Abstract Book of the 3rd Global Conference on Gender Studies
Year: 2025
[PDF]
The Forgotten B in LGBT
Ella Jeffries
ABSTRACT:
“The Forgotten B in LGBT” describes the unique challenges that bisexual individuals face when “coming out.” I interrogate the coming out narrative, describing it as a flawed social concept that denies the inherent fluidity of sexuality. The paper then discusses the challenges that bisexual people face when coming out as bisexual, including having the legitimacy of their identity questioned or being told that their bisexuality is “just a phase.” I tie this culture of delegitimizing bisexuality to the patriarchal view of romantic and/or sexual relationships where bisexuality is seen as an invalid identity for women and men, and both are told that they will be in a relationship with a man in the long run. Bisexual individuals also face misconceptions and stereotyping, particularly from those who presume they have a greater propensity for infidelity. The final difficulty this paper describes is how bisexual people face biphobia from within the queer community as well due to their ability to be in hetero-passing relationships and benefit from so-called “straight privilege.” I argue that for our society to be more accepting of bisexual individuals, there must be a shift in our thinking about the fluidity of sexuality. The idea that people can be entirely straight or gay merely serves to irreversibly tie sexuality to the gender binary with no room for fluidity. We must also recognize that someone’s identity is not defined by their current or past relationships. Further, it is important to challenge the idea that bisexual people face fewer struggles due to their ability to be in hetero-passing relationships.
Keywords: bisexuality, coming out, sexual orientation