Library and Academic Services: Gender and Sexual Diversity: Bisexual

What does Bisexual mean?

The B in 2SLGBTQIA+ stands for “bisexual.”

Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behaviour toward both males and females or to more than one gender. It may also include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, also known as pansexuality.

Image source: Public domain

Library Resources

Dual Attraction: Understanding Bisexuality by Martin S. Weinberg; Colin J. Williams; Douglas W. Pryor
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 1995
For the past two generations, extensive research has been conducted on the determinants of homosexuality. But, until now, scant attention has been paid to what is perhaps the most mysterious―and potentially illuminating―a variation of human sexual expression, bisexuality. Today, as ignorance and fear of AIDS make greater awareness of all forms of sexual behaviour an urgent matter of private and public consequence, leading sex researchers Martin Weinberg, Colin Williams, and Douglas Pryor provide us with the first major study of bisexuality. Weinberg, Williams, and Pryor explore the riddle of dual attraction in their study of 800 residents of San Francisco. Fieldwork, intensive interviews, and surveys provided a wealth of data about the nature of bisexual attraction, the steps that lead people to become bisexual, and how sexual preference can change over time...
Bisexual Spaces: a geography of sexuality and gender by Clare Hemmings
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2002
A largely unexplored area, this is an innovative and original examination of bisexual spaces as places defined by geographical boundaries and cultural significance. Hemmings applies the ideas of queer theory and social and cultural geography in her fascinating investigation into the spaces and places of bisexual life. Specifically focusing on Northhampton, MA and San Francisco, she draws on interviews with community members and the town histories showing how and why they have developed into safe places for the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities. By mapping out a space of bisexuality, Bisexual Spaces provides a new and provocative understanding of the concept.
Bisexuality in Europe: Sexual Citizenship, Romantic Relationships, and Bi+ Identities by Emiel Maliepaard; Renate Baumgartner
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2020
Bisexuality in Europe offers an accessible and diverse overview of research on bisexuality and bi+ people in Europe, providing a foundation for theorizing and empirical work on plurisexual orientations and identities and the experiences and realities of people who desire more than one sex or gender. Counteracting the predominance of work on bisexuality based in Ango-American contexts, this collection of fifteen contributions from both early-career and more senior academics reflects the current state of research in Europe on bisexuality and people who desire more than one sex or gender. The book is structured around three interlinked themes that resonate well with the international research frontiers of bisexual theorizing: bisexual citizenship, intimate relationships, and bisexual+ identities...
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2022
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 regarding 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...

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Webpages, media, and other resources

Bi 101: Bisexuality and Beyond
Created in 1996 as bisexual.org, this website began with the simple goal of letting bi people know that they are not alone. When we first launched, there were virtually no online resources for the bi community. The few available resources were hard to find, highly sexualized, or catered to niche audiences. Since those early years, we have grown into a huge global community.
Understanding Bisexuality (The Trevor Project)
Bisexual people have the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships to more than one gender.

Bisexuality: The Invisible Letter "B" | Misty Gedlinske | TEDxOshkosh

Perception is everything. It impacts our public image, as well as our personal relationships. Being open about one's orientation is a risk, but one that can pay off by living a fully authentic life. Visibility can break down stereotypes, eliminate shame and secrecy, and create accessible, realistic representations and role models.

Bisexual erasure: What it is, and how it impacts mental health

According to official data from Statistics Canada, almost 500,000 people in Canada identify as bisexual. However, although a growing portion of the Canadian population identifies as bisexual, those who come out as such are still met with denial, or their identities are questioned. This phenomenon is referred to as bisexual erasure. One example of this is when a bisexual person is said to be “experimenting” or transitioning to gay or lesbian, as described by 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations, like GLAAD or Pflag. Global News’ Alyssa Julie explains what bisexual erasure is and how it can affect the mental health of those impacted.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz Busts Myths About Bisexuality

In honor of Bisexual Visibility Day, Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz tackles insane rumors about bisexuality.

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