As the leading manufacturers of personal lube, we do our best to dispel sexual misconceptions anytime we can. And though a lot of the confusion we run into is understandable, we’re continuously amazed by some of the stereotypes surrounding bisexuality. To hear some people talk, you’d think a bisexual was some sort of mythical creature — a unicorn or a sasquatch who we can never hope to fully understand. But understanding bisexuality really isn’t that difficult, and to help we thought we’d dispel the three most common myths about bisexuality:
1. Bisexuality doesn’t really exist.
Plenty of people, gay and straight alike, claim that bisexuality isn’t a “real” orientation, which is kind of like standing in front of an ice cream stand and screaming “YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE!” at anyone who orders a chocolate and vanilla twist cone.
Clearly, bisexuality exists. For proof, just ask your friendly neighbourhood bisexual. If that’s not enough to convince you, consider relying on science. A study at Northwestern University showed groups of gay, straight and bisexual men a series of gay, straight and bisexual images and noted their physical and emotional responses. The study concluded that the bisexual test subjects did in fact have a “bisexual pattern of genital arousal.” If that’s not enough proof to bust this myth, we don’t know what is!
2. People suddenly “stop” being bisexual.
Perhaps you’ve seen it yourself — a self-proclaimed bisexual settles down with a man or marries a woman and the crowd of nay-sayers goes wild. “Finally,” they exclaim, “they picked a side!”
But a bisexual doesn’t magically stop being attracted to women just because she marries a man or vice versa, just like a straight man doesn’t stop being attracted to other woman just because he marries one woman. A bisexual can have one partner for 50 years and still identify as bisexual — because sexuality is about who and what you’re attracted to, not just who you’re currently sleeping with.
3. Bisexuals can’t be faithful.
Because bisexuals are attracted to both men and women, some people believe they simply can’t be in a faithful, monogamous relationship. It’s true that some bisexual individuals prefer non-monogamy or open relationships, but are all bisexuals insatiable cheaters? Definitely not. In fact, one Australian study found that 89% of female bisexuals were in long-term monogamous relationships and that bisexuals of all stripes were just as capable of monogamy as their straight or gay counterparts. Consider this myth officially busted!
Want to know more about what it means to be bisexual? We recommend visiting Bisexual.org — it’s a great resource of knowledge, community and support.
Astroglide team