Leland, J. (1995, July 17.) Bisexuality. Newsweek, pp. 44-50.

OVERVIEW

According to the article, labels "gay and straight" can be as confining to sexuality as "black and white" are to ethnicity. There are millions of Americans with varying ethnic origins; there is also a growing bisexual culture that is broadening the confines of sexuality. Bisexual characters have appeared in TV series like "Roseanne" and in films such as "Threesome." Pop stars Michael Stipe and Courtney Love have also looked beyond traditional man/woman relationships. "I’ve always been sexually ambiguous in terms of my proclivities; I think labels are for food," Stipe told Newsweek in a recent interview about R.E.M.’s latest album.

Bisexuality is also gaining popularity in the general population. Many college students, primarily women, are becoming interested in "sexual fluidity." The Internet has emerged as a vehicle for experimenting with gender fluidity. The Bisexual Resource Guide lists 1,400 groups throughout the United States and abroad. Some of its entries include Bi Women of Color, Bi Adult Children of Alcoholics, and Bi Star Trekkies. Other resources, such as bi cable shows, bi web sites, and bi magazines, also exist.

Freud believed that bisexuality was a universal "disposition" and that we all have male and female sides, each of which is heterosexually attracted to people of the opposite gender. He said that most people repress one side. He felt that exclusive heterosexuality was "a problem that needs elucidating." In 1975 Margaret Mead urged that we "come to terms with the well-documented, normal human capacity to love members of both sexes."

No one knows how many bisexuals there are in this country, or how bisexuality should be defined. Bisexuality often disappears from sex surveys, which count people with any same-sex behavior as homosexual. So who becomes bi? "Some people say everyone has the biological potential for bisexuality, but that’s untestable. The answer is, we don’t know," says sex researcher Martin Weinberg of Indiana University.

The existence of bisexuality makes many people uncomfortable; it suggests that all sexual identity is subject to change. Bisexuality has been written out of early literature such as Plato’s "Symposium" and some of Shakespeare’s sonnets; often schools just teach around the subject. Nevertheless, bisexuality has had a tremendous impact on our culture. An increasing number of people at work, at school, and in families are moving comfortably between gay and straight worlds. Nearly every college or university in this country—and even some high schools—now have gay and lesbian student centers. Queer studies and gender studies have become part of the national curriculum.

For many bisexuals, the road to acceptance has been difficult both from the straight world, who consider bisexuals too gay, and by the gay world, who consider bisexuals to straight. Melissa Merry, a 31-year-old bisexual who came out in 1988, said she and other bisexuals were once dismissed by gays and lesbians as "fence sitters." She says that tensions between bis and gays have since softened, and that after years of resistance, gay and lesbian organizations are now adding bisexuality to their banners.

The fear of AIDS also pointed accusing fingers at bisexuals, particularly married men who also had male partners. These men were given a murder’s rap for bringing the disease home to their heterosexual wives. This fear has quieted somewhat, especially now that more information about AIDS is available and that condom use has increased. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the women who contract AIDS sexually, the portion who get the disease from bisexual males remains at 10 to 20 percent; 80 to 90 percent contract it from drug users.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What do you think about the article? Have you seen much information on the topic of bisexuality before?
2. Have you ever any any kids in your youth group who are openly bisexual? How would you deal with such a situation? How would you encourage the other kids in your youth group to treat a bisexual or homosexual student?
3. How do you think the topic of bisexuality should be addressed by youth workers and educators?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Matthew Erlich, 25-year-old managing editor of VH1 Online, says "I don’t desire a gender, I desire a person." What attracts one person to another can be as simple as a smile or as deep as an inner peace. Finding a relationship that is fulfilling physically, spiritually, and emotionally is something that everyone desires.
2. Society’s acceptance of homosexuality and bisexuality appears to be increasing. However, the issue of same-sex relationships is still difficult for many people, including the parents of young people. Sensitivity and openness should be the goals in discussing bisexuality and homosexuality.
3. While it is certainly understandable to disagree with the people and the suggestions of the article, it is important to understand that there are indeed kids struggling with their sexuality. It is critical that those kids have a friend or a mentor who will love them unconditionally as they grapple with the issue.

Sheila Walsh cCYS