ISSUES
: Sexuality and Gender
Chapter 1: Understanding sexuality
5
Bisexual
What does ‘bisexual’
mean?
The word bisexual describes a
person who is attracted to both
men and women.
It is normal to question your
sexuality and part of growing up
is discovering and learning about
yourself. It is also normal to have
feelings towards other people, both
men and women.
Am I old enough to
know?
Everyone is different and there is
no right or wrong age to realise
you are bisexual. Sexuality can be
fluid and you may be attracted to
different people at different times
in your life.
Young people are often told that
they don’t know themselves well
enough or should wait until they
are older before they decide. Many
young men say they have known for
a long time that they feel ‘different’
to others and they are aware of
their attraction to both men and
women at a young age. It’s OK to
feel like this and it is OK to change
your mind. Sexuality does not
need to be fixed forever – for some
people it will be, and for others it
might shift over time.
What do bisexual
people look like?
There is often a myth that bisexual
people are either lesbian or gay
men who have not yet decided. This
is untrue and bisexual people have
the right to be attracted to both
men and women without needing
to choose one. Straight people are
not defined just by who they are
attracted to, so there is no reason
why you should be. Stereotypes
don’t really define any individual;
we are much too diverse for that!
You can be exactly the person you
want to be and should never feel
pressure to act or look a certain
way.
Is it normal?
There are still some messages out
there that make us believe that it is
not OK or normal to be attracted
to both men and women. Some
societies and communities do
not accept this difference. It is
completely normal to have feelings
for both men and women and we
can offer support and advice to
help you feel more comfortable
about who you are.
Some useful info
Bisexual
– A person who is
emotionally and/or physically
attracted to people of more than
one gender or regardless of gender.
Historically, definitions of bisexual
refer to ‘an attraction towards
men and women’; however, many
bisexual people recognise that
there are more than two genders.
Pansexual
– A person who is
emotionally
and/or
sexually
attracted to people of more than
one gender or regardless of
gender. Some people use the term
pansexual rather than bisexual in
order to be more explicitly inclusive
of non-binary gender identities.
Queer
– An umbrella term
sometimes used for diverse
sexual minorities that are not
heterosexual. It may be used to
challenge the idea of labels and
categories such as lesbian, gay,
bisexual. It is important to note
that it is an in-group term, and may
be considered offensive to some
people.
Bi visibility
There are many misconceptions
about bisexuality which can often
be challenging. For this reason
on 23 September each year we
celebrate Bi Visibility Day to
improve the visibility of people who
are bisexual. We are collecting the
voices of young bisexual people. If
you would like to contribute your
story then please e-mail us info@
lgbtyouth.org.uk.
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The above information is
reprinted with kind permission
from LGBT Youth Scotland.
Please visit
.
uk for further information.
© LGBT Youth Scotland
2011–2016
