Biphobia by Iman Shoukry

heyitziman — 2025-10-13 04:14:48 UTC

New literature suggests that bisexuals face health disparities compared to heterosexual and homosexual individuals as a result of biphobia. Previous researchers attribute these disparities to the unique "double discrimination" from both straight and gay/lesbian individuals. Many believe through implementing interventions, we could foster a greater sense of belonging and diminish depression, anxiety and substance use among bisexuals. The article also suggests that healthcare workers should be aware of the additional stressors faced by bisexuals and if they are uncomfortable treating them, to refer their patients to better treatment centers/Providers. I believe this is a phenomenal idea because more often than not, ego finds itself in healthcare settings. It is especially important to understand personal biases when treating patients and knowing whether your beliefs would obstruct or delay someone's care.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:24:28 UTC

This video was especially interesting as the women starts off by explaining she feels "more bisexual" when dating a woman as opposed to a man. She explains that this is due to society standards and even people in the LGBTQ+ community's negative and biphobic feelings. She states that someone's identity is not conditional and bisexuals especially should be able to confidently feel bisexual no matter the gender of their current partner. I think this is a very powerful statement because the way someone identifies can be a very innate feeling and nobody should feel less worthy due to fear of not being accepted. It was very surprising to me that much of the fear surrounding coming out to partners as bisexual is rooted in biphobic sentiment pushed by the LGBTQ+ community. This version of biphobia is less of hatred towards the community, but rooted in pressure from other people to prove your sexuality by dating the same sex.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:24:47 UTC

Larry King asks Anna whether she is a "non-practicing bisexual" because she is married with a husband and children. This is an additional form of biphobia where someone assumes that bisexuality is conditional and determined by the sex/gender of the partner you are currently with. It honestly is so baffling to me that people think attraction or sexuality is an "on" and "off" switch because nobody would ask these questions on a televised interview to a straight person.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:32:55 UTC

Claiming that bisexual people are "frauds" has been a surprisingly common sentiment among people who are biphobic. Many people including the man who tweeted this believe that people claim to be bisexual to soften the blow of "coming out" as gay or lesbian. This undermines and completely disregards the experiences of the bisexual community and perpetuates the claim that bisexuals are "just confused." Bisexuality is not a "lack of commitment," it is merely a sexual preference which all are entitled to have.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:35:59 UTC

This tweet is in response to a recent murder of a young girl and her alleged killer, D4vd (a popular singer/influencer). He identifies as a straight cys male, but people are coming out and claiming he is bisexual just so they can blame his actions on a marginalized community. This is biphobia at its core and is reinvigorating the archaic idea that homosexuality is linked to pedophilia. This is far from the truth and damaging to the bisexual community. Large communities should not be defined by a single person's actions or even the actions of a small group. The media’s handling of these stories often amplifies division and perpetuates bias, especially when it comes to coverage of LGBTQ+ individuals.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:40:05 UTC

I chose this meme because I just love Vin Diesel. The top flag represents lesbians while the bottom flag represents bisexuals. Apparently there are many women in the lesbian community who are biphobic and shun or don't believe bisexual women exist. From my understanding, some lesbians may feel a sense of betrayal or invalidation when a former partner begins dating a man, which can contribute to harmful stereotypes that bisexual women are “confused” or “untrustworthy.”

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:41:30 UTC

I thought this meme, while although silly, is a painful reality many bisexual men face. From my personal experience, I know many of my peers don't believe men can be bisexual whereas women can. For some reason there is a sentiment going around assuming if a man is sexually attracted to other men, there is no way that he could ever be attracted to a woman. I am very curious as to why that is, and I assume it has to do with toxic masculinity and the patriarchal beliefs of what a man can and cannot be. I think in terms of biphobia, men may even be more disadvantaged than women in the dating scene due to these beliefs.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:43:55 UTC

This photo depicts a bisexual woman and the biphobic comments being spewed at her. The statements "player" and "you'll probably cheat on your partner," are incredibly frustrating to me because they push the biphobic agenda that overly sexualizes bisexuals. Much of biphobia stems from what I believe is jealousy and the ill informed assumption that people claim bisexuality just so they can have more options and access to sexual partners. This is so crazy because no studies have shown or proved that bisexuals are significantly more sexual than other members of the LGBTQ+ community or heterosexuals. Bisexuality is also not just a phase of experimentation, it is a sexual preference.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 04:57:03 UTC

It was very interesting to hear about the prejudice among women in regard to bisexual men. In the video, it references findings where many women feel bi men are less masculine and link bisexual men to infidelity and casual sex. This depiction of biphobia makes it incredibly difficult for bisexual men to find female partners and they often feel an increased pressure to overcompensate in order to be more desirable to women. I believe this video was very eye opening in regard to the way women influence male sexuality and how our perspectives can affect how and if men are willing to come out.

heyitziman — 2025-10-16 05:05:33 UTC

This image depicts a woman excited to celebrate Pride as a bisexual and immediately getting shut down and invalidated because she is married to a man. This is yet another image that reflects a common misconception that being in a heterosexual-presenting relationship erases one’s bisexual identity. The image highlights the ongoing struggle many bisexual individuals face in being accepted within both straight and queer spaces. It serves as a reminder that sexuality is defined by identity, not by one’s current partner.