bisexuality in queer theory

Mar 10, 2010 10:28

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trooper6 March 10 2010, 15:49:38 UTC
Have you done a search at amazon? That yields a lot.

I went to look up a pretty famous text to get the exact title
Vice Versa, by Majorie Garber

and came across the following that seem quite useful:
A History of Bixesuality, by Steven Angelides
Bisexual Spaces by Clare Hemmings
Bisexuality: A Critical Reader by Merl Storr
Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life by Marjorie Garber.

I'd probably start with the critical reader.

As for why there's a "lack of focus" on bisexuality in most queer theories? This is just my opinion. Queer, which theoretically incompases LGBTQIAA and all the other lovelies, in practice is mostly L & G. And, in my experience, there is a lot of biphobia and transphobia in the L & G communities. So the biphobia results in erasure of bisexuality in queer theory and the transphobia, coupled with subversivism results in the colonization and distortion of trans lives in queer theory. (For issues of the use of trans lives in queer theory, I recommend Second Skins by Jay Prosser).

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lostcrumpet March 10 2010, 15:56:33 UTC
Thanks! I have looked on amazon, but it's hard for me to gage the quality of a text from it's reader reviews (often very high + very low) alone.

I've also been encountering some articles arguing that bisexuality is the real postmodern sexual orientation. These texts however, seem a bit more fringe-y.

I'll check out the Storr reader.

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trooper6 March 10 2010, 16:13:34 UTC
Ah the old who is more post-modernier-than-thou.

When being subversive is the only thing valued, then everybody must be subversive or they become worthless. Rather timesome, if you ask me.

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trooper6 March 10 2010, 16:26:59 UTC
Just to clarify my feelings. Do bisexuals *have* to be *the real* postmoderns to be of value. Can't bisexuals be awesome even if they don't feel all that postmodern?

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lostcrumpet March 10 2010, 16:51:21 UTC
Oh, I agree with you. Bisexuals get pushed to the side so often, that now they have to say "Oh oh! But at least we are beyond your binaries, simpletons"

Honestly, I do find identity politics to be interesting (but mostly, they make me want to bash my head on the keyboard). Especially when one-upping other groups comes into play.

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tupelo_lights March 10 2010, 21:38:24 UTC
Please be advised that when folks (particularly cis folks) start focusing on bisexuality-as-such there is often a really offensive erasure of trans people and others with non-binary genders. So please, don't do that in your paper. You may find identity politics "interesting" but there is a real potential for you to perpetuate the damage you're talking about, when groups are pit against each other. For more of a primer, please check out this blog post on

Gender Bitch
. Cheers.

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