly related to promiscuity or threesomes. It is not that they have sentimental and physical relationships with anyone who comes across them, nor that it is all the time.
Every bisexual person has their preferences as to what they like and what they want to do. For example, a person may have had more girlfriends or boyfriends, but not be gay, lesbian, or other just because their partner is the same sex as them. Likewise, although some people prefer to be more flexible, many bisexual couples are monogamous.
3. Sexuality is a dynamic matter
Also relevant is the fact that they perceive sexuality as an issue that does not change overnight, but can be transformed throughout life.
In other words, you can like or attract someone today and have a serious, stable relationship with that person for a while. However, if they are no longer with her in the future, they may be interested in another regardless of their gender. Their preference will be based on each specific person that catches their eye at the times they are.
4. They are not limited to binary genders
Before explaining this curiosity, we must define each concept. Keep in mind that genders are social constructs, not physical ones.
What are the binary genders?
They are the ones who classify sexuality into two different and mutually complementary groups; masculine and feminine.
What are the non-binary genders?
They represent all gender identities that are neither masculine nor feminine, that is, those who do not consider themselves to be men or women.
Once we understand the above, it is easier to know what this item refers to. This means that they can like people who consider themselves male, female or any other non-binary gender in an indistinct way, because beyond sexuality they look at the person themselves.
5. Biphobia does exist
Did you know that, in addition to heterosexuals, some members of the LGBTIQ+ community also favor the exclusion of bisexual people? So that’s it! This can be evidenced in a report on the Biphobia which was carried out in 2019.
There, several experts on the subject mentioned that the bisexual community was the “invisible” community, because there is a tendency to believe that they can be classified with other sexual identities or there is a lack of understanding on the part of other non-binary genders towards them.
For these and other reasons, bisexual people face discrimination even from the LGBTIQ+ Community itself. Although there is talk of homophobia and transphobia, Biphobia is more of a subject that is minimized and goes unnoticed due to ignorance.
6. Sexuality is not synonymous with sex
Being bisexual does not mean that you only maintain sexual intercourse with someone, it’s much more than that. It is having knowledge of the feelings and the physique of a person through attraction, it is about the comfort and individual preferences that some people have with others.
2 other curious words from the bisexual thesaurus
Although there are a thousand and one words that we would like to know to add to our inclusive vocabulary, today we bring you 2 curious words that we want you to learn:
Cisgender
Have you heard this term? It is used to refer to people who identify with their Birth sex; whether they like the opposite gender binary or not. For example, a woman with the feminine gender who is lesbian or heterosexual.
It’s also cool to know that ‘cis’ is the antonymous prefix of ‘trans’, so other concepts are also clarified.
¿En qué se diferencia el cisgénero del heterosexual?
While cisgenders self-identify Like men or women of the masculine or feminine genders, being heterosexual implies that you like the opposite gender binary from yours. In other words, being a man, you like women, and being a woman, you like men.
Thus, cisgenders are not necessarily heterosexuals, but heterosexuals are cisgender.
Bisible
On social media like Instagram, this play on words between “Bisexual” and “Visible” arose that has been used to recognize and make visible the Bi Community as identities of a real and well-defined sexuality. It has been used on September 23 for several years as a commemoration of the International Day of Bisexual Visibility.
After learning all this data, what do you think? Remember that creating awareness is everyone’s task and respect is essential to build better societies.
Share this blog with your acquaintances and friends and raise your voice for a future with empathy. Also know our blogs about social networks to break the generation gap or about mental health in the young.
Made with love,
Chef Burger
