(no subject)
With the kind permission of missmai_chan, extracts from a really interesting article about how the character of Alice is portrayed in the L-Word:
"Early episodes of The L Word portray her as primarily dating women, and it will be interesting to see how the show’s writers work in a few good men for her as well--because being bisexual doesn’t necessarily mean switching sides at random, depending on who is the hottest person in the room. Being bisexual can also mean identifying primarily as gay for long periods of time, or identifying primarily as straight for long periods of time.
Being bisexual also does not mean that you can’t make up your mind about what you want, which is why I am a bit concerned about how Hailey’s character Alice is being perceived. In their recent reviews of The L Word, The Village Voice described Alice as the "flaky bisexual friend who can't keep it together with anyone of either sex,” and New York Magazine described her as “a flaky bisexual journalist as eager to make herself known as an equal-opportunity lover as she is to brainstorm ten-best lists for Los Angeles magazine.”
Those two quotes neatly sum up two of the most damaging stereotypes long associated with bisexuals: that they’re sex-crazed and indecisive (i.e. not to be trusted). Although many lesbians have had fulfilling relationships with men at some point in their lives, identifying as bisexual carries a particular stigma among lesbians: the fear that you could “switch sides” at any point, thus abandoning your lesbian lover for The Man. Consequently, bisexual women often feel unwelcome in both heterosexual and lesbian communities."
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"Early episodes of The L Word portray her as primarily dating women, and it will be interesting to see how the show’s writers work in a few good men for her as well--because being bisexual doesn’t necessarily mean switching sides at random, depending on who is the hottest person in the room. Being bisexual can also mean identifying primarily as gay for long periods of time, or identifying primarily as straight for long periods of time.
Being bisexual also does not mean that you can’t make up your mind about what you want, which is why I am a bit concerned about how Hailey’s character Alice is being perceived. In their recent reviews of The L Word, The Village Voice described Alice as the "flaky bisexual friend who can't keep it together with anyone of either sex,” and New York Magazine described her as “a flaky bisexual journalist as eager to make herself known as an equal-opportunity lover as she is to brainstorm ten-best lists for Los Angeles magazine.”
Those two quotes neatly sum up two of the most damaging stereotypes long associated with bisexuals: that they’re sex-crazed and indecisive (i.e. not to be trusted). Although many lesbians have had fulfilling relationships with men at some point in their lives, identifying as bisexual carries a particular stigma among lesbians: the fear that you could “switch sides” at any point, thus abandoning your lesbian lover for The Man. Consequently, bisexual women often feel unwelcome in both heterosexual and lesbian communities."
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