Bisexuality is far from uncommon – in the UK, a recent YouGov poll showed that 1 in 2 young people say they are not '100% heterosexual'.
In the US, 1 in 3 feel the same way and a recent study by the social dating site Her found that the number of users identifying as bisexual has risen from 16% to 27% in the last year alone
Sexual fluidity is on the increase and that can only ever be a good thing. As people reject rigid labels and lifestyles and increasingly see sexuality as less set in stone, the more we'll all discover about our own true sexual selves and that's a cause for celebration everyday!
But today especially, as it's Bi Visibility Day.
Ever since 1999, 23rd September is the special day, also known as International Celebrate Bisexuality Day, to pop corks and bang drums for Bi visibility, as well as to highlight biphobia and help people find the bisexual community.
Despite more people feeling comfortable enough to identify as bisexual or sexually fluid, there are still lots of misconceptions about bi-lifestyle.
There are still a multitude of harmful myths about bisexuality that many people still buy into, in both the straight and LGBTQ worlds.
These myths can still make it really hard to come out as proudly and confidently as Bi so we thought we’d put them to rest, once and for all. Stand by for some home truths…
Myth: Bisexual people are confused or indecisive
Plenty of people still buy into the idea that bisexual people simply can’t make up their minds whether they like men or women. They're confused, can't make up their minds or going through a phrase! But ironically, theses concepts are put forward by other people, rather than those who identify as bisexual. In most cases, those who class themselves as bisexual are 100% sure of their sexuality – it’s only others who are confused by it!
Myth: Bisexual people have incredibly high libidos
Incorrect! Bisexual people have just the same kind of sex drive as anyone else – which is to say, it's individual and it fluctuates. The media has traditionally presented bisexual people as sex-crazed, but in reality, bisexual people are no more or less likely to have a high sex drive, than anyone else on the planet. Just because they can enjoy sex with all genders doesn't mean they will sleep with anyone and this can be damaging myth.
Myth: Bisexual people love threesomes
A threesome might be more enjoyable for a bisexual person than it would for someone who identifies as 100% straight. Being attracted to both men and women is definitely a bonus! But that doesn’t mean a bisexual person is going to enjoy threesomes in general. Many people, regardless of their sexuality, simply don’t see the appeal of sex with more than one person – so to assume that someone loves having threesomes purely because they’re bisexual is to put the 'ass' into assume!
Myth: Bisexual people are more likely to cheat
This is another totally unfounded idea. Bisexual people enjoy loving, monogamous relationships just like anyone else. Being sexually attracted to both men and women doesn’t mean someone is going to be a serial cheat – would being sexually attracted to just men or just women make someone more likely to be faithful? Of course not.
It’s these damaging misconceptions that show the world still has a lot to learn about bisexuality, and sexuality in general. Lets blow them out of the water and celebrate Bi visibility, because whoever you're attracted to, in whatever combination, is fabulously freeing for all of us, as individuals and the world together!
