Bisexual Awareness Week 2023
By: Mayumi Cortez '24
As September starts, Bisexual Awareness Week has come into full swing. This week we celebrate bisexual awareness by bringing attention to people in the LGBTQ community. While we might not always be aware of the people who identify with this community, it is important to understand the beliefs and lifestyles that people adapt to. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, Bisexuality means attraction to people, not limited by one’s sex and/or gender. Some famous people who fall under this identity include Angelina Jolie and Kit Connor. Bisexual Awareness Week runs from the 16th to the 23rd.
Not only does this community stretch to small-time people, but multiple Hollywood celebrities try their best to support the community and make statements to help the community. Among the ones stated earlier, Dove Cameron, a famous music idol who is bisexual, said in a Seventeen news article “‘I wasn't ever afraid of people knowing who I loved.’" She remarks that it feels anti-human to hide who she is. Another person, Frank Ocean, used music to express his love for both men and women and admitted his first love was a man. He goes on to say in that same article “‘I'll respectfully say that life is dynamic and comes along with dynamic experiences, and the same sentiment that I have towards genres of music, I have towards a lot of labels and boxes.’" These are just a few of the many people who put the “B” in LGBTQIA+.
To commemorate this occasion, here are a few myths about the bisexual community that should be addressed:
Bisexuals do not exist
Like other sexual orientations, it is something you cannot control. You do not hear people “It’s just a phase” when it comes to heterosexuals. Although this label could be used during a transitional period for someone’s self-discovery, many find this label works for them. Bi-erasure, like Bisexuals, also exists.
Bisexuals are always cheating on their partners
In many forms of media, characters who are Bisexual tend to have story arcs that involve them cheating on their partner. Likewise, those looking from the outside might tell bisexual individuals that they should “pick a side.” Just because someone is attracted to multiple genders does not automatically mean they want to date all of them–not to mention simultaneously.
Bisexuality reiterates the gender binary
In the past, bisexual meant being attracted to men and women. However, now that more people are aware of those who reside beyond the gender binary, the meaning has been updated. To put it simply, bisexual currently means one’s attraction is open to two or more genders/sexes. Bisexual differs from pansexual and omnisexual as those labels mean attraction to any sex/gender.
You can be Bi and still be Asexual and/or Aromantic Spectrums
Human sexuality is complex, this includes attraction. Essentially, different forms of attraction can generally fall into the following categories: physical, emotional, sexual, romantic, and aesthetic. Some examples of this include being biromantic asexual or bisexual aromantic.
