Bisexuality and Assuming Heterosexuality as a Default

[strannik01]

Janelle Asselin, a writer and editor best known in comic book circles for editing the Batman group of books for DC Comics, recently came out as bisexual. Which I don't think really shocked too many people. But she touched on something that I thought was pretty interesting

Comments

[strannik01]

You're wrong about Dan Savage. He admitted bisexuals exist. But he also believes (as do many gay men and lesbians, I do too) that sometimes the label "bisexual" serves gay men and lesbians in the period of coming out

I don't think that really described Dan Savage's opinions. I've been reading his column since I first started picking up Chicago Reader in 2006, and for a while, he seemed to assume that bisexuals are gays and lesbians waiting to come out. His position has softened in recent years, but every once in a while, he says things that give me a sense that he's still skeptical about the whole concept. And he isn't seem that terribly keen on bisexuals in general.

There were - and still are - plenty of gays and lesbians who identify as bisexuals as they come to term with their orientation. Nobody is denying that. But there are people who honestly like men and women. And when a person identifies as bisexual, I'm inclined to give him or her a benefit of a doubt.

Since my college years, I have encountered many single people, same-sex couples and supportive opposite-sex couples, but not one of the people has told me or was open about any inkling of bisexuality. And I'm talking of socially liberal crowd from NYC, NJ, Chicago populating American academia and a gay-friendly university in suburban Detroit.

What are you trying to say? I'm seriously, honestly asking.

[vg36]

And when a person identifies as bisexual, I'm inclined to give him or her a benefit of a doubt.

While I trust the person if he would tell me he's bisexual, that hasn't happened to me in the last 10 years. And here, we come to the second question :0)

What are you trying to say?

I was just trying to say that I believe the issue of bisexual invisibility is a consequence of bisexuals staying closeted to a much higher degree than many bisexuals think, if even someone who is a part of pretty liberal groups (NYC secular Jews, young people in academia in accepting states and LGBT-friendly universities, blue-voting areas of the country), i.e. I, has not actually met in person anyone identifying openly as a bisexual and definitely no one openly identifying while being in an opposite-sex relationship. I realize that I might be an outlier, I just didn't expect to be an outlier given my milieu.

[strannik01]

I believe the issue of bisexual invisibility is a consequence of bisexuals staying closeted to a much higher degree than many bisexuals think

And that's kind of what Asselin was talking about.

[vg36]

Yeap, I watched the video, and agreed with that. Though I think I have encountered many opinions of bisexuals (over the internet) minimizing that point. Hence the "to a much higher degree than many bisexuals think". Incidentally, I recall, most of these conversations have involved some sort of reaction to Dan Savage :0)

BTW, it's great that you're including bisexual characters. I have wanted to read, but have been busy so far. But I will definitely start soon.