Exploring Bisexuality: Identity, Experiences and Common Misconceptions

Bisexual Identity: A Journey of Self-Discovery

In today's society, bisexuality has become a label that many young people, including myself, identify with. According to the 2021 Gallup Poll, 7.1% of American adults surveyed identified themselves as LGBTQ+. Of those who do not consider themselves heterosexual, 56.8% consider themselves bisexual. This group includes notable bisexual celebrities and historical figures such as Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Malcolm X, Freddie Mercury, Billie Joe Armstrong, Lady Gaga and Shailene Woodley.

My bisexual experience began in my adult life after I graduated from high school and entered college. There, I met many attractive new people, including many women. As a teenager, I tended to suppress my romantic feelings for women, often confusing my attraction to women with simply thinking they were pretty. However, when I dreamed about a girl in my class and realized that I was attracted to her, I began to ignore the feelings and began to explore the label "bisexual".

Over time, I began to accept my attraction to the same sex and started calling myself bisexual. This process was liberating because I finally stopped repressing the feelings I had been having for years. I came out to my parents first and they accepted me with openness and love, which I am very grateful for.

Three years later, I'm still proud to call myself bisexual. Since transferring to the University of Massachusetts, I've met a lot of attractive young women who are also cool, and have made a lot of LGBTQ+ friends. They are some of the friendliest, happiest, and funniest people I've ever met.

Since coming out of the closet, I have also been in a heterosexual relationship. I am in an exclusive, monogamous relationship with my boyfriend of six months, but he still recognizes and supports my bisexual identity. However, because of my relationship, I sometimes feel disconnected from the LGBTQ+ community and often wonder if I'm "not cool enough".

Biphobia is very real and just as real and valid as being bisexual. Bisexual phobia is the dislike of bisexuals, and it is more common than many people think. It is important to debunk common myths and misconceptions about bisexuality, such as that bisexuals are transphobic, that bisexuality is the same thing as pansexuality and polysexuality, that bisexuals are greedy, and so on.

Most importantly, we need to recognize that bisexuality is a real and valid identity, not a phase or non-existent. Bisexuals, male and female, are part of the LGBTQ+ community and deserve to be seen and heard. We need to amplify the voices of bisexuals and other cool people in a heterosexual-dominated society to debunk any myths or misconceptions that carry the label of bisexuality.

One of the most important lessons I've learned on this journey is to accept myself and to keep finding and embracing my true identity. Bisexuality is not only a part of my sexuality, it is a part of my identity and I am proud of it.