A new report released by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission highlights the demonization of bisexuals from both the lesbian and gay community, as well as the straight community.
From disbelief of existence, to the branding of “slut,” the “B” is often invisible in LGBT, according to the report.
Bisexuals experience high rates of being ignored, discriminated against, demonized, or rendered invisible by both the heterosexual world and the lesbian and gay communities. Often, the entire sexual orientation is branded as invalid, immoral, or irrelevant.
Despite years of activism and the largest population within the LGBT community, the needs of bisexuals still go unaddressed and their very existence is still called into question. This erasure has serious consequences on bisexuals’ health, economic well-being, and funding for bi organizations and programs. [...]
While bisexuality has often been considered merely a “phase” en route to a stable gay or lesbian orientation, it is also a stable sexual orientation in itself.
Calling bisexuals the “invisible majority,” the report cites studies that reveal self-identified bisexuals make up the largest single population within the LGBT community in the United States. In each study, more women identified as bisexual than lesbian, and fewer men identified as bisexual than gay.
Many assumptions lie at the core of bisexual invisibility, the report concludes: assumptions about a person’s sexual orientation based on her/his partner’s gender; about bisexuals people’s reliability, honesty, or commitment to the LGBT movement; about bisexuals’ health concerns and needs; and about the world as an “either/or” place rather than one of infinite variety.
“Any long-term solutions must dispel these assumptions to make room for those whose lives exist beyond binaries.”
The full report is available here.
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I’m bisexual and proud!
Fo shizzle my nizzle.
Oh lordy… I am a bisexual transmale I’M SCREWED or from the sound of this article perhaps not?
Wait….. isn’t that.. taking a step BACKWARDS in the equality plight?
I completely think that this article is necissary.. Because I see this all the time with both gay and straight people. Never took much thought on it though
wth…all they want is acceptance..if they aren’t supported by the gay community, then where will they find acceptance?
Then where do we fit in?
Well, this is very true. No one likes bisexuals cause of being a “slut” thing.. But gays and straights can be sluts too. I’m Gay though :D
Equality for all people…or none will come at all…I believe in the quote..”United we stand…divided we fall”…
and not a slut :P
True. For me, I do sometimes call some out for being bi, but only because I experience so many women at my school that are not bi, but do it for the male attention. As far as actual bisexual people go, I do feel there is a lot against them and they are struggling to be more expected just as pansexuals or polyemrism.
We fit in but we are considered more of a threat i guess :/
O WTF IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD
Nah, I don’t think you are seen as a threat, I think it is more of the fact that sexuality is taking on such different forms now that some people may have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept.
Thank you for posting this – thank you so much. I get so sick of being ignored, invisible, vilified, especially by ‘my own people’. I’m so glad this report shows that bisexuals aren’t just ‘whining for attention’ (as has been suggested to me), but that the way we are treated and ignored has very real and devastating consequences. Hopefully this will help in further uniting the GLBTQIetc. community, helping all our communities and making us stronger.
lesbains usually discriminate ( or dont fuk wit) bisexuals cuz half da time it is bullshit not sayin dat they all is but alot are… an lesbians like me woont date or fuk a bisexual cuz idont wanna put my mouth on sumthin were sum dudes dick been in… an lyk most of us weve been fuked over forsum dude… but i dont dislike dem i jus hav to be carfull around them
I am a bisexual female and not a slut!
I’m bisexual and if anyone has a problem with it.. it is their problem.. not mine. I can’t pretend to be someone else that I am not.
We in the lgbt community need to stop hating on the bi’s we are all in this together! If we can’t love and support each other how can we love and support ourselves?
Yeah I noticed that discrimination from both sides. Here are some of the discriminative arguments people (both hetero and homosexual) have said (that I’ve come across):
-Bisexuals just don’t want to be labeled as homosexual.
-Bisexuals just don’t want to pick a side.
-Bisexuals are just experimenting, they’re not real.
-You can’t have an attraction to both sexes, it’s either one or the other.
-They’re just indecisive.
-They’re just rebellious/going through a phase.
-They’re trying out homosexuality while keeping their good reputation as a straight.
-Bisexuals are just not ballsy enough to come out as a homosexual.
I don’t understand why, especially coming from both sides. I don’t see bisexuals any different than the rest of the sexual orientations. They are simply attracted to males AND females. Is it really that hard for people to comprehend?
I understand where Hope is coming from and often sometimes feel the same with avoiding some bisexuals for dating wise just because the tendancy that they go back to males so much. But I don’t have a problem with them
And to the hateful commenter and any to come – remember what it’s like to be bulled and cast aside because of your sexual orientation? Remember that? Yeah. Ouch. Why would you perpetuate that pain onto others? Onto all the bisexual people who follows LGBTQ Nation? It helps none of us to fight among one another.
I myself always said I would never date a bisexual dude, but now I don’t care, as long as you’re faithful and honest. Anyone can cheat.
Bi and love it. Definately not a slut
If we can get rid of the “bisexual” girls and emo boys, I’d be fine. Honestly, I just hate the attention whore bisexual people. Anyone can be a slut, gay, straight or bi. I’d just rather everyone be honest about their sexuality if they’re slutty. Or just say “I fuck everything because I’m a slut” as opposed to “OMG GUIS IM BI”
Ben are you mentally ill?
It’s really true. And it sucks, because when we want to “be gay” the gay community rejects us, for paranoia that we’ll be unfaithful because of our sexual flexibility, which is bullshit, a cheater is a cheater, it has nothing at all to do w…ith orientation. They will sleep with us (maybe), but not date bi’s seriously. And hetero-norm relationships, can either never start, or stop because of it. I can’t tell you how many straight guys have been totally into me, pre-date just meeting in bars, and if I let slip I’m bi, they’re done and walk away. And the ones who POSITIVELY respond, are just as bad, because they think they’re getting the never-ending three-some they’ve dreamed of.
I am living in a place where the only thing you are allowed to be is – proud to be an American… And you better do so, loudly and by putting down others who don’t think as you do. You can only be proud of who you are if you are local bred, gun-toting, meat eating, jesus loving, etc.
And we don’t want to date other bi’s because we know bi’s are sluts -_- we’re so invisible, we don’t even see ourselves… I can’t tell you how many bi young women (I’m 27 now but it’s gone on since high school) have tried to go out with me, and I tell them all I really want is a lesbian… because I don’t want the “bi-drama”… I discriminate against the thing I swear I don’t do, but exclude other bi-females… I’ve never had the opportunity to turn down a bi-male. But I don’t think I would… Because I think bi-males have it worse than bi women do, at least the slutty bi-women can still have their pick of shitty guys?
But in the end, I just strive to be with the right PERSON for me… sex comes in position #2, conversation and chemistry are tied for #1. And I’ve had equally horrible sex and relationships with both genders… To me, love is what matters and drives me, not being a whore. It also means (for me) only truly loving one person at a time (overlap permitted because falling OUT can take a LOT longer than falling IN). And for sexual safety reasons, also only sleeping with one person at a time, even if I don’t love them. And it really sucks being alone a lot of the time because while I fit in such a tidy “wholesome” box, it’s just covered in rainbows and glitter… and neither the boys nor the girls want to play with it, or put it on their shelf next to theirs.
My experiences are skewed by my own paranoia, but I am a proud pansexual woman! It is so very hard to find people who fully accept or understand what love really is. Love is not a face or genitals, it is care and respect! It is often surprising to see people discriminating against their peers, becoming hypocritical down to their very core. Why is it such a stigma to love!?!
I would love to say that I am not included in the hypocrisy, but my problem is jealousy, not stupid excuses and hatred.
Wow, a few of the comments on here already are quite biphobic. Considering that this is an LGBT site, I’m shocked.
Thanks a lot LG community. You just set us all back twenty years.
I’m sorry, but this sets us back a long way. And while I understand the feelings of people who’ve been personally hurt by someone, that doesn’t define bisexuals as a whole anymore than my lesbian GF cheating on me defined lesbians as a whole. Cheating depends entirely on the person, not on their sexual orientation.
And to those who wouldn’t date a bi- girl because she’s slept with a man at some point in her entire history–so have plenty of lesbians. If you wouldn’t sleep with a bi- girl because you’re disgusted, then be honest with yourself and everyone else. Trying to couch it in nice words just adds to the problem.
I’m bisexual. I’m not a slut. All of my relationships (with men and women) have been long-term and monogamous. I’m kind of tired of that losing value based on what my sexuality is.
I know plenty of pansexual and bi people, and they have left some very powerful imprints on my life. Some of whom I’d be willing to date.
It’s been said here, that, it’s the personality, the inner being that matters. True to life. Fact is, a lot of lesbians have tried sleeping with men, and a lot of gay men have slept with women. We’re screwed if this is how we base our relationships, when finding a loving, caring, loyal person is already too damn hard o.O
Oh well, I’m going to go out and hug a bi-person, now.
I am a bi man and out for twenty years. I have dated and been sexual with mostly women but also seriously dated 4 men. I hang with mostly straight men and bi women. Several events lead me to the full discrimination of bi men. In grad school gay and lesbian students and faculty had completely negative perceptions and one student openly harassed me. My boss a few years ago told me “she hates bi men because they are cowards because they can’t pick a side” I just told her I wanted to keep my job. Then I dated a straight woman and it was a really big deal to her even though we were in a monogomous relationship and completely commited. Then I went to online dating and was harassed by gay men and straight women (okcupid). Oh and good luck getting a straight woman to go out with you with label “bi” on your profile. I eventually found a bi woman who has openly encouraged me to date a man if I want – so I am! All of my past relationships have been monogomous. But all of these events have helped me identify all the discrimination over a life time which brought me to depression. Included in that discrimination is the typical gay homophobia, I was rejected from an officer linquist position even after the papers were signed, they asked, and I said at 17 “I don’t know I have never had sex with a man or a woman, and find both attractive.” or coming out to my fellow football players only to find that half the team felt as I did, while the other half actively hated me and I was their award winning captain. And eventually leaving my home town with the attitude “I am never coming back.” only to find an LGBT community equally hateful. I am grateful to have found both a woman and a man who love me for who I am!
Heriberto it really depends on the person of course. I have a bi male friend in a ten year relationship with a man. Bi really does come in all varieties. As for me I tend to bond better with women and I know it so I tell my partners what’s up and what I am looking for. But I have also had long term relationships with guys which were great. I would also say unfortunately a lot (most) bi guys are closeted so they act out their sexuality unconciously, and still have thir internal homophobia operating. I got this talking to my last boyfriend and I have seen it too. I am starting an all male bi men’s group soon. When I was going through a lot of crap this last year I tried to seek out other bi men out for support and it was hard to find! And then I realized that I have been out for over TWENTY YEARS and they were looking to me for answers. I hope we can work together to support each other.
I’m a lesbian. A bisexual friend of mine has recently been hospitalized because she is suicidal. One of the things on her list of what she needs to feel better is to feel that people accept her for her. I was going to send her a link to this article, but some of the comments are so toxic, I don’t think it’s probably a good idea. Thanks bunches, hateful people. You suck.
I think LGBT really needs to work on this issue and make a safe place for everyone. In the end, guess what, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transexuals we ALL have faced horrible discrimination, violence, marginalization etc. I wanted more gay support when I faced this shit. I did not want more shit on top of it. I get it, I have had a ticket to the hetero world if I dated a woman, well love does not work that way if you like both men and women. And there are also issues I had when I dated women where her gay friends said “Bisexuals don’t exist”. It hurts when this was not accepted in either my gay male or straight female relationships. No matter how much I committed. It hurts to work so hard to prove your self and then rejected on a fear not a reality. I am now dating a bisexual woman and it works she is beautiful I love her and I can play around with the boys safely occasionally. But to the guys who rejected me you are missing out on the best top you could ever imagine.
Hope Huddleston, YOU, madam, are an idiot. Even if penis somehow does irreparably contaminate a vagina upon penetration….. the girls you go down on DO wash their boxes now and then, right? What a ridiculous thing to say.