Having it both ways
Here's a thing: how do you define bisexual erotica?
There's a very entertaining collection available, called Unlimited Desires: An International Anthology of Bisexual Erotica, but it's sometimes difficult to see what makes it bisexual.
There are all-female stories and all-male stories, but few that play with scenarios involving two women and a man or two men and a woman, for instance. These could offer an obvious opportunity for bisexual activity, but aren't the others just lesbian or gay stories?
The question lies with authorship; if it's a collection by disparate authors, then it's hard to see where the bisexuality lies. If it's a collection by one author – female, say – with all-women stories, women-male stories and stories that include larger, mixed groups, then it would seem fair to describe that as 'bisexual'.
Maybe this sense of ambiguity is behind the lack of understand of bisexuality? Perhaps the fact that some people fancy members of both sexes is behind the belief of some that bisexuality is synonymous with promiscuity? After all, if you like both, you must be shagging both – or else you'd simply be homosexual or heterosexual, wouldn't you?
Well, something like that.
Whilst it's clear that homophobia still exists – with appalling consequences for those who suffer as a result – there is a general social acceptance of homosexuality; if last year's Civil Partnerships Act did if nothing else, it nailed the colours of tolerance to the mast of government.
But bisexuality still confuses people. There seems to be a deep belief that you're either one thing or the other – a very two-dimensional way of looking at life.
And gays and lesbians can be as anti-bisexuals as heterosexuals – 'you just haven't made up your mind yet' – although the advent and growth of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) movement has seen real steps forward.
With a nod to John Lennon, imagine a time when nobody will remotely care about sexuality, who you're shagging (or not), how many you're shagging or how.
We can dream.
There's a very entertaining collection available, called Unlimited Desires: An International Anthology of Bisexual Erotica, but it's sometimes difficult to see what makes it bisexual.
There are all-female stories and all-male stories, but few that play with scenarios involving two women and a man or two men and a woman, for instance. These could offer an obvious opportunity for bisexual activity, but aren't the others just lesbian or gay stories?
The question lies with authorship; if it's a collection by disparate authors, then it's hard to see where the bisexuality lies. If it's a collection by one author – female, say – with all-women stories, women-male stories and stories that include larger, mixed groups, then it would seem fair to describe that as 'bisexual'.
Maybe this sense of ambiguity is behind the lack of understand of bisexuality? Perhaps the fact that some people fancy members of both sexes is behind the belief of some that bisexuality is synonymous with promiscuity? After all, if you like both, you must be shagging both – or else you'd simply be homosexual or heterosexual, wouldn't you?
Well, something like that.
Whilst it's clear that homophobia still exists – with appalling consequences for those who suffer as a result – there is a general social acceptance of homosexuality; if last year's Civil Partnerships Act did if nothing else, it nailed the colours of tolerance to the mast of government.
But bisexuality still confuses people. There seems to be a deep belief that you're either one thing or the other – a very two-dimensional way of looking at life.
And gays and lesbians can be as anti-bisexuals as heterosexuals – 'you just haven't made up your mind yet' – although the advent and growth of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) movement has seen real steps forward.
With a nod to John Lennon, imagine a time when nobody will remotely care about sexuality, who you're shagging (or not), how many you're shagging or how.
We can dream.
posted by Amanda Kendal at 1:37 pm
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