5 Myths About Bisexuality, Busted

Queer History Month is observed in October in the United States, and National Coming Out Day is observed every year on Oct. 11 — so in honor of both occasions, BuzzFeed Yellow recently spoke to several people who identify as bisexual to break down myths and misconceptions about bisexuality. These myths are not only unfounded and incorrect, but more importantly, they're extraordinarily harmful. Busting them, however, will go a long way towards mitigating the damaging — as well as stopping their spread, which will do a lot of good in the long term.

In the video, people speak about their sexuality in several different ways, whether it was seriously, humorously, optimistically, or a combination. They outline their discussion with "I'm bisexual, but I'm not..." and fill in the blank with common preconceived notions people have about bisexuality and bisexual people. The very first myth busted? It's one of the most common misconceptions about bisexual people: "I'm bisexual, but I'm not confused. It can be difficult to argue this misconception; the underlying assumption is often that everyone needs to "pick one gender" and that bisexual people are just "waiting it out" before they fully decide. But news flash: There is no inherent confusion involved in bisexuality and no magic formula that will ever force a bi person to lean in one particular direction more strongly than another. Sexuality is a spectrum, and attraction must be treated as such. You don't have to be "gay" and you don't have to be "straight" — you can be whatever you are. Binaries are socially constructed and attraction is highly subjective!

Here are five other myths the video deconstructs about bisexuality and bisexual people. Scroll down to watch the whole thing.

1. MYTH: Bisexuality Is Just "Experimenting"

To be bisexual does not inherently imply a state of flux or "figuring yourself out." To imply bisexual people are just experimenting is to undermine their identity entirely and invalidate their understanding of who they are.

2. MYTH: Bisexuality Is Greedy

What is greedy about love and attraction? Don't we all experience it? How can it be greed if it exists so abundantly in the world?

3. MYTH: Bisexual People Are More Likely To Cheat On You

Just because you're dating someone who is into more than one gender doesn't mean they are more likely to go out and pursue everyone. The definition of monogamy changes from couple to couple, not from one sexuality to another. If someone in a committed, monogamous relationship that both people have agreed on, it's problematic to assume that a bisexual partner will not honor that commitment.

4. MYTH: All Bisexual People Are Interested In Casual Sex

Experiencing attraction to multiple genders does not automatically imply high sex drive, all the time, with everyone. Relatedly, bisexuality also doesn't automatically translate to "interested in a threesome." Some bisexual people may be into threesomes, but others may not. Assuming that everyone in a specific group is the same is never a good idea.

5. MYTH: Bisexual People Can't Be Religious

Of course bisexual people can be religious. They can also have myriad other identities that are in no way dictacted or determined by their sexuality. Surprise!

Check out the full video below to see more myths about bisexualty, debunked:

Images: hojas_cayendo/Flickr; Giphy (5)