Bisexual people experience much more discrimination than we can imagine. Since the conception of bisexuality as an accepted sexual orientation emerged, it has been strongly questioned and questioned.
In this sense, people who have identified themselves as bisexual have been strongly discriminated against, criticized, questioned, made invisible in their condition and desire, etc. And why this? It is difficult for us to understand that there can be attraction for two sexes at the same time and there is a lot of ignorance regarding the subject. That is why in this Psychology-online article, we will explain what is biphobia and we will tell you about its characteristics and examples.
It is generally thought that bisexual people are individuals who have not yet resolved their sexual identity and that the fact that their desire is directed towards two sexes is due to the fact that they are unclear or confused. Next, we’ll really look at what bisexuality and biphobia are.
What is bisexuality
To better understand what we are talking about, it is first important to clarify some concepts. According to the APA, bisexuality is physical, sexual, emotional and romantic attraction, directed to both biological sexes< This sexual orientation is characterized because the person, regardless of their sex, is attracted to men and women.
Many people, even today, still find it difficult to understand that someone can be attracted to both sexes and, for this reason, they reject this possibility. This generates many problems because it fills people who define themselves as bisexual with stigma, makes them feel very confused and many of them end up denying their condition or lying to themselves and others in order to fit in.
In this article, you will find more information about the different types of sexual orientations that exist.
What is biphobia?
According to the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance (CEAR), biphobia refers to aversion or hatred toward a person because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, because it is different from the norm. Furthermore, it consists of a violation of the rights of this person as well as of the entire bisexual community.
People with biphobia usually present the following attitudes:
They reject, discriminate, cancel or silence bisexuality, whether through their actions, words or gestures.
Actively defends that bisexuality is unnatural.
They believe that attraction can and should only be felt towards the opposite sex or the same sex, without giving space to other ways of loving different from those they know or are their own.
It openly states that bisexuality is a transitory state where there is a lack of clear sexual identity and, sometimes, it induces or pressures the other to define themselves. This would correspond to a discriminatory and intolerant act, which, with or without intention, is nullifying the reality of the other and depriving him of freely choosing the object of her desire and thus determining her identity.
Characteristics of biphobia
In order to better identify what biphobia is, below, we will show you some of its main characteristics:
Stereotypes and prejudices towards bisexuals: any comment directed towards the person who acts as a discriminatory agent and that encourages and collaborates in the maintenance of these stereotypes and prejudices.
Active or passive rejection of bisexual people: One of the characteristics of biphobia is avoiding contact, distancing yourself from, or publicly rejecting a person just for being bisexual.
Discriminate against others for being bisexual: Do not accept it for this at work, in an apartment or in some public place.
Derogatory words or actions around bisexuals: gestures that are often normalized and perpetuate prejudices. In this article, we tell you how prejudice affects society.
Taboos regarding bisexuality: Avoiding the topic denaturalizes this sexual condition and makes bisexual people not feel accepted, feel rejected, or generates prejudices around the topic.
Being intolerant of bisexuality: does not tolerate this type of sexual orientation.
Judgments about the validity of your sexual orientation: talk about the fact that bisexuality does not exist and force the other to define themselves in their choice of sexual object, reducing this to the choice of men or women and commenting that they have a lack of identity.
Value judgments: talk about a person being “dirty”, “having no respect”, “lost” or any other evaluative judgment about why a person loves both sexes.
Imperative aimed at defining the other as monosexual: The categories of heterosexual or homosexual are accepted, but the idea that a person can be attracted to more than one sex is rejected and they are seen as “freaks”, who are not understood, nor are they sought to be understood and judges, excludes or rejects them.
Examples of biphobia
Finally, we will see some examples of biphobia that bisexual people encounter every day:
Laws that criminalize consensual acts between bisexual people: Although we cannot imagine it, there are still countries that penalize people for not being heterosexual and that highly stigmatize the fact of loving a person of the same sex or more than one sex.
Any violent or hostile act on a physical, sexual, verbal or psychological level: Physical attacks and myths or popular beliefs regarding the subject that discriminate and denature the subject are included.
humiliating act: for example, genital or anatomical modification without consent.
Forced marriages: with the aim of hiding bisexuality.
Discriminatory treatment in public: any discriminatory act in access to any public service.
Discrimination within the family: non-acceptance of sexual orientation in the family nucleus.
Discrimination in the work area: either within a work environment or when being rejected when searching for a job solely because of sexual orientation.
Discrimination in groupssocial: These include jokes between colleagues or avoiding, rejecting or setting aside a person just because of their sexuality.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is biphobia: characteristics and examples we recommend that you enter our Cognitive Psychology category.
Bibliography
CEAR Madrid’s sexual and gender identities and diversity (LGTBIQ+) team. (2021) Spanish refugee aid commission. Spain.
MartÃnez M. (2018) Homophobia, bisphobia and transphobia: Expressions of intolerance. Psychologists Madrid capital. Spain. Extracted fromHomophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia: expressions of Intolerance – Aesthesis Psychologists Madrid (psicologosmadridcapital.com)
