Bisexual Erasure

In today’s modern society, there still exists a lag in the visibility and media representation of the bisexual identity in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Bisexuality refers to the sexual and/or romantic orientation that encompasses both masculine and feminine gender presentations. Don’t get me wrong, things are as good as they have ever been for queer rights in this day and age.

Canadian society has made leaps and bounds in LGBTQ+ rights. From its prototypically prejudiced constitution in the 20thcentury, which was modified in 1948 and 1961 to specifically illegalize and vilify homosexual men, the Canadian laws today not only permit same-sex marriage, but actively protect LGBTQ+ individuals from any overt institutional discrimination.

This has been the product of long-term and relentless campaigning by queer activists and lawyers such as the journalist Jim Egan who in the 1950s challenged the Old Age Security act that denied spousal rights to he and his partner.

Apart from an institutional move towards queer acceptance, queer visibility has expanded in the day-to-day social sphere that is equally important in modern society. Pride Month, the celebration and remembrance of queer history that spans the month of June, is recognized as an annual event. The statistical rats of queer visibility have skyrocketed since the 20th century, both in real life and through media representation.

However, even with the monumental progress, the bisexual identity is still frequently misunderstood and underrepresented. The scholar and activist Clare Hemmings popularized the term “Bisexual Erasure” to describe the dismissal of bisexuality and the insistence that attraction can only be limited to one gender presentation, either masculine or feminine.

The experience of bi-erasure differs in individuals, with those that are masculine of centre more likely to be dismissed as closeted homosexuals using bisexuality as a denial tactic or a bridge to their true orientation. Those that are feminine of centre will more frequently be accused of having only fleeting same-sex attractions that are merely a phase in their permanent heterosexual identity.

This categorical dismissal is linked to the social phenomenon of gender roles, a term coined by the cultural anthropologist John Moiney to describe the actions and appearances that society associates with masculinity or femininity. Masculine-presenting bisexuals taint their gender role with the supposedly feminine act of same-sex attraction, and are therefore dismissed as homosexuals, as feminine men that are lesser than. Bisexual women are assumed to inherently desire partnership with a biological man, as this is seen as the feminine default.

Contrary to these ignorant assumptions, bisexuality exists as a scientifically documented orientation. The degrees of attraction for one gender expression or another vary from individual to individual, but this is no indication of the validity of their identity. A bisexual woman can have primarily dated men and still be bisexual, as a bisexual man could prefer men.

As time passes, bisexual rights are being discussed and defended in the mainstream, and media representation continues to increase. Examples of bisexual characters on TV right now include Detective Rosa Diaz on the law-enforcement sitcomBrooklyn 999, and Loki, the god of mischief in the 2021 serial that spins off of the Marvel cinematic superhero universe.

More visibility and representation will slowly legitimize the bisexual identity to the general public.