Some classic elements of bi-prejudice
General bi stereotypes
- confused, unresolved, sitting on the fence, foot in both camps, neither here nor there, immature, unstable, should make up their minds, should sort themselves out
- greedy, want to have their cake and eat it, want the best of both worlds
- unreliable, ambiguous, double crossers
- sex obsessed, promiscuous, indiscriminate, shag anything that moves, looking for a threesome, double the temptation; can't have platonic relationships; can't be celibate
- spread AIDS, spread disease
- young, white, middle-class, ablebodied, "It's a white thing", corrupted by Western world
- exotic, bohemian, artistic, pop stars, entertainers, academics
- it's a fashion, they're only doing it to be fashionable
- it's a phase, it's not significant
- on their way to coming out as gay/lesbian, haven't had the courage to come out "properly" yet, self-denial, it's a cop out
- bisexuality as "homosexuality lite", easier than being lesbian or gay, parents would rather you were bi than lesbian or gay and hope you will settle down with someone you can make babies with
- straight person dabbling, not committed to lesbian & gay politics, can avoid homophobia by hiding in the straight world when things get tough, haven't done the work and now they want the rewards
- relate to men for sex and women for emotional relationships or relate to men and women in exactly the same way and have the same desires for each
- want both a man and a woman, hence necessarily non-monogamous
Stereotypes of bi women
- will leave a lesbian partner for a man
- take women's energy and give it to men
- straight men's fantasy is two of them
- spread HIV from men to lesbians
Stereotypes of bi men
- married man cottaging, the wife doesn't know, betrayal, brings home HIV
- spread HIV from gay men to women
- uncool compared to gay men, have bad taste because they still hang out with "fish", 100% gay men are better
Bi-invisibility beliefs
- If you're with someone of the "opposite" sex, it means you're heterosexual
- If you're with someone of the same sex, it means you're homosexual
- If you were with someone of the other sex before, but now you're with someone of the same sex, you were "really" gay all along
- If you were with someone of the same sex before, but now you're with someone of the "opposite" sex, you've "gone straight"
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