Understanding Biphobia And Bisexual Erasure

Sexual orientation can exist on a spectrum, and there are many possible sexual identities. While many people have a clear understanding of identities like “straight” or “gay,” some other identities are often less understood or misunderstood—including bisexuality. 

Bisexual people face biphobia and bisexual erasure from both society in general and in the LGBTQIA+ community, and these dynamics can have very harmful effects on bisexual individuals. Biphobia and bisexual erasure can take many forms, such as negative stereotypes toward bisexual people and views that bisexuality is not a real sexual identity. The bisexual community is often misunderstood or dismissed altogether. Here, we’ll explore more about biphobia and bisexual erasure and what you can do if it's affecting your life. 

What are biphobia and bisexual erasure?

Bisexuality is the term used to describe a sexual orientation in which someone experiences sexual, emotional, or romantic attraction to more than one gender. This attraction does not necessarily occur at the same time, and it may not be in the same way or to the same extent. Some data indicates that bisexual people may be the largest single group in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community, but many still believe that bisexuality doesn’t exist or is not valid. 

Bisexual erasure is rejecting, questioning, or denying that bisexuality is a valid sexual identity. One idea that contributes to bisexual erasure is that people who are attracted to more than one gender are just “confused” about whether they are straight or gay. A common, harmful stereotype is that people who identify as bisexual are actually gay and just not ready to admit it or are struggling to find their sexuality. Biphobia and bisexual erasure can occur both in society generally and in the LGBTQIA+ community itself.  

A recent study looked at how bisexual erasure applies to gender and how participants viewed the attraction patterns of bisexual men and bisexual women. The study found that heterosexual, lesbian, and gay participants “all perceived bisexual men as more attracted to men than to women.” These results illustrate the common misconception many people hold that bisexual men are actually more interested in men, despite self-identifying as bisexual, suggesting that their bisexuality is “not real” or is just “a phase” on their way to identifying as gay men.

There are many different ways bisexual erasure can occur, including the following examples: 

• Dismissing bisexuality as a valid identity and instead seeing it as just “a phase” before someone comes out as gay 
• Rejecting someone’s bisexuality and deciding they are either straight or gay based on the gender of their current partner
• Believing that bisexual people identify as bisexual for “strategic motivations,” such as wanting to avoid the stigma associated with being gay
• Assuming bisexual women are only trying to get attention from men

The effects of biphobia on the bisexual community

Biphobia and bisexual erasure can significantly impact the mental and physical health of bisexual people. Research has shown that bisexual individuals are at increased risk for mental illness and substance use problems compared to monosexual individuals (individuals who are attracted to only one gender, such as heterosexual or gay/lesbian). For instance, self-identified bisexual women have a higher lifetime prevalence of mood disorders and anxiety disorders than heterosexual women and lesbians, and bisexual men are also at higher risk for mood and anxiety disorders compared to heterosexual men. 

This same study also notes that bisexual individuals experience higher lifetime and past-year prevalence of suicidality compared to heterosexual and gay/lesbian individuals. These health disparities may come from external stressors such as discrimination as well as internal stressors such as internalized stigma.

Other research has explored how bisexual individuals experience discrimination and how this can negatively affect their mental and physical health. The study found that the negative mental health impacts of such discrimination included emotional distress, depression, stress, and the exacerbation and triggering of anxiety, including panic attacks and PTSD. These issues can be brought on by experiencing discrimination or anticipating such discrimination. Many people in this community may resist seeking needed medical attention because they are afraid of being judged or discriminated against, putting them at higher risk of many physical and mental health conditions.

In terms of physical health, this study also found that the bisexual participants experienced nausea, chronic pain, disability, and exacerbation of chronic diseases, possibly due to avoiding necessary follow-up care. Participants also reported withholding information about their sexuality from their healthcare providers to avoid discrimination, even if that information was pertinent to them receiving essential care. 

In addition, LGBTQIA+ people are at greater risk for sexual assault, in part because they face higher rates of stigma, poverty, and marginalization. A survey from the CDC also found that bisexual women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence than lesbians and straight women, and that bisexual men experience higher rates of intimate partner violence than gay men and straight men. 

Because of bisexual erasure and biphobia, people in this community may not perceive that they belong anywhere, which can lead to the sense of being isolated and alone. Internalized biphobia or binegativity can also be a major issue for bi people, as they may internalize these harmful views on bisexuality and may believe that they are not queer enough or don’t belong in any community. They may only pursue heteronormative relationships if they struggle with their bisexuality or believe the stereotype that they are experimenting or going through a phase before becoming “fully gay” or straight. 

How to challenge and cope with biphobia

One way to support the bisexual community is to challenge assumptions in your everyday life. This can mean not assuming anything about a person's sexuality based on with whom they are currently in a relationship; anyone in any relationship can have any sexual orientation. A man dating a woman may not not necessarily be straight and a woman dating a woman may not necessarily be a lesbian. 

If you are bisexual and struggling with biphobia, taking care of yourself can be crucial. It can be helpful to seek out a community of other bi people who can relate to your experience and offer support. You might build a support system of friends, family, and allies who accept and validate you. A great starting point is to learn more about bisexual activist opportunities in your community or seek local support and resources.

Online therapy can help

If your mental health is at risk because of biphobia or bisexual erasure, or if you just need someone to talk to, you may consider online therapy. With online therapy, you can attend sessions from the comfort of your home or anywhere you have an internet connection, so you can meet with your therapist in an environment in which you’re comfortable. This may be helpful for individuals nervous about encountering stigma or judgment due to their sexual identity.

Research has shown that online therapy can be effective at improving mental health among LGBTQIA+ individuals, including bisexual people. One such study found that an online therapy program significantly reduced depression and improved ability to cope with stress among LGBTQIA+ youth, some of whom identified as bisexual.