Bisexual Resource Guide

Bisexuality: A broad label encompassing the spectrum of romantic, sexual and/or emotional attraction to multiple genders, gender identities and sexes.

In the scientific language of sexual orientation, bisexuality encompasses both heterosexual (different-sex) and homosexual (same-sex) attraction. In everyday language, depending on a person’s culture, background, and politics, this translates into a variety of common definitions including:

* attraction to more than one gender

* attraction to both same/similar genders and different genders

* attraction to two or more genders

* attraction to all genders and/or sexes

* attraction regardless of gender or sex

* attraction to men and women

* love beyond gender

Some important points to note:

* A bi person may or may not be attracted to different sexes or genders in different ways or to different degrees.

* A bi person may or may not have a preference for different sexes or genders more than others.

* A bi person may or may not be attracted to different sexes or genders at some times and not others.

* Attraction to both the same and different means attraction to all. Bisexuality is inherently inclusive of everyone, regardless of sex or gender.

* saying Bisexuality includes both "both heterosexual (different-sex) and homosexual (same-sex) attraction or behavior" is very different from saying bi means part straight and part gay.

The Bisexual Umbrella: An umbrella term is a word or phrase covering a broad range of related things that are different from each other but all belong to the same category. Bisexuality is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of identities, labels, terms and attractions that all fit the scientific definition of bisexuality.

Just as there are millions of ways to be straight, gay/lesbian, or asexual, there are as many ways to be bi as there are bi people. No one word can fully capture the nuances of personality, culture, beliefs, or personal preference; no word should try to. The term bisexuality makes no such pretense— it is a general and inclusive term that encompasses everyone; all sexes and all genders. That does not mean that bi people are attracted to everyone, simply that bi people’s attractions aren’t limited by sex or gender.

Some people under the bi umbrella use different labels to describe their sexual orientation, such as polysexual (attraction to multiple genders, but not all), pansexual (attraction to those of any or all genders; attraction regardless of gender) and omnisexual (attraction to those of all genders, with gender playing a role in that attraction).

Some people prefer the term fluid meaning that attractions do not fit into any neat category, and may shift while including people of more than one gender over time. These labels can be used by themselves or as additional descriptors. Some people feel that their sexuality, while not limited by sex or gender, is best left unlabeled because it is not central to their sense of self.

If these terms all seem to mean the same thing, that is because they basically do! Still, these words have value in that they allow people to describe their sexuality in ways that feel more comfortable or precise. They allow people to express their identity; how they see and understand themselves and want to be seen by others.

It’s helpful to note that although anyone who experiences both homosexual (same sex) and heterosexual (different sex) attractions is bisexual according to the scientific definition, that does not mean that they will label themselves or even think of themselves (identify) as bi.

Some people benefit from using these labels instead of bisexuality, but others do not. These labels exist to describe specific experiences that a bi person may experience, but that does not mean that everyone wants to use them or even feels comfortable using them.

Bisexuality is broad and encompasses many different experiences. There is no one clear-cut definition of bisexuality, as it is often personally defined in ways unique to one’s own individuality. Telling a bisexual person they're actually another label because of how they experience their sexuality erases the inherent fluidity of bisexuality and the diversity of the bi community.

While labels like pan, omni, and poly may sometimes be included in bisexuality and may be used synonymously with bisexual, this does not mean pan/omni/poly people have to consider themselves bi or identify as such and vice versa with bisexuals and labels like pan/omni/poly.

It is ultimately up to the individual to decide what they feel most comfortable identifying as or which label they connect to the most, and that can be bisexual, any other label. Some people even identify with multiple labels and use them interchangeably.

Bisexual+ or Multisexual: An encompassing term for people with the capacity to be attracted to multiple genders and sexes. The bi+ community includes anyone who identifies as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual, fluid, queer, other labels or even unlabeled.

Biphobia:

General Resources

Bi Resource Center

bi.org

Bisexual+ Youth Guide

I Think I Might Be Bi or Pan

Bi 101

Bi, Pan and Bi+

Bisexual+ Labels

What Is Bisexuality

Mental health in the bi+ community: bi antagonism, bi erasure, & getting help

Bisexuals and Mental Health

How To Be a Bisexual+ Ally

Bi+ Youth Report

Resource Guide To Coming Out As Bisexual

Bisexual FAQ

Bialogue

5 Tips For When Coming Out As Bi Goes Badly

Myths About Bisexuality

Bisexual Fact Sheet

The Bisexual Index

Biphobia In An Abusive Relationship

Coming Out For Bi+ Youth

Bi Women Quarterly

The Bi Pan Library

Bisexual Booklist

The Bay Area Bi+ and Pan Network

Supporting Bisexual Youth at Home

Bi+ Violence Recovery Resources

Improving Mental Health For Bi People of Color

Getting Bi-Affirmative Therapy

Bi, Never Binary

History

Anything That Moves Archive

The History of The Word Bisexual and Why It’s Misunderstood

The Bisexual Warriors of the “Gay” Movement

The "Bi" In Bisexual Has Never Meant Only Two

The Bisexual History of HIV and AIDS and Activism

Bisexual Movements

Timeline: The Bisexual Health Movement In The U.S

The Bisexual Manifesto (1990)

Bi Resource History Pamphlet

Archive of the Boston Bisexual Women's Network Newsletter

The U.S. bisexual+ movement: a #BiWeek history lesson

Evolution of The Bisexual Movement

NYC's Bisexual History

D.C Bisexual History

History of Pansexuality

History of The Bisexual Umbrella and Differing Labels

Famous Bi People

Bisexual Historical Figures

The Bisexual History They Don't Want You To Know

Radical Queers or Queer Radicals? Queer Activism and the Global Justice Movement

Historicizing Contemporary Bisexuality

Bisexual Women and the "Threat" to Lesbian Space: Or What If All the Lesbians Leave?

Bisexual Veterans

First Person Biography of a Bisexual US Army Veteran

Lesbians and Bisexuals: Contesting boundaries in the construction of collective identity

Bisexuality In The Ancient World

Bisexual Literature

Social Sciences: Bisexuality

Brenda Howard

June Jordan

A. Billy Jones Hennin

Definitions of Bisexuality Throughout History

A brief history of the term “monosexuality”

Bisexuality in Psychoanalytic Theory: Interpreting the Resistance

Between a Gay and a Straight Place: Bisexual Individuals’ Experiences with Monosexism

Health

Multisexual Youth Mental Health Report

Bisexual Health Disparities

Mental Health Facts For Bisexual Populations

Coming Out As Bisexual To Your Doctor

Seven Things You Didn't Know About Bisexual Health

Boosting Bi+ Competency For Healthcare Providers

Bihealthmonth.org

Bisexual Microagressions In Medical Contexts

Bisexual Issues

Bisexual Issues and Sources

Biphobia Info

What Is Biphobia

Biphobia

Biphobia: It Goes More Than Two Ways

Bisexuality and health: The cost of invisibility

Invisible Majority: Disparities Facing Bisexual People and How To Remedy Them

Discrimination and Effects on Health in Bi Adults

Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts and Recommendations

Pansexual Satistics

Snapshot: Bisexual In America

Legally Bi: A Brief History of Bi Erasure in LGBTI Political Discourse

Why Bi Representation On Screen Matters

How Biphobia Impacts Black Bisexual Men's Health

Bi+ youth: bullying & interpersonal violence

Bisexual+ & Transgender Youth Info and Issues

Bi+ Youth of Color

The Affirming Power of Research For Bi People

The Harm Of Oversexualizing Bisexuality

The Bisexual Youth Experience

A Closer Look: Bisexual Transgender People

Victimization By Sexual Orientation

Bisexual's Experience With Acceptance

Why So Many Bisexuals Are Victimized

Poverty In The Bisexual Community

Bisexual Mental Health Study

The Bisexual Asylum Crisis

Bisexuality and The Media

The B Word: Bisexuality In Contemporary Film and Television

The Bisexual Seen: Countering Media Misrepresentation

HRC’s Brief Guide to Getting Bisexual Coverage Right

GLAAD Media Reference Guide

Bisexuality In Film

Readings and Activism

Bi: Notes For a Bisexual Revolution

LGBTQ Theme: Making Bisexuals Visible

Bisexual Books Brochure

Under the Bisexual Umbrella: Diversity of Identity and Experience

Concepts of Bisexuality

Bisexuality: A Critical Reader

13 Ways of Looking At A Bisexual

Queering Queer Theory, or Why Bisexuality Matters

What's In a Name: Why Women Embrace or Resist Bisexual Identity

Bisexuals in Relationships: Uncoupling Intimacy from Gender Ontology

Bi Women's Activism

The Bisexual To Be Corrected: Interrogating The Threat And Recuperation Of Women 's Femme Bisexuality

Pansexual and Panromantic People’s Understandings of Their Identities and Experiences of Becoming Educated about Gender and Sexuality

GL vs. BT: The Archaeology of Biphobia and Transphobia within the U.S. Gay and Lesbian Community

The Epistemic Contract of Bisexual Erasure

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