Why is Biphobia More Accepted at Pride than Bisexual People?
I, dear reader, recently married the love of my life, who, *gasp*, is a man. And guess what, my bisexuality did not fly out of the window.
Yet, it's Pride Month, and biphobia is in full swing with the shaming and discouragement of bisexuals celebrating Pride. Which begs the question, “Why is biphobia more acceptable at Pride than bisexual people?”
Reminder that Bisexuality is described as the attraction to more than one gender, or as the attraction to those of the same gender and other genders as yourself. And what is biphobia, you ask? It's the fear or prejudice that leads to discrimination or aggression towards bi folks. It’s often used as an interchangeable term with bisexual erasure, which has been defined as 'ignoring, removing, falsifying evidence of bisexuality from a source, and in its extremist form can perpetuate that bisexuality does not exist' (Watson & Smith, 2020) by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
So, how is this showing up during Pride month?
Reminder that Bisexuality is described as the attraction to more than one gender, or as the attraction to those of the same gender and other genders as yourself. And what is biphobia, you ask? It's the fear or prejudice that leads to discrimination or aggression towards bi folks. It’s often used as an interchangeable term with bisexual erasure, which has been defined as 'ignoring, removing, falsifying evidence of bisexuality from a source, and in its extremist form can perpetuate that bisexuality does not exist' (Watson & Smith, 2020) by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
So, how is this showing up during Pride month?
Bi erasure has been present in queer spaces for many years, and comes in many forms. The method in which the erasure occurs depends on who is erasing and who is being erased. Men or masculine individuals who are bisexual are often labeled as gay with unresolved internalized homophobia, erasing their identity altogether and labeling it as something else. This can become biphobia when it creates barriers for these individuals to find relationships.. Women or feminine individuals are considered to be curious, flirty, or more open to experimenting with no labels. This moves into its own version of biphobia when women who are bisexual are shamed and told they need to pick a side, or are excluded from parties or events designed for lesbians. Specific subsections of the queer community also see femme bisexuals who have been with men as having betrayed women loving women spaces and being “tainted”. This also results in being discriminated against by other women or being at increased risk for consent violations by men when trying to date someone of the opposite sex. And that’s just the beginning – the conversation becomes even more complex when gender-expansive folks also identify as bisexual.
And yet there are more stereotypes about bisexuals! And I don’t mean the ones about our obsessions with iced coffees.. *sip*.
We are often labeled as cheaters and promiscuous. We are villainized. Bisexuals have an increased risk for mental health concerns, substance use, and sexual health problems (Feinstein, B. A., & Dyar, C., 2017). We also face challenges such as economic insecurity, employment insecurity, and domestic violence. These happen in part because of the discrimination and stigma placed on the largest existing portion of the LGBTQIA2+ community (Jackson, 2021; Jones, 2025).
And maybe you have heard all these things before, and you feel as though the discourse needs to stop. Remember that it was not bisexuals who started these conversations, but instead we were told not to take up space at Pride and to stop defending ourselves.
So Happy Pride, especially to the bisexuals, anyone who may be under that generalized umbrella, and all the other identities who also get phobia and erasure thrown their way from inside the community!
And a warm hug and reminder that you do not have to be performative in your queer identities, or live up to anyone else's standards of what they expect from you. Sexuality is Fluid, and Gender is a social construct.
References:
Feinstein, B. A., & Dyar, C. (2017). Bisexuality, minority stress, and health. Current sexual health reports, 9(1), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-017-0096-3
Jackson, C. (2021). LGBT+ Pride 2021 global survey points to a generation gap around gender identity and sexual attraction | Ipsos. Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/en/lgbt-pride-2021-global-survey-points-generation-gap-around-gender-identity-and-sexual-attraction
Jones, J. M. (2025, February 20). LGBTQ+ Identification in U.S. Rises to 9.3% : Bisexual identification most common; younger adults more likely to identify as LGBTQ+. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/656708/lgbtq-identification-rises.aspx
Watson, F. and Smith, M. (2020). Bisexual Mental Health.