Bisexuality / Bisexual people

In activist and academic contexts, bisexuality is often used as an umbrella term for sexual and romantic orientations in which a person may feel attraction to more than one gender. Depending on the definition, this can include two, several or all genders. In this broader sense, terms such as pansexuality, multisexuality or polysexuality may also be considered part of a wider bi+ understanding.

A bisexual person feels romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one gender, or experiences attraction regardless of gender. However, definitions of bisexuality vary and are not universally agreed. Some people understand bisexuality as attraction to two or more genders, while others define it as attraction to people with or without regard to gendered categories.

The phrase “a bit of bi never hurts” is often used playfully, but it is a simplification. It can reduce bisexuality to a binary view of only “male” and “female” and should therefore be used with care. A more respectful approach is to describe a person’s orientation clearly and without assumptions.