Many people would like to think that the LGBTQ+ community is a shining example of a cohesive group that enthusiastically promotes acceptance and visibility for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Although I do think that a large portion of queer people hold this belief, it is the unfortunate reality that the larger community is riddled with discrimination against its own members. Individuals who identify as bisexual make up around half of the LGBTQ+ community, however, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, they are much less likely to be out than their gay or lesbian counterparts. This is largely due to the lack of acceptance or subjection to questioning that bisexual people can face from within the queer community in addition to their fear of rejection by straight friends and family.

The most prevalent example of bisexual erasure from both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community is the idea that a bisexual identity is “just a phase,” a phrase which reinforces an archaic structure of “gay or

straight,” which in turn reinforces binary gender identity and gender roles. In the case of gay men and lesbian women, homophobic stereotypes of the “feminine man” or “masculine woman” allow unaccepting individuals to rationalize relationships that they do not understand, but when it comes to bisexual people, these same individuals are not able to place them in neat little boxes and therefore must convince themselves that bisexuality does not exist in order for traditional gender norms to hold.

Additionally, there is a huge double standard for bisexual men and women, with bi men being viewed as essentially gay and bi women as essentially straight. This idea circles back to our society’s patriarchal structure and instinct to center relationships around a male figure. If a man has deviated from his traditional gender role and is attracted to other men, society decides that he has abandoned his ability to fulfill a patriarchal role and is viewed as gay. On the other hand, bisexual women who pursue relationships with other women are often not taken seriously, or worse, objectified by men or labeled as attention-seekers. Adding fuel to this idea is the tendency to base a bisexual person’s identity off of their current partner(s) and referring to individuals within gay-appearing or straight-appearing relationships as such due to a lack of additional information.

Excluding bisexual narratives can be incredibly harmful, especially when these biphobic ideas are manifested at a very influential level. In 2019, Lady Gaga gave an impassioned speech outside the Stonewall Inn at New York’s WorldPride Celebration that has become a key example of bisexual identities being suppressed and ignored. Gaga, who has openly identified as bisexual since the beginning of her career and has sadly

had to continuously defend her validity as a queer woman over the years, seemed to deflect emphasis on her own identity throughout her speech, much to the disappointment of queer and bi fans who have looked to her as an example of resistance against binary sexualities. In her speech, Gaga noted “I may not, to some people, be considered a part of this community, even though I like girls sometimes. I would never degrade the fight you have endured.” This sentiment rings painfully true for many bisexual individuals who feel that they must be less entitled to the joy and pride celebrations of other LGBTQ+ people because they are not “queer enough” and therefore diminish this important part of their identity in order to avoid further discrimination and confrontation. Through awareness, acceptance and purposeful inclusion of bi stories in the greater LGBTQ+ community, we can work towards creating a safer and more validating environment for all people to affirm their identity and celebrate their experiences.