Bisexual myths

More people are admitting to being bisexual - yet many of us don't really know what this sexual preference actually means. The Mix dispels some myths.

Don't believe all of what you hear about bisexuality.

Bisexuals have to like both men and women equally

Wrong – There is no right or wrong way to be bisexual. You are the person who determines your sexuality. If you only date girls but are also attracted to guys, you can be bisexual. The same goes for people who date guys, but still like girls.

Some people believe that your sexuality is always changing. If you are bisexual, you could be attracted to men and women at different points in your life. It is the individual you find attractive, not their gender.

Bisexuals are promiscuous, they can’t hold down a committed monogamous relationship

Wrong – News flash: a bisexual can fall in love and hold down a relationship. Being bisexual might mean you feel attracted to guys and girls, but it doesn’t give you license to be unfaithful to your partner, or to expect him/her to accept another person in to your love life. Relationships still have the same rules.

Bisexual people are just playing around, they can choose to be straight

Wrong – You don’t choose your sexual orientation, you just feel it, be you straight, gay or bi. There’s a difference between being straight and falling in love with a person of the opposite sex and being bi and doing so. In the latter case, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t attracted to people of the same sex still or that they aren’t bisexual. You aren’t turned straight.

Bisexual people are just denying that they are gay

Wrong – Being bisexual is different to being lesbian or gay. However, because your sexuality can change over time, it is possible to be bisexual for a while and then to be gay or straight. But most consider themselves bisexual for their whole lives and they tend not to change the category from one relationship to the next.