Bisexual erasure

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Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources.[1][2] In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can include denying that bisexuality exists.[3][4]

However, there is also increasing support, inclusion, and visibility in both bisexual and non-bisexual communities, especially in the LGBT community.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Contents

Common displays of bisexual erasure

Both gay and straight people who engage in bisexual erasure may claim that bisexuals are actually closeted homosexual people who wish to appear heterosexual,[11] or conversely that bisexuals are heterosexuals who are experimenting with their sexuality.[12][13][14]

A common manifestation of bisexual erasure is a tendency for bisexuals to be referred to as heterosexual when they are intimately involved with people of the opposite sex, and to be labeled as homosexual when they are involved with people of the same sex.

In the LGBT community

Bisexual erasure may stem from a belief that the bisexual community does not deserve equal status or inclusion within gay and lesbian communities.[15] This can take the form of omitting the word "bisexual" in the name of an organization or event that serves the whole LGBT community, including it as "bi-sexual",[16] treating the subject of bisexuality in a derogatory way,[17].

There is some feeling in the bisexual community of being overlooked in the same-sex marriage debate and in the Don't ask, don't tell debate.[18]

In the media

It has been observed that some media outlets have portrayed bisexual and gender-blurring behaviors in ancient and non-Western cultures,[19] such as ancient Greek pederasty or Native American Two-Spirits (defined in 1990), as proof that homosexuality has been widely accepted in other times and cultures,[20] even though it can also be seen as proof of the existence and acceptance of bisexuality, or the past acceptance of sexual expression.

In both the gay and straight media, individuals[21] who have kept their identity unknown have been portrayed as either gay or straight even though they have a bisexual behavior and lifestyle. This can be seen as an inclination to label others as gay or straight even if the individual's behavior points towards a bisexual or pansexual identity. Those who have specifically identified as bisexual or have a clear history of significant experience with both same and opposite-sex partners are sometimes labeled as homosexual or heterosexual as well. A clear example of this is Robyn Ochs, a bisexual activist who was publicly misidentified as a lesbian on the day of her wedding,[18][22] or Lady Gaga sometimes being labelled either homosexual or heterosexual by the media even though she has publicly identified as bisexual.[23][24][25][26]

Other times, the media in both communities will refer to the "gay and lesbian" community and completely leave out bisexual or transgender people.[27]

MTV's The Real World

On December 30, 2009, MTV premiered their 23rd season of the show The Real World.[28] The series took place in Washington, D.C., and featured two bisexual participants,[29][30] Emily Schromm,[31] and Mike Manning.[32] Manning's sexuality appears to have generated some controversy, with both bloggers and many comments on blogs saying that he is really gay,[33][34] although he himself identifies as bisexual, and has dated both sexes.[32] A behind the scenes MTV Aftershow and subsequent interview also revealed that both Manning and Schromm had encounters with both men and women while on the show, but when the show was edited, both were made to appear as if they had been with only men on the show.[35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ Word Of The Gay: BisexualErasure May 16, 2008 "Queers United"
  2. ^ The B Word Suresha, Ron. "The B Word," Options (Rhode Island), November 2004
  3. ^ Hutchins, Loraine (2005). "Sexual Prejudice: The erasure of bisexuals in academia and the media". American Sexuality magazine (National Sexuality Resource Center) 3 (4). http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/MagArticle.cfm?Article=475&PageID=0. 
  4. ^ Hutchins, Loraine. "Sexual Prejudice - The erasure of bisexuals in academia and the media". American Sexuality Magazine. San Francisco, CA 94103, United States: National Sexuality Resource Center, San Francisco State University. Archived from the original on 2007-12-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20071216065035/http://nsrc.sfsu.edu/MagArticle.cfm?Article=475&PageID=0. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  5. ^ "Queers United". http://queersunited.blogspot.com/. 
  6. ^ "Task Force Report On Bisexuality". http://www.thetaskforce.org/issues/bisexuality. 
  7. ^ "HRC article on bisexuality". http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out/bisexual/bisexual_articles.asp?listpage=2. 
  8. ^ "GLAAD TV Report". http://glaadbackup.com/2009/documents/GLAADNRI2009.pdf. 
  9. ^ Maria, September 24, 2009. How Far Have We Come?, BiSocial News
  10. ^ "Thirteen On House". http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/10/27/greys-anatomy-s-3/. 
  11. ^ Michael Musto, April 7, 2009. Ever Meet a Real Bisexual?, The Village Voice
  12. ^ Yoshino, Kenji (January 2000). "The Epistemic Contract of Bisexual Erasure". Stanford Law Review (Stanford Law School) 52 (2): 353–461. doi:10.2307/1229482. JSTOR 1229482. http://www.kenjiyoshino.com/articles/epistemiccontract.pdf. 
  13. ^ "Why Do Lesbians Hate Bisexuals?". http://www.lesbilicious.co.uk/community/why-do-lesbians-hate-bisexuals/. 
  14. ^ "Bisexual workers 'excluded by lesbian and gay colleagues'". http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/28/bisexual-workers-excluded-by-lesbian-and-gay-colleagues. 
  15. ^ Weiss, Jillian Todd (2004). "GL vs. BT: The Archaeology of Biphobia and Transphobia Within the U.S. Gay and Lesbian Community". Journal of Bisexuality (Haworth Press) 3 (3/4): 25–55. http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~jweiss/glvsbt.htm. 
  16. ^ http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Main/Bisexuality#hyphen
  17. ^ "Dan Savage-Stop with the Biphobia Already!". http://andeatit2.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/dan-savage-stop-with-the-biphobia-already. 
  18. ^ a b "Bisexuals Overlooked in the Debate on Equal Marriage Rights". http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr736_092104. 
  19. ^ "Alexander the Great". http://www.gayheroes.com/alex.htm. 
  20. ^ Hall, Donald E. Bisexual Literature glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Culture
  21. ^ Summers, Claude J. (2009-10-20). "BiNet USA". glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. glbtq, Inc.. http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/binet_usa.html. 
  22. ^ "Robyn Ochs LGBT Wikia". http://lgbt.wikia.com/wiki/Robyn_Ochs. 
  23. ^ "Lindsay Lohan: More Bisexual Than Lesbian". http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b67979_lindsay_lohan_more_bisexual_lesbian.html. 
  24. ^ "Lindsay Lohan says she's not a lesbian, but confirms relationship with Samantha". http://www.afterellen.com/blog/trishbendix/lindsay-lohan-says-shes-not-a-lesbian. 
  25. ^ "The Rise of Lady Gaga". http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/05/27/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-rise-of-lady-gaga. 
  26. ^ "Lady Gaga admits she’s bisexual". http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/lady-gaga-admits-shes-bisexual_100197849.html. 
  27. ^ "Anderson Cooper's Blog about "Gay and Lesbian" Issues". CNN. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/category/gay-lesbian-issues. 
  28. ^ "Real World DC". http://www.mtv.com/shows/real_world/Washingtondc/series.jhtml. 
  29. ^ "Real World Bisexuals". http://www.queerty.com/forget-the-token-gay-tonights-real-world-dc-premiere-has-2-bisexuals-20091230/. 
  30. ^ "Show me your bisexuals". http://www.autostraddle.com/real-world-washington-dc-recap-26581. 
  31. ^ "Emily Schromm talks". http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/12/28/real_world_d_c_star_emily_schromm_talks_. 
  32. ^ a b "Mike Manning Metro Weekly". http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=4765. 
  33. ^ "Mike Manning Bi history and controversy". http://www.queerty.com/the-entire-bi-sexual-history-of-real-world-d-c-s-mike-manning-20091231/. 
  34. ^ "Bi Now, Gay Later". http://artwingny.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/bi-now-gay-later-real-world-d-c-s-mike-manning/. 
  35. ^ "Emily Schromm AfterEllen interview". http://www.afterellen.com/people/2010/3/emily-schromm-interview/. 
  36. ^ "Aftershow Real World Episode 8". http://www.mtv.com/videos/real-world-washington-dc-ep-8-aftershow/1632075/playlist.jhtml. 

Further reading

External links