Williams Institute Reading Room: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resources in Law and Public Policy: Bisexuality

An unapologetic guide for readers who are Black, masc, and bi-unlearning biphobia, coming out, combatting erasure, and embodying your whole self. Through cutting social analysis, personal stories, and need-to-know advice, Dear Bi Men reclaims bi+ visibility in a culture of erasure-and unapologetically centers Blackness in a practical and deeply researched guide to navigating life, work, and relationships as a Black bi+ man. Popular representation of bi and pansexual men is growing, but we're not there yet- It's mostly white. It collapses bisexual identity into tired, hypersexualized tropes. And it fails to interrogate the deeply entrenched stereotypes that insist- You're confused. You just don't know you're gay. You're greedy. You must be great in bed. Author, peer counselor, and creator of #bisexualmenspeak J.R. Yussuf pushes back against these stigmas and misconceptions, exploring how white supremacy reinforces biphobia and dictates what society thinks it means to "be a man." He contextualizes discourse around queerness and bisexuality within a larger framework that honors readers' intersecting identities. And he offers deeply practical advice, sharing how to: Unlearn internalized biphobia and homophobia; navigate an increasingly hostile digital landscape; think about coming out- who to tell, why to tell them, and how to do it; fight back against erasure and stigma; navigate sex, dating, partnerships, marriage, friendship, and work; understand your bi+ sexuality through a political lens; and process Black bi+ representation. Rich with personal narratives, insightful analysis, and practical advice, this book is a powerful resource for Black bi+ men to reclaim their identity, counter biphobia, and get empowered-and an offering to all readers looking to fight back against the erasure and dehumanization wrought by patriarchy.
*Also available online (UC users only)

A provocative, eye-opening, and original book on the science of sexuality beyond gender from an internationally bestselling pop-psychologist. Despite all the welcome changes that have happened in our culture and laws over the past few decades in regards to sexuality, the subject remains one of the most influential but least understood aspects of our lives. For psychologist and bestselling author Julia Shaw, this is both professional and personal--Shaw studies the science of sexuality and she herself is proudly and vocally bisexual. It's an admission, she writes, that usually causes people's pupils to dilate, their cheeks to flush, and their questions to start flowing. Ask people to name famous bisexual actors, politicians, writers, or scientists, and they draw a blank. Despite statistics that show bisexuality is more common than homosexuality, bisexuality is often invisible. In BI: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality, Shaw probes the science and culture of attraction beyond the binary. From the invention of heterosexuality to the history of the Kinsey scale, as well as asylum seekers trying to defend their bisexuality in a court of law, there is so much more to explore than most have ever realized. Drawing on her own original research--and her own experiences--this is a personal and scientific manifesto; it's an exploration of the complexities of the human sexual experience and a declaration of love and respect for the nonconformists among us.
*Also available as eBook (UC users only)

Despite the increasing visibility of LGBTQ people in American culture, our understanding of bisexuality remains superficial, at best. Yet, five times as many people identify as bisexual than as gay or lesbian, and as much as 25 percent of the population is estimated to be bisexual. In Bi, noted scholar of youth sexuality, Ritch Savin-Williams, brings bisexuality to centerstage at a moment when Gen Z and millennial youth and young adults are increasingly rejecting traditional labels altogether. Drawing on interviews with bisexual youth from a range of racial, ethnic, and social class groups, he reveals to us how bisexuals define their own sexual orientation and experiences--in their own words. Savin-Williams shows how and why people might identify as bisexual as a result of their biology or upbringing; as a bridge or transition to something else; as a consequence of their curiosity; or for a range of other equally valid reasons. With an understanding that sexuality and romantic attachments are often influx, Savin-Williams offers us a way to think about bisexuality as part of a continuum. He shows that many of the young people who identify as bisexual often defy traditional views, dispute false notions, and reimagine sexuality with regard to both practice and identity. Broadly speaking, he shows that many young people experience a complex, nuanced existence with multiple sexual and romantic attractions as well as gender expressions, which are seldom static but fluctuate over their lives. Savin-Williams provides an important new understanding of bisexuality as an orientation, behavior, and identity. Bi shows us that bisexuality is seen and embraced as a valid sexual identity more than ever before, giving us timely and much-needed insight into the complex, fascinating experiences of bisexual youth themselves.

This book explores the invisibility and invalidation of bisexuality from the past to the present and is unique in extending the discussion to focus on contemporary and emerging identities. Nikki Hayfield draws on research from psychology and the social sciences to offer a detailed and in-depth exploration of the invisibility and invalidation of bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality. The book discusses how early sexologists' understood gender and sexuality within a binary model and how this provided the underpinnings of bisexual invisibility.　 The existing research on biphobia and bisexual marginalisation is synthesised to explore how bisexuality has often been invisible or invalidated. Hayfield then evidences clear examples of the invisibility and invalidation of bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality within education, employment, mainstream mass media, and the wider culture. Throughout the book there is consideration of the impact that this invisibility and invalidation has on people's sense of identity and on their health and wellbeing. It concludes with a discussion of how bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality have become somewhat more visible than in the past and the potential that visibility holds for recognition and representation. This is fascinating reading for students and academics interested in in bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexual spectrum identities and for those who have a personal interest in bisexuality, pansexuality, and asexuality.

This book brings together the work of an international team of experts investigating the intersection of bisexuality, religion and spirituality. Drawing from disciplines such as sociology, psychology, theology, religious studies and literary studies, it critically examines, both theoretically and empirically, the lived experiences of bisexual people of diverse religious faiths and spiritualities, in the context of the UK, Canada, Lebanon, Turkey, Australia and the USA. As an important and insightful exploration of an under-researched and often misunderstood minority, this book will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in sexuality, religion, spirituality and identity.

This book focuses on the complexities of the bisexual umbrella, the phrase that is often used to describe a wide range of sexual identities, attractions, and behaviors that indicate attraction to more than one gender. As a consequence, the bisexual umbrella groups together a very heterogeneous group of people. The writers in this book each grapple with how the bisexual umbrella is applied to a variety of communities, people, and experiences, and discuss the benefits and costs of these applications. Topics include exploration of the similarities and differences between two-spirit people and bisexuals, including how their health concerns overlap and diverge, detailing personal and empirical experiences of sexual fluidity, descriptions of how bisexual, pansexual, and queer people conceptualize sexual identity, and explorations of pansexuality. Through these writings, the diversity underneath the bisexual umbrella is revealed. This book was originally published as a Special Issue of the Journal of Bisexuality.

This pathbreaking volume brings together a diverse body of sexual, behavioral, and social science research on bisexuality. Arguing for a clear, evidence-based definition of bisexuality and standardized measures for assessing sexual orientation, it spotlights challenges that need to be addressed toward attaining these goals. The book's deep trove of findings illuminates the experiences of bisexual men and women in key aspects of life, as well as common mental health issues in the face of stigma, prejudice, and outright denial from the heterosexual and homosexual communities. Throughout, contributors examine the paradoxical invisibility of bisexuality even as society and science have become more inclusive of lesbians and gay men, and emphasize the critical role of thoughtful, respectful support across societal and mental health domains. Among the topics covered: Defining bisexuality: challenges and importance of and toward a unifying definition. Plurisexual identity labels and the marking of bisexual desire. Binegativity: attitudes toward and stereotypes about bisexuals. Female bisexuality: identity, fluidity, and cultural expectations. Romantic and sexual relationship experiences among bisexual individuals.

[New Zealand] Emerging from a case study in secondary schools, this book explores young bisexual women's notions of bisexuality through their own sense of self-identification and how they express their personal beliefs. McAllum sheds light on the presence and practices of "bisexual misrecognition" and "bi-misogyny" in school settings, and draws out the implications of this bias on bisexual women. Incorporating women's own spoken and written anecdotes, this book reveals hidden narratives and helps boost awareness about the social and learning needs of young bisexual women.

This book examines the intersection of myths of bisexuality with the liberalization of attitudes toward sexual stigma.The authors focus on the historical, relational and cultural conditions that influence how bisexual men experience their bisexuality. The 90 in-depth interviews enable them to examine the contemporary status of bisexual men from the perspective of bisexual men themselves. They illustrate a cohort effect with decreasing social marginalization and increasing bisexual pride with younger cohorts. The authors attribute these findings to decreasing cultural homophobia, which challenges binaries of sexuality and thus adds legitimacy to bisexuality. While the erasure of bisexuality is not entirely thwarted, the research captures a culture in transition toward acceptance and recognition of the bisexual male identity.

This book provides an accessible introduction to bisexuality studies, set within the context of contemporary social theory and research. Drawing on interviews conducted in the UK and Colombia, it maps out the territory, providing a means of understanding sexualities that are neither gay, nor lesbian, nor heterosexual.

Depicted as duplicitous, traitorous, and promiscuous, bisexuality has long been suspected, marginalized, and rejected by both straight and gay communities alike. Bi takes a long overdue, comprehensive look at bisexual politics-from the issues surrounding biphobia/monosexism, feminism, and transgenderism to the practice of labeling those who identify as bi as either "too bisexual" (promiscuous and incapable of fidelity) or "not bisexual enough" (not actively engaging romantically or sexually with people of at least two different genders). In this forward-thinking and eye-opening book, feminist bisexual and genderqueer activist Shiri Eisner takes readers on a journey through the many aspects of the meanings and politics of bisexuality, specifically highlighting how bisexuality can open up new and exciting ways of challenging social convention.Informed by feminist, transgender, and queer theory, as well as politics and activism, Bi is a radical manifesto for a group that has been too frequently silenced, erased, and denied-and a starting point from which to launch a bisexual revolution.

Canada.

*At Young Research Library and College Library.

*At Young Research Library.