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{{Sexual orientation}}
 
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'''Bisexuality''' in human sexual behavior refers to the [[aesthetic]], [[romantic love|romantic]], and/or [[sexual]] desire for people of either [[gender]] and/or for people of either [[sex]]. For some writers, the term is parallel to [[homosexuality]] and [[heterosexuality]], while for others the term expresses a blend of the two.
 
   
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'''Bisexuality''' is a [[sexual orientation]] which refers to the [[romantic love|romantic]] and/or [[sexual]] attraction of individuals to others of both [[gender]]s (socially) or [[sex]]es (biologically). Most bisexuals are not equally attracted to men and women and may even shift between states of finding either gender or sex exclusively attractive over the course of time.<ref name="religioustolerance">{{cite web |url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/bisexuality.htm |title=Bisexuality: Neither Homosexuality Nor Hetrosexuality |accessdate=2007-02-17 |author=Robinson, B.A. |date=2006-03-27 |publisher=Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance}}</ref> However, some bisexuals are and remain fairly static in their level of attraction throughout their adult life.
Although observed in a variety of forms in most societies throughout recorded history, bisexuality has only been the subject of serious study since the second half of the [[20th century]], and some disagreement remains about its prevalence and nature.
 
   
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In the mid-1940s, [[Alfred Kinsey]] devised the [[Kinsey scale]] in an attempt to measure sexual orientation and activity. The 7-point scale has a rating of 0 ("exclusively [[heterosexual]]") to 6 ("exclusively [[Homosexuality|homosexual]]"). Bisexuals cover most of the scale's values (1–5), which range between "predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual" (1) to "predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual" (5). In the middle of the scale (3) is "equally heterosexual and homosexual".<ref name="religioustolerance" /> Although Kinsey's methodology has come under criticism, the scale is still widely used in describing the phenomenon of bisexuality.
==Description==
 
Bisexual orientation can fall '''[[Bi-permissive|anywhere]]''' between the two extremes of [[homosexuality]] and [[heterosexuality]]; a bisexual person is not necessarily attracted equally to both genders, and many tend to prefer one or the other. Moreover, a bisexual person may be attracted to either gender but not both sexes, or vice versa. Another view of bisexuality is that homosexuality and heterosexuality are two [[monosexual]] orientations, whereas bisexuality encompasses them both. However, some argue that bisexuality is a distinct [[sexual orientation]] on a par with heterosexuality or homosexuality.[http://www.bisexual.org/default.asp?http&&&www.bisexual.org/klein/default.asp]
 
   
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Although observed in a variety of forms in human societies<ref name="Homosexuality and Civilization">{{cite book |last=Crompton |first=Louis |authorlink=Louis Crompton |title=Homosexuality and Civilization |publisher=[[Belknap Press]] |date=2003 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |isbn=067401197X }}</ref> and in the animal kingdom<ref name="Biological Exuberance">{{cite book |last=Bagemihl |first=Bruce |authorlink=Bruce Bagemihl |title=Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity |publisher=Profile Books, Ltd. |date=1999 |location=London |isbn=1861971826 }}</ref><ref name=Evolution's Rainbow">{{cite book |last=Roughgarden |first=Joan |authorlink=Joan Roughgarden |title=Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |date=May 2004 |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=0520240731 }}</ref> throughout recorded history, the term ''bisexuality'' (like the terms ''hetero-'' and ''homosexuality'') was only coined in the 19th century.<ref name="Bisexuality etymonline.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bisexuality |title=Bisexuality |accessdate=2007-02-16 |author=Harper, Douglas |year=2001 |month=11 |work=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref>
Individuals attracted to both males and females, like people of any other orientation, may live a variety of sexual lifestyles. These include: lifelong [[monogamy]], [[serial monogamy]], [[polyamory]], [[polyfidelity]], [[promiscuity|casual sexual activity]] with individual partners, casual [[group sex]], and [[celibacy]]. For those with more than one sexual partner, these may or may not all be of the same gender.
 
   
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== Description ==
Some people who might be classified by others as bisexual on the basis of their sexual behavior self-identify as [[gay]], [[lesbian]], or [[straight]] -- for example, a bisexual woman who considers herself a lesbian may do so on the basis that a lesbian might be defined as any woman who is attracted to women (even one who is also attracted to men), or a woman who is primarily attracted to other women. Likewise some men may identify as heterosexual because the only activities they engage in with other men do not involve [[anal sex]].{{fact}} This kind of ambiguity is problematic because some people maintain that exclusivity is part of the definitions for monosexual orientations, others feel that only your current situation is what matters (if one is in a heterosexual marriage, they are straight), and still other groups prefer to say that bisexuality is non-existent and a bisexual person's heterosexual feelings are merely the result of internalized [[homophobia]].{{fact}} Other bisexuals consider themselves distinct from homosexuals but part of the larger [[LGBT]] or [[queer]] community. Some people who engage in bisexual behavior may be supportive of lesbian and gay people, but still self-identify as straight, and still others consider any labels irrelevant to their situations.
 
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Bisexual people are not necessarily attracted equally to both sexes.<ref name="religioustolerance" /> Because bisexuality is often an ambiguous position between homosexuality and heterosexuality, those who identify, or are identified, as bisexuals form a [[heterogeneous]] group.
   
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Others view bisexuality as more ambiguous. Some people who might be classified by others as bisexual on the basis of their sexual behavior self-identify primarily as [[homosexual]]. Equally, otherwise heterosexual people who engage in occasional homosexual behavior could be considered bisexual, but may not identify as such. For some who believe that sexuality is a distinctly defined aspect of the character, this ambiguity is problematic. It is sometimes argued that the behavior of bisexuals may be explained by subconscious [[homophobia]] or [[peer pressure]].{{Fact|date=March 2007}} On the other hand, some believe that the majority of people contain aspects of homosexuality and heterosexuality, but that the intensities of these can vary from person to person.{{Fact|date=March 2007}} Some people who engage in bisexual behavior may be supportive of homosexual people, but still self-identify as heterosexual; others may consider any labels irrelevant to their positions and situations. In 1995, Harvard Shakespeare professor [[Marjorie Garber]] made the academic case for bisexuality with her 600-page ''Vice Versa: Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life'' in which she argued that most people would be bisexual if not for "repression, religion, repugnance, denial...premature specialization."<ref>{{cite book |author=Garber, Marjorie B. |title=Vice versa: bisexuality and the eroticism of everyday life |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |year=1995 |isbn=0-684-80308-9}}</ref>
==Terminology==
 
The term ''bisexual'' was coined by botanists c. 1809. It originally applied to plants that had both male and female sex organs.{{fact}} It was not known when the term was first applied to the context of sexual orientation. Some bisexuals and sex researchers are dissatisfied with the term, and have developed a variety of alternative or supplementary terms to describe aspects and forms of bisexuality. Many are [[neologism]]s not widely recognized by the larger society.
 
   
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Some bisexuals make a distinction between [[gender]] and [[sex]]. Gender is defined in these situations as [[social]] or [[psychological]] category, characterized by the common practices of men and women. For example, the fact that women wear [[skirt]]s and [[dress (garment)|dress]]es in Western society while men traditionally do not is a gender issue. Sex in this case is defined as the [[biological]] difference between males and females, prior to any social conditioning. Bisexuals in this sense may be attracted to more than one gender but only to one sex. For example, a male bisexual may be attracted to aspects of men and masculinity, but not to the male body.
*''[[Pansexual]]'', ''[[omnisexual]]'', and ''[[pomosexual]]'' ([[postmodernism|postmodern]] sexuality) are substitute terms that rather than referring to ''both'' or "bi" gender attraction, refer to ''all'' or "omni" gender attraction, and are used mainly by those who wish to express acceptance of ''all'' gender possibilities including [[transgender]] and [[intersex]] people, not just two. Pansexuality sometimes includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as [[BDSM]]. Some people who might otherwise identify as pansexual or omnisexual choose to self-identify as bisexual because the term ''bisexual'' is more widely known, and because they see it as an important term in [[identity politics]].
 
   
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Bisexuality is often misunderstood as a form of [[adultery]] or [[polyamory]], and a popular misconception is that bisexuals must always be in relationships with men and women simultaneously. Rather, individuals attracted to both males and females, like people of any other orientation, may live a variety of sexual lifestyles. These include lifelong [[monogamy]], [[serial monogamy]], [[polyamory]], [[polyfidelity]], [[promiscuity|casual sexual activity]] with individual partners, casual [[group sex]], and [[celibacy]]. For those with more than one sexual partner, these may or may not all be of the same gender.
*''[[Bi-permissive]]'' describes someone who does not actively seek out sexual relations with a given gender, but is open to them. Such a person may self-identify as heterosexual or homosexual, and engage predominantly in sexual acts with individuals of the corresponding gender, and might be rated ''1'' or ''5'' on Kinsey's scale. Near-synonyms include [[heteroflexible]] and [[homoflexible]].
 
   
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== Terminology ==
*''Ambisexual'' indicates a primarily indiscriminate attraction to either sex. A person who self-identifies as ambisexual might be attracted with equal intensity on physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels to partner(s) regardless of sex or gender presentation, while upholding selectivity standards in other areas. Some might experience equally intense attractions that could be triggered by sex- or gender-specific traits in given the partner(s). A person with this orientation might fall in the ''3'' category on Kinsey's scale, as would some who subscribe to the ''2'' or ''4'' rating (although some individuals in these latter categories consider themselves Bi-permissive).
 
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The term ''bisexual'' was first used in the 19th century to refer to [[intersex]]ed people. By 1914 it had begun to be used in the context of sexual orientation.<ref name="Bisexuality etymonline.com" /> Some bisexuals and sex researchers are dissatisfied with the term and have developed a variety of alternative or supplementary terms to describe aspects and forms of bisexuality. Many are [[neologism]]s not widely recognized by the larger society.
   
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* ''[[Pansexual]]'', ''[[omnisexual]]'', ''[[anthrosexuality|anthrosexual]]'', and ''[[pomosexual]]'' ([[postmodernism|postmodern]] sexuality) are substitute terms that, rather than referring to ''both'' or "bi" sex attraction, refer to ''all'' or "omni" sex attraction and are used mainly by those who wish to express acceptance of ''all'' sex possibilities, including [[transgender]] and [[intersex]] people, not just two. Pansexuality ''sometimes'' includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as [[BDSM]]. Some people who might otherwise identify as pansexual or omnisexual choose to self-identify as bisexual because the term ''bisexual'' is more widely known, and because they see it as an important term in [[identity politics]].
*''[[Bi-curious]]'', has several distinct and sometimes contradictory meanings. It is commonly found in personal ads from those who identify as heterosexual but are interested in homosexual "experimentation". Such people are commonly suspected - not necessarily correctly - of being homosexuals or bisexuals in [[denial]] of their homosexuality. It can also be used to describe someone as being [[passively-bi]], bi-permissive or open to indirect bisexual contact.
 
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* ''[[Bi-permissive]]'' describes someone who does not actively seek out sexual relations with a given sex, but is open to them. Such a person may self-identify as heterosexual or homosexual and engage predominantly in sexual acts with individuals of the corresponding sex, and might be rated ''1'' or ''5'' on [[Kinsey scale|Kinsey's scale]]. Near-synonyms include [[heteroflexible]] and [[homoflexible]].
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* ''Ambisexual'' indicates a primarily indiscriminate attraction to either sex. A person who self-identifies as ambisexual might be attracted with equal intensity on physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels to partner(s) regardless of sex or gender presentation while upholding selectivity standards in other areas. Some might experience equally intense attractions that could be triggered by sex- or gender-specific traits in the given partner or partners. A person with this orientation might fall in the ''3'' category on Kinsey's scale, as would some who subscribe to the ''2'' or ''4'' rating (although some individuals in these latter categories consider themselves bi-permissive).
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* ''[[Bi-curious]]'' has several distinct and sometimes contradictory meanings. It is commonly found in personal ads from those who identify as heterosexual, but are interested in homosexual "experimentation." Such people are commonly suspected—not necessarily correctly—of being homosexuals or bisexuals in [[denial]] of their homosexuality. It can also be used to describe someone as being [[passively bi]], bi-permissive, or open to indirect bisexual contact.
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* ''Trisexual'' (sometimes ''trysexual'') is either an extension of, or a pun on ''bisexual''. In its more serious usage, it indicates an interest in transgender persons in addition to [[cisgender|cissexual]] men and women. In its more humorous usage, it refers to someone who will ''try'' any ''sexual'' experience. It is used in the song "La Vie Boheme" in the Broadway musical [[Rent (musical)|''Rent'']].
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* ''[[Biphobia]]'' describes a fear or condemnation of bisexuality, usually based in a belief that only heterosexuality and homosexuality are genuine orientations and appropriate lifestyles. Bisexual persons may also be the target of [[homophobia]] from those who consider only heterosexuality appropriate. The reverse can also apply in that bisexual persons may be targets of [[heterophobia]] or discrimination by some homosexuals.
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* ''[[Passively bi]], aka [[open-minded]]'', is a non-sex specific term that describes a heterosexual/bi-curious person who is ''open to'' incidental or direct contact (typically in a [[group sex]] scenario) from a [[MOTSS|member of the same sex]] or a homosexual/bi-curious person who is open to contact with [[MOTOS|members of the opposite sex]] under the same scenario, which usually doesn't involve reciprocation.
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* ''[[Actively bi]]'' is a non-sex specific term that can describe a bi-curious person who ''initiates'' direct contact with the sex opposite his or her usual identity (either hetero- or homosexual); it can also refer to a bisexual person who engages in contact with members of both sexes on a fairly regular basis.
   
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== Modern Western prevalence of bisexuality ==
*''Trisexual'' (sometimes ''trysexual'') is either an extension of, or a pun on ''bisexual''. In its more serious usage, it indicates an interest in transgender persons in addition to [[cisgender| cissexual]] men and women. In its more humorous usage, it refers to someone who will ''try'' any ''sexual'' experience.
 
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{{main|Demographics of sexual orientation|Kinsey Reports}}
   
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A 2002 survey in the United States by [[National Center for Health Statistics]] found that 1.8 percent of men ages 18–44 considered themselves bisexual, 2.3 percent homosexual, and 3.9 percent as "something else". The same study found that 2.8 percent of women ages 18–44 considered themselves bisexual, 1.3 percent homosexual, and 3.8 percent as "something else".<ref name="Kinsley FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/resources/FAQ.html |title=Frequently Asked Sexuality Questions to the Kinsley Institute |accessdate=2007-02-16 |publisher=The Kinsley Institude}}</ref>
*''[[Biphobia]]'' describes a fear or condemnation of bisexuality, usually based in a belief that only heterosexuality and homosexuality are genuine orientations and appropriate lifestyles. Bisexual persons may also be the target of [[homophobia]] from those who consider only heterosexuality appropriate. The reverse can also apply in that bisexual persons may be targets of [[heterophobia]] or discrimination by some gays/homosexuals.
 
   
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''The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior'', published in 1993, showed that 5 percent of men and 3 percent of women consider themselves bisexual and 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women considered themselves homosexual.<ref name="Kinsley FAQ" />
*''[[Passively-bi]], aka [[open-minded]]'' is a non-gender specific term that describes a straight or bi-curious person who is ''open to'' incidental or direct contact (typically in a [[Group sex]] scenario) from a [[MOTSS]], usually without reciprocation.
 
   
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[[Sigmund Freud]] theorized that every person has the ability to become bisexual at some time in his or her life.<ref>Freud, Sigmund (translated by A.A. Brill), ''Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex'', Dover Publications, 128 pages, ISBN 0486416038</ref> He based this on the idea that enjoyable experiences of sexuality with the same sex, whether sought or unsought, acting on it or being fantasized, become an attachment to his or her needs and desires in social upbringing. Prominent psychoanalyst Dr. [[Joseph Merlino (doctor)|Joseph Merlino]], Senior Editor of the book, ''Freud at 150: 21st Century Essays on a Man of Genius'' stated in an interview:
*''[[Actively-bi]]'' is a non-gender specific term that describes a bi-curious/bisexual person who ''initiates'' direct contact with a [[MOTSS]].
 
   
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{{cquote|Freud maintained that bisexuality was a normal part of development. That all of us went through a period of bisexuality and that, in the end, most of us came out heterosexual but that the bisexual phase we traversed remained on some unconscious level, and was dealt with in other ways....He did not consider it something that should be criminalized, or penalized.... Freud felt there were a number of homosexuals he encountered who did not have a variety of complex problems that homosexuality was a part of. He found people who were totally normal in every other regard except in terms of their sexual preference. In fact, he saw many of them as having higher intellects, higher aesthetic sensibilities, higher morals; those kinds of things. He did not see it as something to criminalize or penalize, or to keep from psychoanalytic training. A lot of the psychoanalytic institutes felt if you were homosexual you should not be accepted; that was not Freud's position.|20px|20px|[[Joseph Merlino (doctor)|Joseph Merlino]]|<ref>[http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Dr._Joseph_Merlino_on_sexuality%2C_insanity%2C_Freud%2C_fetishes_and_apathy#Gender_identity_and_Heteronormativity Interview with Dr. Joseph Merlino], David Shankbone, ''[[Wikinews]]'', October 5, 2007.</ref>}}
==Modern Western prevalence of bisexuality==
 
''Main articles: [[Demographics of sexual orientation]] and [[Kinsey Reports]]''
 
   
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Some studies, notably [[Alfred C. Kinsey|Alfred Kinsey's]] ''Sexual Behavior in the Human Male'' (1948) and ''Sexual Behavior in the Human Female'' (1953), have indicated that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. The studies report that most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to some (falsely attributed to Kinsey), only about 5–10 percent of the population can be considered fully heterosexual or homosexual.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} On the other hand, an even smaller minority has no distinct preference for one sex or the other.
Some modern surveys report about 2%-6% of modern western populations as bisexual, but there are still many methodological difficulties with regard to randomness and size of the sample population, and the accuracy of self-reports of such personal information. (The accuracy of these numbers is disputed.) Different studies also use different standards for bisexuality. Some studies ignore bisexual phenomena entirely, or separate it into same-sex and opposite-sex components. Reported results disagree over whether homosexuality is more common than bisexuality (with various definitions for each). Anecdotal reports from areas outside the west suggest much higher rates of bisexual expression.
 
   
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Despite common misconceptions, bisexuality does ''not'' require that a person be attracted ''equally'' to both sexes. In fact, people who have a distinct but not exclusive preference for one sex over the other can and often do identify as bisexual. Some recent studies, including one by researchers Gerulf Rieger, Meredith L. Chivers, and [[J. Michael Bailey]],<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rieger G, Chivers ML, Bailey JM |title=Sexual arousal patterns of bisexual men |journal=Psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society / APS |volume=16 |issue=8 |pages=579-84 |year=2005 |pmid=16102058 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01578.x}}</ref> which attracted media attention in 2005, purported to find that bisexuality is extremely rare, and perhaps nonexistent, in men. Some outside the scientific world have criticized that such studies have typically worked from the assumption that a person is only truly bisexual if he or she exhibits virtually equal arousal responses to both opposite-sex and same-sex stimuli, and have consequently dismissed the self-identification of people whose arousal patterns showed even a mild preference for one sex.<ref name="Carey">{{cite news | last =Carey | first =Benedict | title =Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited | publisher =The New York Times | date =[[July 5]], [[2005]] | url =http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20714FB3B550C768CDDAE0894DD404482 | accessdate = 2007-02-24 }}</ref> Such a criticism would not apply in Rieger, Chivers, and Bailey's case, as their study was not seeking to determine if men who claimed to be bi-sexual had equal rates of stimulation toward men and women, rather the study's conclusions were based on a comparison between the arousal patterns of perportedly bisexual men and homosexual or heterosexual men. The results did significantly indicate that the men who claimed to be bisexual had results that matched up with either homosexual men or heterosexual men.
Some studies, notably [[Alfred C. Kinsey|Alfred Kinsey's]] ''Sexual Behavior in the Human Male'' (1948) and ''Sexual Behavior in the Human Female'' (1953), have indicated that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. The studies report that most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to some (falsely attributed to Kinsey), only about 5-10% of the population can be considered to be fully heterosexual or homosexual. On the other hand, an even smaller minority has no distinct preference for one gender or the other.
 
   
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One criticism that has been raised to the Rieger, Chivers, and Bailey study is that many bisexuals' attraction is based on social/mental gender of individuals rather than physical sex. For example, a bisexual might be attracted to both feminine women and feminine men, but have little interest in masculine individuals. This individual, while they might be highly attracted to certain members of both sexes, would be unlikely to be attracted to most males in modern western society (who tend to be masculine). As this study employed 2-minute clips of standard heterosexual and homosexual pornography, the study would be blind to the this type of bisexual.
==Social status of bisexuality==
 
{{gay rights}}Historically, bisexuality has largely been free of the social stigma associated with homosexuality, prevalent even where bisexuality was the norm. In Ancient Greece [[pederasty]] was not problematic as long as the men eventually married and had children. All over the world among upper-class men of good social standing (i.e., properly married) homosexual affairs were quietly accepted, and heterosexual marriage was often successfully used as a defense against accusations of homosexuality.{{fact}} On the other hand, there are bisexuals who marry or live with a heterosexual partner because they prefer the complementarity of different genders in cohabiting and co-parenting, but have felt greatly enriched by homosexual relationships alongside the marriage. See, for instance, a book which can be freely downloaded from the author's website - ''Coming Clean about Bisexuality'' by Garrett Jones, 2000.
 
   
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== Bisexuality in history ==
Some in the gay and lesbian communities accuse those who self-identify as bisexual of duplicity, believing they are really homosexuals who are attempting to hold onto the social approval through their heterosexual activity. They may be accused of "not doing their part" in gaining acceptance of "true" homosexuality. Some gay and lesbian people may also suspect that a self-described bisexual is merely a homosexual in the initial stage of questioning their presumed heterosexuality, and will eventually accept that they are lesbian or gay; this is expressed by a glib saying in gay culture: "Bi now, gay later." These situations can and do take place, but do not appear to be true of the majority of self-described bisexuals. Nonetheless, bisexuals do sometimes experience lesser acceptance from gay and lesbian people, because of their declared orientation.[http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/MagArticle.cfm?Article=475&PageID=171&SID=2F61BCD15F440019472CA01253795FEB&DSN=nsrc_dsn][http://www.bialogue.org/index.html]
 
   
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[[Image:Japanesepederasty18thcentury.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<!--PLEASE SEE TALK PAGE SECTION "Wrong caption for the Japanese illo" BEFORE CHANGING THIS CAPTION, THANKS.-->''[[Shudo]]'' (Japanese pederasty): a young male entertains an older male lover, covering his eyes while surreptitiously kissing a female [[servant]].]]
Bisexuals are often associated with men who engage in [[men who have sex with men|same-sex activity]] while [[the closet|closeted]] and heterosexually [[marriage|married]]. The majority of such men - said to be ''living on the [[down-low]]'' - do not self-identify as bisexual. [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.gossip.celebrities/msg/69536ad45f8888b0?hl=en&][http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/001311.html]
 
   
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In some cultures, historical and literary records from most literate societies indicate that male bisexuality was common and indeed expected.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} These relationships were generally age-structured (as in the practice of [[pederasty]] in the [[Mediterranean Basin]] of [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]],<ref>Peter James, Nick Thorpe. ''Ancient Inventions''. Ballantine Books; New edition, 1995, p. 164 ISBN 0345401026</ref> or the practice of ''[[shudo]]'' in pre-modern Japan){{Fact|date=February 2007}} or gender-structured (as in the [[Two-Spirit]] North American tradition or the [[Central Asia]]n [[bacchá]] practices).{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Male heterosexuality and homosexuality, while also documented, appear mostly as exceptions, unless we are examining cultures influenced by the [[Abrahamic religion]]s, where heterosexuality was privileged, and bisexuality and homosexuality forcefully suppressed.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In fact, most of the commonly cited examples of male "homosexuality" in previous cultures would more properly be categorized as bisexuality.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Determining the history of female bisexuality is more problematic, in that women in most of the studied societies were under the domination of the males, and on one hand had less self-determination and freedom of movement and expression, and on the other were not the ones writing or keeping the literary record.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} [[Sappho]], however, is a notable example.
[[Image:Bi flag.svg|thumb|200px|left|The bisexual pride flag]]Because some bisexual people do not feel that they fit into either the [[gay community|gay and lesbian]] or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to be "invisible" in public (fitting in rather seamlessly into both homosexual and heterosexual society), some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own [[Bisexual community|communities]], culture, and political movements. However, since "Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two extremes of [[homosexuality]] and [[heterosexuality]]," some who identify as bisexual may merge themselves into either homosexual or heterosexual society.{{fact}}
 
   
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In 124 CE the bisexual Roman emperor Hadrian met Antinous, a 13- or 14-year-old boy from Bithynia, and they began their pederastic relationship. Antinous was deified by Hadrian when he died six years later. Many statues, busts, coins and reliefs display Hadrian's deep affections for him. Ancient [[Rome]], Arab countries up to and including the present, [[China]], and [[Japan]], all exhibit patterns of analogous bisexual behavior.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In Japan in particular, due to its practice of ''[[shudo]]'' and the extensive art and literature associated with it, the record of a primarily bisexual lifestyle is both detailed and quite recent, dating back as recently as the 19th century.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Bisexual behavior was also common among Roman and Chinese emperors, the [[shoguns]] of Japan, and others.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
A common symbol of bisexual identity is a pair of overlapping pink and blue triangles (the pink triangle being a well-known symbol for the gay community), forming purple where they intersect. Another symbol is the [[bisexual pride flag]], which has a deep pink stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality, and a purple one (blended from the pink and blue) in the middle to represent bisexuality.[http://www.biflag.com/Activism.asp] [http://fotw.vexillum.com/flags/qq-bi.html]
 
   
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Nevertheless, it should be noted that the terms ''[[heterosexual]]'', ''bisexual'', ''[[homosexual]]'', and the concept of "[[sexual orientation]]" itself are all modern sociological constructs and may not be appropriate in historical contexts in which ''behavior'' might be considered homosexual but ''people'' were not labeled using such terms.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
==Bisexuality in history==
 
Historical and literary records from most literate societies indicate that male bisexuality was common and indeed expected. These relationships were generally age-structured (as in the practice of [[pederasty]] in the [[Mediterranean Basin]] of [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]], or the practice of [[shudo]] in pre-modern Japan) or gender-structured (as in the [[Two-Spirit]] North American tradition or the [[Central Asia]]n [[bacchá]] practices). Male heterosexuality and homosexuality, while also documented, appear mostly as exceptions, unless we are examining cultures influenced by the [[Abrahamic religion]]s, where heterosexuality was privileged, and bisexuality and homosexuality forcefully suppressed. In fact, most of the commonly cited examples of male "homosexuality" in previous cultures would more properly be categorized as bisexuality. Determining the history of female bisexuality is more problematic, in that women in most of the studied societies were under the domination of the males, and on one hand had less self-determination and freedom of movement and expression, and on the other were not the ones writing or keeping the literary record.
 
   
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=== Ancient Greece ===
In [[Ancient Greece]] it is believed that males generally went through a homosexual stage in adolescence, followed by a bisexual stage characterized by [[pederasty|pederastic relationships]] in young adulthood, followed by a (mostly) heterosexual stage later in life, when they married and had children. Ancient [[Rome]], Arab countries up to and including the present, [[China]], and [[Japan]], all exhibit patterns of analogous bisexual behavior. In Japan in particular, due to its practice of [[shudo]] and the extensive art and literature associated with it, the record of a primarily bisexual lifestyle is both detailed and quite recent, dating back as recently as the [[19th century]].
 
   
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{{main|Homosexuality in ancient Greece}}
Perhaps the most famous example is [[Alexander the Great]] who had many wives, but also at least two male lovers, [[Hephaestion]] being his life-long friend. The same could be said of most Roman emperors, the shoguns of Japan, many Chinese emperors, and others.
 
   
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[[Image:Homosexual scene - 420 BCE, Dinos painter - Capua - GR 1772.3-20.154 F65 - British Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Two athletes about to have [[sex]], while a man watches; Apulian [[Red-figure pottery|red-figure vase]] by the Dinos painter, 420BCE]]
However, it should be noted that the terms ''heterosexual'', ''bisexual'', ''homosexual'', and the concept of "sexual orientation" itself are all modern sociological constructs, and may not be appropriate in historical contexts, in which ''behavior'' might be considered homosexual, but ''people'' were not labeled using such terms.
 
   
  +
[[Ancient Greek]] religious texts, reflecting cultural practices, incorporated bisexual themes. The subtexts varied, from the mystical to the didactic.<ref name="Greek homosexuality - livius.org" />
===Ancient Greece===
 
Ancestral law in ancient [[Sparta]] mandated same-sex relationships with youths who were coming of age for all adult men, so long as the men eventually took wives and produced children. The Spartans thought that love and erotic relationships between experienced and novice soldiers would solidify combat loyalty and encourage heroic tactics as men vied to impress their lovers. Once the younger soldiers reached maturity, the relationship was supposed to become non-sexual, but it is not clear how strictly this was followed. There was some stigma attached to young men who continued their relationships with their mentors into adulthood. However through out most of the ancient Greek world, in Athens for example, the progression of a relationship between an older man and one of a significant younger age into a sexual relationship was severely looked down upon in society. The relationship was seen as the older man taking advantage of the younger man, and the Athenians being somewhat democratic this was not encouraged.
 
   
  +
Ancestral law in ancient [[Sparta]] mandated [[same-sex relationships]] with youths who were coming of age for all adult men, so long as the men eventually took wives and produced children.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Spartans thought that love and erotic relationships between experienced and novice soldiers would solidify combat loyalty and encourage heroic tactics as men vied to impress their lovers. Once the younger soldiers reached maturity, the relationship was supposed to become non-sexual, but it is not clear how strictly this was followed. There was some stigma attached to young men who continued their relationships with their mentors into adulthood.<ref name="Greek homosexuality - livius.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.livius.org/ho-hz/homosexuality/homosexuality.html |title=Greek Homosexuality |accessdate=2007-02-17 |last=van Dolen |first=Hein}}</ref> For example, [[Aristophanes]] calls them ''euryprôktoi'', meaning "wide arses", and depicts them like women.<ref name="Greek homosexuality - livius.org" />
Greek religious texts, reflecting cultural practices, incorporated bisexual themes. The subtexts varied, from the mystical to the didactic. See ''[[Mythology of same-sex love]]''.
 
   
  +
In [[Ancient Greece]] it is believed that males generally went through a homosexual stage in adolescence, followed by a bisexual stage characterized by [[pederasty|pederastic relationships]] in young adulthood, followed by a (mostly) heterosexual stage later in life, when they married and had children.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} [[Alexander the Great]], the [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonian]] king, is thought to have been bisexual, and to have had a male lover named [[Hephaestion]].<ref name="Alexander the Great - androphile.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.androphile.org/preview/Library/Biographies/Alexander/Alexander.htm |title=The Love of Alexander III of Macedon, Known as "The Great" |accessdate=2007-02-18}}</ref>
===Middle East and Central Asia===
 
[[Image:Shah Abbas and Wine Boy.jpg|thumb|right|225px|'''Shah Abbas I and a page'''<br>The dedication reads ''May life grant all that you desire from three lips, those of your lover, the river, and the cup.'' Tempera and gilt; Muhammad Qasim, 1627; Louvre, Paris]]
 
Islamic countries developed a culture in which love ''([[ishq]])'' was held to be an absolute good, regardless of the gender of the object of affection, though irreligious behavior was condemned. Men's attraction to beautiful youths was widely understood to be normal and universal in Islamic cultures<ref>El-Rouayheb, 2005, pp. 14-24</ref> For example, the Hanbalite jurist Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1200) is reputed to have said that "He who claims that he experiences no desire when looking at beautiful boys or youths is a liar, and if we could believe him he would be an animal, and not a human being." <ref>Monroe, 1997, p. 117</ref>
 
   
  +
== Social status of bisexuality ==
Some religious texts warn men to avoid falling for this temptation, held to be stronger than attraction to women. Other [[Sufism|religious texts]], not uncontroversially, teach that gazing upon the beauty of boys is a path to communing with god. Poets and artists routinely depicted the love of boys, consummated or not, from the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] times until the early twentieth century. Among these were the poets [[Abu Nuwas]], [[Hafez]], and [[Omar Khayyam]], and painters such as the [[Persian people|Persian]] [[Reza Abbasi]]. The [[Qur'an]]ic prohibition against ''liwat'' ([[anal intercourse]] with either males or females, held to be a major sin) was flouted by some and circumvented by others who indulged in such relationships but stopped short of intercourse. Men convicted of ''liwat'', as well as their partners, could be and were upon occasion executed.
 
   
  +
Historically, bisexuality has largely been free of the social stigma associated with homosexuality, prevalent even where bisexuality was the norm.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In Ancient Greece [[pederasty]] was not problematic as long as the men involved eventually married and had children. In many world cultures, homosexual affairs have been quietly accepted among upper-class men of good social standing (particularly if married){{Fact|date=February 2007}}, and heterosexual marriage has often been used successfully as a defense against accusations of homosexuality.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} On the other hand, there are bisexuals who marry or live with a heterosexual partner because they prefer the complementarity of different sexes in cohabiting and co-parenting but have felt greatly enriched by homosexual relationships alongside the marriage in both monogamous and "[[polyamourous|open]]" relationships.
The Qur'an however requires that the transgression be witnessed by four men or eight women in order to convict the participants. Therefore, men are not given much trouble about these behaviors as it cannot be easily proved, so as long as they marry and raise families and fulfill other societal duties, they can easily "blend" in society.{{fact}} Such practices are claimed to be less common than in the past and have become covert, as a result of exposure to Western Victorian morality starting in the eighteen hundreds. An open declaration of homosexual preference in the Western egalitarian style would be unacceptable.{{fact}}
 
   
  +
Since the 1970s, there have been waves of [[bisexual chic]], in which celebrities and other persons of some notoriety have embraced and advocated bisexuality. This has led to more acceptance of bisexuals in some regards; however, some have latched onto bisexual chic for publicity's sake, with varying degrees of sincerity and permanency. Such celebrities as [[David Bowie]], [[Dave Navarro]], [[Anne Heche]] and others have claimed bisexuality only to later renounce the idea.
==Bisexuality in animals==
 
:''See: [[Non-human animal sexuality]]''
 
Many non-human animal species also exhibit bisexual behavior. This is, of course, common in [[hermaphroditic]] animals, but is also known in many other species such as the [[bonobo]] Chimpanzee, [[orca]], and [[bottlenose dolphin]].{{fact}} Bisexuality has been observed in over 500 species, primarily ones that, like humans, engage in sexual activities for pleasure in addition
 
to procreation.
 
   
  +
Some in the homosexual community accuse those who self-identify as bisexual of duplicity, believing they are really homosexuals who engage in heterosexual activity merely to remain socially acceptable. They may be accused of "not doing their part" in gaining acceptance of "true" homosexuality. Some homosexual people may also suspect that a self-described bisexual is merely a homosexual in the initial stage of [[Questioning (sexuality & gender)|questioning]] their presumed heterosexuality, and will eventually accept that they are homosexual; this is expressed by a glib saying in gay culture: "Bi now, gay later." These situations can and do take place, but do not appear to be true of the majority of self-described bisexuals. Nonetheless, bisexuals do sometimes experience lesser acceptance from homosexual people, because of their declared orientation. Bisexual experimentation is also common in adolescents of every sexual orientation.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
==Bisexuality in modern Western entertainment==
 
Comparatively positive and notable portrayals of bisexuality can be found throughout mainstream media.
 
   
  +
Bisexuals are often associated with men who engage in [[men who have sex with men|same-sex activity]] while [[the closet|closeted]] or heterosexually married. The majority of such men—said to be ''living on the [[down-low]]''—do not self-identify as bisexual.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/001311.html |title=10 Things You Should Know About the DL |accessdate=2007-02-23 |author=Boykin, Keith |date=2005-02-03 }}</ref>
In movies such as: ''[[Goldfish Memory]]''; ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]''; and ''[[Henry and June]]''.
 
   
  +
Because some bisexual people do not feel that they fit into either the [[gay community|homosexual]] or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to be "invisible" in public, some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own [[Bisexual community|communities]], culture, and political movements. However, since "Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two extremes of [[homosexuality]] and [[heterosexuality]]"{{Fact|date=June 2007}}, some who identify as bisexual may merge themselves into either homosexual or heterosexual society. Still other bisexual people see this merging as [[Bisexual erasure|enforced]] rather than voluntary; bisexual people can [[Biphobia|face exclusion]] from both homosexual and heterosexual society on coming out. Psychologist Beth Firestein states that bisexuals also tend to internalize social tensions related to their choice of partners.<ref name="A new generation of issues for LGBT clients">{{cite web |url=http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb02/generation.html |title=A new generation of issues for LGBT clients |accessdate=2007-02-16 |author=DeAngelis, Tori |year=2002 |month=02 |work=Monitor on Psychology |publisher=American Psychological Association}}</ref> Firestein suggests bisexuals may feel pressured to label themselves as homosexuals instead of occupying a difficult middle ground in a culture that has it that if bisexuals are attracted to people of both sexes, they must have more than one partner, thus defying society's value on monogamy.<ref name="A new generation of issues for LGBT clients" /> These social tensions and pressure may and do affect bisexuals' mental health.<ref name="A new generation of issues for LGBT clients" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://aolhometown.planetout.com/news/article.html?2002/05/01/1 |title=Study: Bisexuals face mental health risks |accessdate=2007-02-17 |date=2002-05-01}}</ref> Specific therapy methods have been developed for bisexuals to address this concern.<ref name="A new generation of issues for LGBT clients" />
In [[popular music]], many of the songs of [[The Smiths]] are commonly cited as classic examples.
 
   
  +
Relatively few supportive bisexual communities exist, therefore there is not as much support from people who have gone through similar experiences. This effectively can make it more difficult for bisexuals to "come out" as such.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
In notable [[graphic novel]]s, ''[[Love & Rockets]]'' subtly portrays bisexuality. ''[[Krazy Kat]]'' is an early comic-strip character whose loves are not limited by gender.
 
   
  +
== Bisexual symbols ==
Notable novels containing significant bisexual characters are:
 
*[[Sean David Wright]]'s ''Two for One--a novel about having choices''
 
*[[Anne Rice]]'s ''Cry to Heaven''
 
*[[Rosamond Lehmann]]'s ''Dusty Answer''
 
*[[Mary Renault]]'s ''The Last of the Wine'' and ''The Persian Boy''
 
*[[Colette]]'s ''Claudine'' novels
 
*[[David Leavitt]]'s ''The Lost Language of Cranes'' and ''While England Sleeps''
 
*[[Jeanette Winterson]]'s ''The Passion''
 
*[[Marge Piercy]]'s ''Woman on the Edge of Time''
 
*[[Alice Walker]]'s ''[[The Color Purple]]''
 
*[[Jane Rule]]'s ''Young in One Another's Arms''
 
*[[Gregory Maguire]]'s ''[[Wicked (novel)|Wicked]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Son of a Witch]]''
 
*[[Sylvia Brownrigg]]'s ''The Metaphysical Touch''.
 
   
  +
{{main|LGBT symbols}}
Non-fiction scholarship, such as [[Marjorie Garber]]'s ''Vice Versa: Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life'' (1995), [[Camille Paglia]]'s ''Sexual Personae'' (1990) and Louis Crompton's ''Byron and Greek Love'' (1985), has uncovered previously hidden histories of bisexuality.
 
   
  +
[[Image:Bi flag.svg|thumb|right|The bisexual pride flag|120px]]
On the TV [[sitcom]] ''[[Will & Grace]]'', the character of [[Karen Walker (character)|Karen Walker]] is described as "omnisexual" and -- although married to a man -- often kisses Grace and appears to have had many female lovers throughout her life. The blatantly ambisexual character [[Jack Harkness]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' and ''[[Torchwood]]'' is often described as "omnisexual" by his fans. [[Rebecca Romijn-Stamos]] portrayed a bisexual con artist in the film ''[[Femme Fatale]]''.
 
   
  +
A common symbol of bisexual identity is the [[bisexual pride flag]], which has a deep pink stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality, and a purple one, blended from the pink and blue, in the middle to represent bisexuality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biflag.com/Activism.asp |title=Bi Pride Flag |accessdate=2007-02-16 |author=Page, Michael |quote=The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only, homosexuality, the blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only, heterosexuality, and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi).}}</ref>
There are also negative media portrayals - references sometimes made to stereotypes or mental disorders.
 
The television show ''[[Friends]]'' sported a short song about the topic that expresses a common prejudice on the subject:
 
<div>
 
:''Sometimes men love women,''
 
:''Sometimes men love men,''
 
:''Then there are bisexuals''
 
:''Though some people say they're kidding themselves''
 
</div>
 
   
  +
[[Image:bi triangles.svg|thumb|left|The overlapping triangles|120px]]
On the HBO drama ''[[Oz (TV series)|Oz]]'', [[Christopher Meloni]] played [[Chris Keller]], a bisexual sociopath who tortured, raped, and had numerous sexual encounters with various men and women whom he met.
 
   
  +
Another symbol of bisexual identity that uses the color scheme of the bisexual pride flag is a pair of overlapping pink and blue triangles, the pink triangle being a well-known symbol for the homosexual community, forming purple where they intersect.<ref name="lambda symbols">{{cite web |url=http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm |title=Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements |accessdate=2007-02-27 |date=2004-12-26}}</ref>
A ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' joke ran thus:
 
:''"A bisexual is a person who reaches down the front of somebody's pants and is satisfied with whatever they find."'' -- [[Dana Carvey]] as the church lady, ''Saturday Night Live''.
 
   
  +
[[Image:Bisexual-moon-symbol.svg|thumb|right|Bisexual moon symbol|120px]]
Movies in which the bisexual characters conceal murderous neuroses include ''[[Basic Instinct]]'', ''Black Widow'', ''[[Blue Velvet]]'', ''[[Cruising]]'', ''[[Girl Interrupted]]''.
 
   
  +
Many homosexual and bisexual individuals have a problem with the use of the [[pink triangle]] symbol as it was the symbol that Hitler's regime used to tag homosexuals (similar to the yellow [[Star of David]] that is constituted of two opposed, overlapping triangles). Because pink triangles were used in the persecution of homosexuals in the Nazi regime, a double moon symbol was devised specifically to avoid the use of triangles.<ref name="gay symbols 5">{{cite web |url=http://andrejkoymasky.com/lou/sym/sym05.html |title=Gay Symbols: Other Miscellaneous Symbols |accessdate=2007-02-18 |author=Koymasky, Matt |coauthors=Koymasky Andrej |date=06-08-14}}</ref> This bisexual symbol is a double moon that is formed when the sex-specific attributes of the astrological symbol of Mars & Venus (representing heterosexual union) are reduced to the two circles open on both ends, thus symbolizing that bisexuals are open to either-sex unions.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The color of the bisexual double moon symbol varies. The symbol is most often displayed with rainbow colors{{Fact|date=February 2007}}, signifying that bisexuals belong to the gay community.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} It also may appear with the pink-purple-blue colors of the bisexual pride flag.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The double moon symbol is common in Germany and surrounding countries.<ref name="gay symbols 5" />
==See also==
 
*[[Biphobia]]
 
*[[List of bisexual people]]
 
*[[List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people]]
 
*[[List of LGBT-related organizations]]
 
*[[Media portrayal of bisexuality]]
 
*[[Bisexual chic]]
 
*[[Pansexuality]]
 
   
  +
== Bisexuality in animals ==
==References==
 
;General
 
*[[Louis Crompton]]. ''Homosexuality and Civilization,'' Cambridge, Mass. and London, 2003. ISBN 067401197X
 
*[[Michel Larivière]]. ''Homosexuels et bisexuels célèbres,'' Delétraz Editions, 1997. ISBN 2911110196
 
   
  +
{{Expand-section|date=February 2007}}
;Ancient Greece
 
*[[Kenneth J. Dover]]. ''Greek Homosexuality,'' New York; Vintage Books, 1978. ISBN 0394742249
 
*[[Thomas K. Hubbard]]. ''Homosexuality in Greece and Rome,'' U. of California Press, 2003. [http://www.utexas.edu/courses/cc348hubbard/] ISBN 0520234308
 
*Herald Patzer. ''Die Griechische Knabenliebe [Greek Pederasty],'' Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982. In: Sitzungsberichte der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Vol. 19 No. 1.
 
*W. A. Percy III.'' Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece,'' University of Illinois Press, 1996. ISBN 0252022092
 
   
  +
{{main|Animal sexuality}}
;By country
 
*[[Stephen O. Murray]] and [[Will Roscoe]], et al. ''Islamic Homosexualities: Culture, History, and Literature,'' New York: New York University Press, 1997. ISBN 0814774687
 
*J. Wright & Everett Rowson. ''Homoeroticism in Classical Arabic Literature''. 1998.
 
*[[Gary Leupp]]. ''Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan,'' Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 0520209001
 
*[[Tsuneo Watanabe]] & [[Jun'ichi Iwata]]. ''The Love of the Samurai. A Thousand Years of Japanese Homosexuality,'' London: GMP Publishers, 1987. ISBN 0854491155
 
   
  +
Many non-human animal species also exhibit bisexual behavior. This is, of course, common in [[hermaphroditic]] animals, but is also known in many other species. Examples of mammals include the [[bonobo]] (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee), [[orca]], and [[bottlenose dolphin]]. Examples of avians include some species of gulls and [[Humboldt Penguin]]s. Other examples occur among fish, flatworms, and crustaceans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/bisdia.htm |title=Bisexuality: A Biological Perspective |accessdate=2007-02-17 |author=Diamond, Milton |year=1998 |work=Bisexualities - The Ideology and Practice of Sexual Contact with both Men and Women}}</ref>
;Modern Western
 
*Bi Any Other Name : Bisexual People Speak Out by [[Loraine Hutchins]], Editor & [[Lani Ka'ahumanu]], Editor ISBN 1-55583-174-5
 
*Getting Bi : Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by [[Robyn Ochs]], Editor & [[Sarah Rowley]], Editor ISBN 0-9653881-4-X
 
*The Bisexual Option by [[Fritz Klein|Fritz Klein, MD]] ISBN 1-56023-033-9
 
*Bi America : Myths, Truths, And Struggles Of An Invisible Community by [[William E. Burleson]] ISBN-13: 978-1-56023-478-4
 
*Bisexuality in the United States : A Social Science Reader by [[Paula C. Rodriguez Rust]], Editor ISBN 0-231-10226-7
 
*Bisexuality : The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority by [[Beth A. Firestein]], Editor ISBN 0803972741
 
*Current Research on Bisexuality by [[Ronald C. Fox PhD]], Editor ISBN-13: 978-1-56023-288-5
 
*[http://www.beyondbarriers.org.uk/docs/Bisexual_Participatory_Appraisal_Research.pdf Exploring Biphobia]. (144 KB [[PDF]]). Report on the problems caused by stereotyping of bisexuals.
 
   
  +
Many species of animals are involved in the act of forming sexual and relationship bonds between the same sex; even when offered the opportunity to breed with members of the opposite sex, they picked the same sex. Some of these species are gazelles, antelope, bison, and sage grouse.<ref name=Bidstrup>{{cite web |url=http://www.bidstrup.com/sodomy.htm |title=The Natural Crime Against Nature |accessdate=2007-06-26 |author=Scott Bidstrup |year=2000}}</ref>
   
  +
In some cases animals will choose intercourse with different sexes at different times in their life, and sometimes will perform intercourse with different sexes at random. Homosexual intercourse can also be seasonal in some animals like male walruses, who often engage in homosexual intercourse with each other outside of the breeding season and will revert to heterosexual intercourse during breeding season.
;Film
 
  +
<ref name=Bidstrup/>
* Bryant, Wayne M.. ''Bisexual Characters in Film: From Anais to Zee''. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies, 1997. ISBN 1560238941
 
   
  +
In some cases bisexuality is actually a form of fitness favored by evolution. For example, in the absence of male whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus), females reproduce by pairing up with each other. During the breeding season females will take turns switching between "male" and "female" roles as their hormones fluctuate. Estrogen levels are high during ovulation ("female" role) and much lower after laying eggs ("male" role). While in the "male" role, a female lizard will mount another in the "female" role and go through the motions of sex to stimulate egg-laying. The hatchlings produced are all female. This all-female species has evolved from lizards with two sexes, but their eggs develop without fertilization (parthenogenesis). Female whiptail lizards can lay eggs without sex, but they lay far fewer eggs than if they engage in sexual stimulation by another female. <ref>{{cite book | title=Biology | author=Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece | year=2002}}</ref>
==External links==
 
{{Wikiquote}}
 
{{wiktionarypar|bisexuality}}
 
   
  +
== See also ==
* [http://www.binetusa.org/ BiNet USA (USA)]
 
  +
* [http://www.bisexual.org/ The Bisexual Foundation (USA)]
 
  +
  +
  +
* [[Biphobia]]
  +
* [[Bisexual erasure]]
  +
* [[Heterosexism]]
  +
* [[Homophobia]]
  +
* [[Lesbianism]]
  +
* [[List of LGBT-related organizations]]
  +
* [[Male homosexuality]]
  +
* [[Societal attitudes towards homosexuality]]
  +
* ''[[Journal of Bisexuality]]''
  +
* [[Pansexuality]]
  +
* [[Transvestism]]
  +
  +
== Further reading ==
  +
  +
; General
  +
  +
* [[Garrett Jones]]. ''Coming Clean about Bisexuality'', 2000. Free download[http://www.garrettjones.talktalk.net click]
  +
* [[Louis Crompton]]. ''Homosexuality and Civilization'', Cambridge, Mass. and London, 2003. ISBN 0-674-01197-X
  +
* [[Michel Larivière]]. ''Homosexuels et bisexuels célèbres'', Delétraz Editions, 1997. ISBN 2-911110-19-6
  +
* [[Sigmund Freud]]. ''Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex''. ISBN 0486416038
  +
  +
; Ancient Greece
  +
  +
* [[Kenneth J. Dover]]. ''Greek Homosexuality'', New York; Vintage Books, 1978. ISBN 0-394-74224-9
  +
* [[Thomas K. Hubbard]]. ''Homosexuality in Greece and Rome'', U. of California Press, 2003. ISBN 0-520-23430-8
  +
* Herald Patzer. ''Die Griechische Knabenliebe [Greek Pederasty],'' Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982. In: Sitzungsberichte der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Vol. 19 No. 1.
  +
* [[William Armstrong Percy, III|W. A. Percy III]]. ''Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece,'' University of Illinois Press, 1996. ISBN 0-252-02209-2
  +
  +
; By country
  +
  +
* [[Stephen O. Murray]] and [[Will Roscoe]], et al. ''Islamic Homosexualities: Culture, History, and Literature,'' New York: New York University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8147-7468-7
  +
* J. Wright & Everett Rowson. ''Homoeroticism in Classical Arabic Literature''. 1998. ISBN 023110507X (pbbk)/ ISBN 0231105061 (hdbk)
  +
* [[Gary Leupp]]. ''Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan,'' Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 0-520-20900-1
  +
* [[Tsuneo Watanabe]] & [[Jun'ichi Iwata]]. ''The Love of the Samurai. A Thousand Years of Japanese Homosexuality,'' London: GMP Publishers, 1987. ISBN 0-85449-115-5
  +
  +
; Modern Western
  +
  +
* ''Bi Any Other Name : Bisexual People Speak Out'' by [[Loraine Hutchins]], Editor & [[Lani Ka'ahumanu]], Editor ISBN 1-55583-174-5
  +
* ''Getting Bi : Voices of Bisexuals Around the World'' by [[Robyn Ochs]], Editor & [[Sarah Rowley]], Editor ISBN 0-9653881-4-X
  +
* ''The Bisexual Option'' by [[Fritz Klein|Fritz Klein, MD]] ISBN 1-56023-033-9
  +
* ''Bi Men : Coming Out Every Which Way'' by [[Ron Suresha]] and Pete Chvany, Editors ISBN 978-1-56023-615-9
  +
* ''Bi America : Myths, Truths, And Struggles Of An Invisible Community'' by [[William E. Burleson]] ISBN 978-1-56023-478-4
  +
* ''Bisexuality in the United States : A Social Science Reader'' by [[Paula C. Rodriguez Rust]], Editor ISBN 0-231-10226-7
  +
* ''Bisexuality : The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority'' by [[Beth A. Firestein]], Editor ISBN 0-8039-7274-1
  +
* ''Current Research on Bisexuality'' by [[Ronald C. Fox PhD]], Editor ISBN 978-1-56023-288-5
  +
  +
== References ==
  +
  +
{{reflist|2}}
  +
  +
== External links ==
  +
* [http://www.bisexual.com/ Bisexual.com (Global)]
  +
* [http://binetbc.bi.org/ The British Columbia Bisexual Network] - Vancouver BC, Canada
 
* [http://www.biresource.org/ Bisexual Resource Center (USA)]
 
* [http://www.biresource.org/ Bisexual Resource Center (USA)]
 
* [http://www.bitribune.com/ Bi Tribune Magazine (USA)]
 
* [http://www.bitribune.com/ Bi Tribune Magazine (USA)]
* [http://www.bisquish.com/ BiSquish (USA)]
+
* [http://www.shybi.com/ Bisexual Women's Forums and Resources (USA)]
* [http://www.bicommunitynews.co.uk/index.html Bi Community News (UK)]
+
* [http://www.opcionbi.com/ Opcion Bi Group (MEX)]
  +
* [http://www.beyondbarriers.org.uk/docs/Bisexual_Participatory_Appraisal_Research.pdf Exploring Biphobia]. (144 KB [[PDF]]). Report on the problems caused by stereotyping of bisexuals.
   
  +
{{LGBT-footer|history=yes|culture=yes|rights=yes}}
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[[ka:ბისექსუალობა]]
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[[ku:Bîseksûelî]]
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[[lt:Biseksualumas]]
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[[hu:Biszexualitás]]
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[[mk:Бисексуалност]]
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[[nl:Biseksualiteit]]
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[[ja:両性愛]]
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[[no:Bifili]]
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[[pl:Biseksualizm]]
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[[pt:Bissexualidade]]
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[[ro:Bisexualitate]]
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[[ru:Бисексуальность]]
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[[simple:Bisexuality]]
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[[sk:Bisexualita]]
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[[sl:Biseksualnost]]
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[[sr:Бисексуалност]]
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[[fi:Biseksuaalisuus]]
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[[sv:Bisexualitet]]
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[[tr:Biseksüellik]]
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[[yi:בייסעקסואלוטעט]]
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[[zh-yue:雙性戀]]
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-->
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{{enWP|Bisexuality}}
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[[Category:Bisexuality]]
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[[Category:Gender]]
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[[Category:Gender_studies]]
 
[[Category:LGBT]]
 
[[Category:LGBT]]
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[[Category:Psychosexual behavior]]
 
[[Category:Sexual orientation]]
 
[[Category:Sexual orientation]]
 
[[Category:Sexual orientation and identity]]
 
[[Category:Sexual orientation and identity]]
[[Category:bisexual community]]
 
 
{{enWP|Bisexuality}}
 

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Bisexuality is a sexual orientation which refers to the romantic and/or sexual attraction of individuals to others of both genders (socially) or sexes (biologically). Most bisexuals are not equally attracted to men and women and may even shift between states of finding either gender or sex exclusively attractive over the course of time.[1] However, some bisexuals are and remain fairly static in their level of attraction throughout their adult life.

In the mid-1940s, Alfred Kinsey devised the Kinsey scale in an attempt to measure sexual orientation and activity. The 7-point scale has a rating of 0 ("exclusively heterosexual") to 6 ("exclusively homosexual"). Bisexuals cover most of the scale's values (1–5), which range between "predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual" (1) to "predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual" (5). In the middle of the scale (3) is "equally heterosexual and homosexual".[1] Although Kinsey's methodology has come under criticism, the scale is still widely used in describing the phenomenon of bisexuality.

Although observed in a variety of forms in human societies[2] and in the animal kingdom[3][4] throughout recorded history, the term bisexuality (like the terms hetero- and homosexuality) was only coined in the 19th century.[5]

Description

Bisexual people are not necessarily attracted equally to both sexes.[1] Because bisexuality is often an ambiguous position between homosexuality and heterosexuality, those who identify, or are identified, as bisexuals form a heterogeneous group.

Others view bisexuality as more ambiguous. Some people who might be classified by others as bisexual on the basis of their sexual behavior self-identify primarily as homosexual. Equally, otherwise heterosexual people who engage in occasional homosexual behavior could be considered bisexual, but may not identify as such. For some who believe that sexuality is a distinctly defined aspect of the character, this ambiguity is problematic. It is sometimes argued that the behavior of bisexuals may be explained by subconscious homophobia or peer pressure.[How to reference and link to summary or text] On the other hand, some believe that the majority of people contain aspects of homosexuality and heterosexuality, but that the intensities of these can vary from person to person.[How to reference and link to summary or text] Some people who engage in bisexual behavior may be supportive of homosexual people, but still self-identify as heterosexual; others may consider any labels irrelevant to their positions and situations. In 1995, Harvard Shakespeare professor Marjorie Garber made the academic case for bisexuality with her 600-page Vice Versa: Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life in which she argued that most people would be bisexual if not for "repression, religion, repugnance, denial...premature specialization."[6]

Some bisexuals make a distinction between gender and sex. Gender is defined in these situations as social or psychological category, characterized by the common practices of men and women. For example, the fact that women wear skirts and dresses in Western society while men traditionally do not is a gender issue. Sex in this case is defined as the biological difference between males and females, prior to any social conditioning. Bisexuals in this sense may be attracted to more than one gender but only to one sex. For example, a male bisexual may be attracted to aspects of men and masculinity, but not to the male body.

Bisexuality is often misunderstood as a form of adultery or polyamory, and a popular misconception is that bisexuals must always be in relationships with men and women simultaneously. Rather, individuals attracted to both males and females, like people of any other orientation, may live a variety of sexual lifestyles. These include lifelong monogamy, serial monogamy, polyamory, polyfidelity, casual sexual activity with individual partners, casual group sex, and celibacy. For those with more than one sexual partner, these may or may not all be of the same gender.

Terminology

The term bisexual was first used in the 19th century to refer to intersexed people. By 1914 it had begun to be used in the context of sexual orientation.[5] Some bisexuals and sex researchers are dissatisfied with the term and have developed a variety of alternative or supplementary terms to describe aspects and forms of bisexuality. Many are neologisms not widely recognized by the larger society.

  • Pansexual, omnisexual, anthrosexual, and pomosexual (postmodern sexuality) are substitute terms that, rather than referring to both or "bi" sex attraction, refer to all or "omni" sex attraction and are used mainly by those who wish to express acceptance of all sex possibilities, including transgender and intersex people, not just two. Pansexuality sometimes includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as BDSM. Some people who might otherwise identify as pansexual or omnisexual choose to self-identify as bisexual because the term bisexual is more widely known, and because they see it as an important term in identity politics.
  • Bi-permissive describes someone who does not actively seek out sexual relations with a given sex, but is open to them. Such a person may self-identify as heterosexual or homosexual and engage predominantly in sexual acts with individuals of the corresponding sex, and might be rated 1 or 5 on Kinsey's scale. Near-synonyms include heteroflexible and homoflexible.
  • Ambisexual indicates a primarily indiscriminate attraction to either sex. A person who self-identifies as ambisexual might be attracted with equal intensity on physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels to partner(s) regardless of sex or gender presentation while upholding selectivity standards in other areas. Some might experience equally intense attractions that could be triggered by sex- or gender-specific traits in the given partner or partners. A person with this orientation might fall in the 3 category on Kinsey's scale, as would some who subscribe to the 2 or 4 rating (although some individuals in these latter categories consider themselves bi-permissive).
  • Bi-curious has several distinct and sometimes contradictory meanings. It is commonly found in personal ads from those who identify as heterosexual, but are interested in homosexual "experimentation." Such people are commonly suspected—not necessarily correctly—of being homosexuals or bisexuals in denial of their homosexuality. It can also be used to describe someone as being passively bi, bi-permissive, or open to indirect bisexual contact.
  • Trisexual (sometimes trysexual) is either an extension of, or a pun on bisexual. In its more serious usage, it indicates an interest in transgender persons in addition to cissexual men and women. In its more humorous usage, it refers to someone who will try any sexual experience. It is used in the song "La Vie Boheme" in the Broadway musical Rent.
  • Biphobia describes a fear or condemnation of bisexuality, usually based in a belief that only heterosexuality and homosexuality are genuine orientations and appropriate lifestyles. Bisexual persons may also be the target of homophobia from those who consider only heterosexuality appropriate. The reverse can also apply in that bisexual persons may be targets of heterophobia or discrimination by some homosexuals.
  • Passively bi, aka open-minded, is a non-sex specific term that describes a heterosexual/bi-curious person who is open to incidental or direct contact (typically in a group sex scenario) from a member of the same sex or a homosexual/bi-curious person who is open to contact with members of the opposite sex under the same scenario, which usually doesn't involve reciprocation.
  • Actively bi is a non-sex specific term that can describe a bi-curious person who initiates direct contact with the sex opposite his or her usual identity (either hetero- or homosexual); it can also refer to a bisexual person who engages in contact with members of both sexes on a fairly regular basis.

Modern Western prevalence of bisexuality

Main article: Demographics of sexual orientation

A 2002 survey in the United States by National Center for Health Statistics found that 1.8 percent of men ages 18–44 considered themselves bisexual, 2.3 percent homosexual, and 3.9 percent as "something else". The same study found that 2.8 percent of women ages 18–44 considered themselves bisexual, 1.3 percent homosexual, and 3.8 percent as "something else".[7]

The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior, published in 1993, showed that 5 percent of men and 3 percent of women consider themselves bisexual and 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women considered themselves homosexual.[7]

Sigmund Freud theorized that every person has the ability to become bisexual at some time in his or her life.[8] He based this on the idea that enjoyable experiences of sexuality with the same sex, whether sought or unsought, acting on it or being fantasized, become an attachment to his or her needs and desires in social upbringing. Prominent psychoanalyst Dr. Joseph Merlino, Senior Editor of the book, Freud at 150: 21st Century Essays on a Man of Genius stated in an interview:

Freud maintained that bisexuality was a normal part of development. That all of us went through a period of bisexuality and that, in the end, most of us came out heterosexual but that the bisexual phase we traversed remained on some unconscious level, and was dealt with in other ways....He did not consider it something that should be criminalized, or penalized.... Freud felt there were a number of homosexuals he encountered who did not have a variety of complex problems that homosexuality was a part of. He found people who were totally normal in every other regard except in terms of their sexual preference. In fact, he saw many of them as having higher intellects, higher aesthetic sensibilities, higher morals; those kinds of things. He did not see it as something to criminalize or penalize, or to keep from psychoanalytic training. A lot of the psychoanalytic institutes felt if you were homosexual you should not be accepted; that was not Freud's position.

Joseph Merlino, [9]

Some studies, notably Alfred Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), have indicated that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. The studies report that most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to some (falsely attributed to Kinsey), only about 5–10 percent of the population can be considered fully heterosexual or homosexual.[How to reference and link to summary or text] On the other hand, an even smaller minority has no distinct preference for one sex or the other.

Despite common misconceptions, bisexuality does not require that a person be attracted equally to both sexes. In fact, people who have a distinct but not exclusive preference for one sex over the other can and often do identify as bisexual. Some recent studies, including one by researchers Gerulf Rieger, Meredith L. Chivers, and J. Michael Bailey,[10] which attracted media attention in 2005, purported to find that bisexuality is extremely rare, and perhaps nonexistent, in men. Some outside the scientific world have criticized that such studies have typically worked from the assumption that a person is only truly bisexual if he or she exhibits virtually equal arousal responses to both opposite-sex and same-sex stimuli, and have consequently dismissed the self-identification of people whose arousal patterns showed even a mild preference for one sex.[11] Such a criticism would not apply in Rieger, Chivers, and Bailey's case, as their study was not seeking to determine if men who claimed to be bi-sexual had equal rates of stimulation toward men and women, rather the study's conclusions were based on a comparison between the arousal patterns of perportedly bisexual men and homosexual or heterosexual men. The results did significantly indicate that the men who claimed to be bisexual had results that matched up with either homosexual men or heterosexual men.

One criticism that has been raised to the Rieger, Chivers, and Bailey study is that many bisexuals' attraction is based on social/mental gender of individuals rather than physical sex. For example, a bisexual might be attracted to both feminine women and feminine men, but have little interest in masculine individuals. This individual, while they might be highly attracted to certain members of both sexes, would be unlikely to be attracted to most males in modern western society (who tend to be masculine). As this study employed 2-minute clips of standard heterosexual and homosexual pornography, the study would be blind to the this type of bisexual.

Bisexuality in history

File:Japanesepederasty18thcentury.jpg

Shudo (Japanese pederasty): a young male entertains an older male lover, covering his eyes while surreptitiously kissing a female servant.

In some cultures, historical and literary records from most literate societies indicate that male bisexuality was common and indeed expected.[How to reference and link to summary or text] These relationships were generally age-structured (as in the practice of pederasty in the Mediterranean Basin of antiquity,[12] or the practice of shudo in pre-modern Japan)[How to reference and link to summary or text] or gender-structured (as in the Two-Spirit North American tradition or the Central Asian bacchá practices).[How to reference and link to summary or text] Male heterosexuality and homosexuality, while also documented, appear mostly as exceptions, unless we are examining cultures influenced by the Abrahamic religions, where heterosexuality was privileged, and bisexuality and homosexuality forcefully suppressed.[How to reference and link to summary or text] In fact, most of the commonly cited examples of male "homosexuality" in previous cultures would more properly be categorized as bisexuality.[How to reference and link to summary or text] Determining the history of female bisexuality is more problematic, in that women in most of the studied societies were under the domination of the males, and on one hand had less self-determination and freedom of movement and expression, and on the other were not the ones writing or keeping the literary record.[How to reference and link to summary or text] Sappho, however, is a notable example.

In 124 CE the bisexual Roman emperor Hadrian met Antinous, a 13- or 14-year-old boy from Bithynia, and they began their pederastic relationship. Antinous was deified by Hadrian when he died six years later. Many statues, busts, coins and reliefs display Hadrian's deep affections for him. Ancient Rome, Arab countries up to and including the present, China, and Japan, all exhibit patterns of analogous bisexual behavior.[How to reference and link to summary or text] In Japan in particular, due to its practice of shudo and the extensive art and literature associated with it, the record of a primarily bisexual lifestyle is both detailed and quite recent, dating back as recently as the 19th century.[How to reference and link to summary or text] Bisexual behavior was also common among Roman and Chinese emperors, the shoguns of Japan, and others.[How to reference and link to summary or text]

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the terms heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and the concept of "sexual orientation" itself are all modern sociological constructs and may not be appropriate in historical contexts in which behavior might be considered homosexual but people were not labeled using such terms.[How to reference and link to summary or text]

Ancient Greece

Main article: Homosexuality in ancient Greece
File:Homosexual scene - 420 BCE, Dinos painter - Capua - GR 1772.3-20.154 F65 - British Museum.jpg

Two athletes about to have sex, while a man watches; Apulian red-figure vase by the Dinos painter, 420BCE

Ancient Greek religious texts, reflecting cultural practices, incorporated bisexual themes. The subtexts varied, from the mystical to the didactic.[13]

Ancestral law in ancient Sparta mandated same-sex relationships with youths who were coming of age for all adult men, so long as the men eventually took wives and produced children.[How to reference and link to summary or text] The Spartans thought that love and erotic relationships between experienced and novice soldiers would solidify combat loyalty and encourage heroic tactics as men vied to impress their lovers. Once the younger soldiers reached maturity, the relationship was supposed to become non-sexual, but it is not clear how strictly this was followed. There was some stigma attached to young men who continued their relationships with their mentors into adulthood.[13] For example, Aristophanes calls them euryprôktoi, meaning "wide arses", and depicts them like women.[13]

In Ancient Greece it is believed that males generally went through a homosexual stage in adolescence, followed by a bisexual stage characterized by pederastic relationships in young adulthood, followed by a (mostly) heterosexual stage later in life, when they married and had children.[How to reference and link to summary or text] Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king, is thought to have been bisexual, and to have had a male lover named Hephaestion.[14]

Social status of bisexuality

Historically, bisexuality has largely been free of the social stigma associated with homosexuality, prevalent even where bisexuality was the norm.[How to reference and link to summary or text] In Ancient Greece pederasty was not problematic as long as the men involved eventually married and had children. In many world cultures, homosexual affairs have been quietly accepted among upper-class men of good social standing (particularly if married)[How to reference and link to summary or text], and heterosexual marriage has often been used successfully as a defense against accusations of homosexuality.[How to reference and link to summary or text] On the other hand, there are bisexuals who marry or live with a heterosexual partner because they prefer the complementarity of different sexes in cohabiting and co-parenting but have felt greatly enriched by homosexual relationships alongside the marriage in both monogamous and "open" relationships.

Since the 1970s, there have been waves of bisexual chic, in which celebrities and other persons of some notoriety have embraced and advocated bisexuality. This has led to more acceptance of bisexuals in some regards; however, some have latched onto bisexual chic for publicity's sake, with varying degrees of sincerity and permanency. Such celebrities as David Bowie, Dave Navarro, Anne Heche and others have claimed bisexuality only to later renounce the idea.

Some in the homosexual community accuse those who self-identify as bisexual of duplicity, believing they are really homosexuals who engage in heterosexual activity merely to remain socially acceptable. They may be accused of "not doing their part" in gaining acceptance of "true" homosexuality. Some homosexual people may also suspect that a self-described bisexual is merely a homosexual in the initial stage of questioning their presumed heterosexuality, and will eventually accept that they are homosexual; this is expressed by a glib saying in gay culture: "Bi now, gay later." These situations can and do take place, but do not appear to be true of the majority of self-described bisexuals. Nonetheless, bisexuals do sometimes experience lesser acceptance from homosexual people, because of their declared orientation. Bisexual experimentation is also common in adolescents of every sexual orientation.[How to reference and link to summary or text]

Bisexuals are often associated with men who engage in same-sex activity while closeted or heterosexually married. The majority of such men—said to be living on the down-low—do not self-identify as bisexual.[15]

Because some bisexual people do not feel that they fit into either the homosexual or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to be "invisible" in public, some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own communities, culture, and political movements. However, since "Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two extremes of homosexuality and heterosexuality"[How to reference and link to summary or text], some who identify as bisexual may merge themselves into either homosexual or heterosexual society. Still other bisexual people see this merging as enforced rather than voluntary; bisexual people can face exclusion from both homosexual and heterosexual society on coming out. Psychologist Beth Firestein states that bisexuals also tend to internalize social tensions related to their choice of partners.[16] Firestein suggests bisexuals may feel pressured to label themselves as homosexuals instead of occupying a difficult middle ground in a culture that has it that if bisexuals are attracted to people of both sexes, they must have more than one partner, thus defying society's value on monogamy.[16] These social tensions and pressure may and do affect bisexuals' mental health.[16][17] Specific therapy methods have been developed for bisexuals to address this concern.[16]

Relatively few supportive bisexual communities exist, therefore there is not as much support from people who have gone through similar experiences. This effectively can make it more difficult for bisexuals to "come out" as such.[How to reference and link to summary or text]

Bisexual symbols

Main article: LGBT symbols
Bi flag

The bisexual pride flag

A common symbol of bisexual identity is the bisexual pride flag, which has a deep pink stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality, and a purple one, blended from the pink and blue, in the middle to represent bisexuality.[18]

File:Bi triangles.svg

The overlapping triangles

Another symbol of bisexual identity that uses the color scheme of the bisexual pride flag is a pair of overlapping pink and blue triangles, the pink triangle being a well-known symbol for the homosexual community, forming purple where they intersect.[19]

File:Bisexual-moon-symbol.svg

Bisexual moon symbol

Many homosexual and bisexual individuals have a problem with the use of the pink triangle symbol as it was the symbol that Hitler's regime used to tag homosexuals (similar to the yellow Star of David that is constituted of two opposed, overlapping triangles). Because pink triangles were used in the persecution of homosexuals in the Nazi regime, a double moon symbol was devised specifically to avoid the use of triangles.[20] This bisexual symbol is a double moon that is formed when the sex-specific attributes of the astrological symbol of Mars & Venus (representing heterosexual union) are reduced to the two circles open on both ends, thus symbolizing that bisexuals are open to either-sex unions.[How to reference and link to summary or text] The color of the bisexual double moon symbol varies. The symbol is most often displayed with rainbow colors[How to reference and link to summary or text], signifying that bisexuals belong to the gay community.[How to reference and link to summary or text] It also may appear with the pink-purple-blue colors of the bisexual pride flag.[How to reference and link to summary or text] The double moon symbol is common in Germany and surrounding countries.[20]

Bisexuality in animals


Main article: Animal sexuality

Many non-human animal species also exhibit bisexual behavior. This is, of course, common in hermaphroditic animals, but is also known in many other species. Examples of mammals include the bonobo (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee), orca, and bottlenose dolphin. Examples of avians include some species of gulls and Humboldt Penguins. Other examples occur among fish, flatworms, and crustaceans.[21]

Many species of animals are involved in the act of forming sexual and relationship bonds between the same sex; even when offered the opportunity to breed with members of the opposite sex, they picked the same sex. Some of these species are gazelles, antelope, bison, and sage grouse.[22]

In some cases animals will choose intercourse with different sexes at different times in their life, and sometimes will perform intercourse with different sexes at random. Homosexual intercourse can also be seasonal in some animals like male walruses, who often engage in homosexual intercourse with each other outside of the breeding season and will revert to heterosexual intercourse during breeding season. [22]

In some cases bisexuality is actually a form of fitness favored by evolution. For example, in the absence of male whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus), females reproduce by pairing up with each other. During the breeding season females will take turns switching between "male" and "female" roles as their hormones fluctuate. Estrogen levels are high during ovulation ("female" role) and much lower after laying eggs ("male" role). While in the "male" role, a female lizard will mount another in the "female" role and go through the motions of sex to stimulate egg-laying. The hatchlings produced are all female. This all-female species has evolved from lizards with two sexes, but their eggs develop without fertilization (parthenogenesis). Female whiptail lizards can lay eggs without sex, but they lay far fewer eggs than if they engage in sexual stimulation by another female. [23]

See also

Further reading

General
  • Garrett Jones. Coming Clean about Bisexuality, 2000. Free downloadclick
  • Louis Crompton. Homosexuality and Civilization, Cambridge, Mass. and London, 2003. ISBN 0-674-01197-X
  • Michel Larivière. Homosexuels et bisexuels célèbres, Delétraz Editions, 1997. ISBN 2-911110-19-6
  • Sigmund Freud. Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex. ISBN 0486416038
Ancient Greece
  • Kenneth J. Dover. Greek Homosexuality, New York; Vintage Books, 1978. ISBN 0-394-74224-9
  • Thomas K. Hubbard. Homosexuality in Greece and Rome, U. of California Press, 2003. ISBN 0-520-23430-8
  • Herald Patzer. Die Griechische Knabenliebe [Greek Pederasty], Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982. In: Sitzungsberichte der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Vol. 19 No. 1.
  • W. A. Percy III. Pederasty and Pedagogy in Archaic Greece, University of Illinois Press, 1996. ISBN 0-252-02209-2
By country
  • Stephen O. Murray and Will Roscoe, et al. Islamic Homosexualities: Culture, History, and Literature, New York: New York University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-8147-7468-7
  • J. Wright & Everett Rowson. Homoeroticism in Classical Arabic Literature. 1998. ISBN 023110507X (pbbk)/ ISBN 0231105061 (hdbk)
  • Gary Leupp. Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 0-520-20900-1
  • Tsuneo Watanabe & Jun'ichi Iwata. The Love of the Samurai. A Thousand Years of Japanese Homosexuality, London: GMP Publishers, 1987. ISBN 0-85449-115-5
Modern Western
  • Bi Any Other Name : Bisexual People Speak Out by Loraine Hutchins, Editor & Lani Ka'ahumanu, Editor ISBN 1-55583-174-5
  • Getting Bi : Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by Robyn Ochs, Editor & Sarah Rowley, Editor ISBN 0-9653881-4-X
  • The Bisexual Option by Fritz Klein, MD ISBN 1-56023-033-9
  • Bi Men : Coming Out Every Which Way by Ron Suresha and Pete Chvany, Editors ISBN 978-1-56023-615-9
  • Bi America : Myths, Truths, And Struggles Of An Invisible Community by William E. Burleson ISBN 978-1-56023-478-4
  • Bisexuality in the United States : A Social Science Reader by Paula C. Rodriguez Rust, Editor ISBN 0-231-10226-7
  • Bisexuality : The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority by Beth A. Firestein, Editor ISBN 0-8039-7274-1
  • Current Research on Bisexuality by Ronald C. Fox PhD, Editor ISBN 978-1-56023-288-5

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robinson, B.A.. Bisexuality: Neither Homosexuality Nor Hetrosexuality. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. URL accessed on 2007-02-17.
  2. Crompton, Louis (2003). Homosexuality and Civilization, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press.
  3. Bagemihl, Bruce (1999). Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity, London: Profile Books, Ltd..
  4. Roughgarden, Joan (May 2004). Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harper, Douglas (2001). Bisexuality. Online Etymology Dictionary. URL accessed on 2007-02-16.
  6. Garber, Marjorie B. (1995). Vice versa: bisexuality and the eroticism of everyday life, New York: Simon & Schuster.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Frequently Asked Sexuality Questions to the Kinsley Institute. The Kinsley Institude. URL accessed on 2007-02-16.
  8. Freud, Sigmund (translated by A.A. Brill), Three Contributions to the Theory of Sex, Dover Publications, 128 pages, ISBN 0486416038
  9. Interview with Dr. Joseph Merlino, David Shankbone, Wikinews, October 5, 2007.
  10. Rieger G, Chivers ML, Bailey JM (2005). Sexual arousal patterns of bisexual men. Psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society / APS 16 (8): 579-84.
  11. includeonly>Carey, Benedict. "Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited", The New York Times, July 5, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
  12. Peter James, Nick Thorpe. Ancient Inventions. Ballantine Books; New edition, 1995, p. 164 ISBN 0345401026
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 van Dolen, Hein Greek Homosexuality. URL accessed on 2007-02-17.
  14. The Love of Alexander III of Macedon, Known as "The Great". URL accessed on 2007-02-18.
  15. Boykin, Keith. 10 Things You Should Know About the DL. URL accessed on 2007-02-23.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 DeAngelis, Tori (2002). A new generation of issues for LGBT clients. Monitor on Psychology. American Psychological Association. URL accessed on 2007-02-16.
  17. Study: Bisexuals face mental health risks. URL accessed on 2007-02-17.
  18. Page, Michael. Bi Pride Flag. URL accessed on 2007-02-16.
  19. Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements. URL accessed on 2007-02-27.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Koymasky, Matt, Koymasky Andrej. Gay Symbols: Other Miscellaneous Symbols. URL accessed on 2007-02-18.
  21. Diamond, Milton (1998). Bisexuality: A Biological Perspective. Bisexualities - The Ideology and Practice of Sexual Contact with both Men and Women. URL accessed on 2007-02-17.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Scott Bidstrup (2000). The Natural Crime Against Nature. URL accessed on 2007-06-26.
  23. Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece (2002). Biology.

External links

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