Today, less and less questions arise when a man chooses a man, and a woman chooses a woman – we cultivate a tolerance for homosexual orientation. But what about those looking for love among both sexes?
We call this psychological phenomenon bisexuality, which combines bisexual orientation, identification and behavioral traits. How bisexuality develops and manifests itself, are bisexuals discriminated against, is bi-curiosity safe: in the article we will consider the opinion of psychologists about the factors that influence the determination of sexual orientation. …
Bisexual orientation is one of several universally recognized sexual orientations, referring to emotional, romantic, sensual and / or sexual attraction to people of the same or opposite sex. Any of the types of attraction can be manifested equally, at the same time.
American sociologist Alfred Kinsey created his own scale of sexuality (Kinsey scale), in which bi’s orientation is one of the subscales.
Due to the fact that in the scientific literature this term has acquired ambiguity, it is customary to use narrower, clarifying terms – for example, “bisexual orientation” or “bisexual behavior”, etc.
How does male bisexuality develop and manifest itself?
Who are bi-men, what is the psychology of a bisexual person: depends on the degree of attraction, the need for intimacy. For some, superficial contact is important, while others are tuned in to long-term, full-fledged relationships. The Kinsey scale can give an idea of a man’s sexuality: by analyzing personality, you can see that few men can identify themselves as “strict” homosexual or heterosexual.
A person can live an ordinary, heterosexual life, and not even think that something else is possible in his life. Sometimes awareness of orientation comes in adulthood, when self-identification is fully formed, and all basic needs have already been identified. Sometimes it can be imposed by society, education, and manifested as a protest.
What psychologists say
According to sex therapist Eduard Livinsky, bisexuality develops under the influence of the following factors.
- Hormones and the structure of the psyche
Bisexuals have masculine and feminine manifestations of sexuality. Bisexuality can begin to manifest itself in adolescence, when sex hormones begin to be produced and sexual function matures. As it manifests itself, sexuality takes as a basis the already formed structure of the psyche, and if the psyche is immature, then the focus on the sexual object will be ambiguous.
You also need to take hormones into account. For example, most men have about 6% female hormones, and every woman has the same 6% male hormones. With a shift in hormonal balance and taking into account parenting, during a hormonal surge, a shift in landmarks can occur.
- Formation of concepts and habits in a child
Observing children, you can see that boys and girls are friends on the basis of gender. Among their peers, children, they form their own ideas about sexuality, focused on the norms of society. Accordingly, if society decides to engage in homosexual relationships, then for adolescents this will mean the norm.
- Environment and fashion
Sexual orientation directly depends on what norms are accepted in society. For example, the ancient Greeks did not have specific preferences, the main thing for them was passion, and for whom the passion was experienced, this was not given much importance.
Currently, public morality dictates that heterosexual relationships are “correct”. But now in some circles, for example, in a creative environment, bisexuality is gradually becoming a normal phenomenon.
- Upbringing
If young parents were expecting a boy, and a girl was born, then there is a possibility that they will raise her like a boy, cultivate masculinity in her. Distorted behavior, supported by a surge in male hormones, will lead to the fact that a girl’s sexuality can acquire masculine traits.
For a boy who is brought up among women, even with the normal development of sexual characteristics, a female style of behavior will be characteristic – passive, humble.
How to tell if you are bisexual
It is believed that bisexuality manifests itself depending on who you sleep with. This is not entirely true.
The first and main sign of bisexuality can be sexual interest in a representative of the same gender, while they are not always distinguishable from any other. For example, a young man may admire his friend. Early falling in love can easily be confused with sex drive. Especially if you are prompted to pay attention to your attraction.
Sometimes adolescents are attracted to both sexes, and as they get older, they reconsider their preferences. You can even closer to 40 years of personal experience to understand what bisexuality is. Some deliberately abandon their natural needs under the pressure of beliefs, stereotypes, circumstances.
The term “bisexual” and related identity
If you interpret the term from the point of view of the Russian language, then a bisexual is necessarily a man. In English, this word applies equally to both men and women. Russian speech involves the use of the term “bisexual” in relation to women.
The meaning of the word “bisex” is very ambiguous, it can mean both orientation and sexual identity, and even a person who practices this type of behavior.
As for bisexual identity, it is the humanization and self-identification of a person as bisexual or bisexual.
What is bi-curiosity and how it can harm potential partners
Bi-curious is a person who has a sexual interest in partners of the same gender, but does not identify himself as bisexual.
The term “bi-curious” refers to a phenomenon in which a person’s bisexual orientation is not perceived as serious.
In fact, this is a big problem for the self-identification of people, since it interferes with the correct awareness of oneself as a person. Hence, another term appears – “bi-invisibility”, when a person does not want to identify himself as bisexual in spite of the natural development of sexuality.
Here we turn to the numbers: if 71% of lesbians and 77% of gays come out (admitting to others about their sexual orientation), then among bisexuals only 30% of people can decide to take such a step.
Unfortunately, it is bisexual people who are most often susceptible to suicide and nervous disorders – here men and women have shown themselves equally.
Biphobia: why bisexuals are often discriminated against
Bi-curious people are open to experiments, often of a sexual nature. The “pitfall” of bi-curiosity is biphobia. This is a fairly common phenomenon that discriminates against bisexuals by both heterosexual and homosexual people.
And there is an explanation for this: people who have discovered a different sexual orientation consider bi-curious as someone from the category of undecided. The most typical manifestations of biphobia are expressions like “decide already”, “cool for you: both with those, and with these”, “you won’t get loyalty from bi”, and “nothing, you will outgrow”.
Among the most common stereotypes, bi-curiosity often requires confirmation of sexual identity.
In fact, no one and no one should prove – only you decide how to define yourself, and this should not be decided by others.
Famous bisexual men
Let’s take a look at the top 8 popular bisexual men.
- Giorgio Armani is a fashion designer and entrepreneur.
- Brian Molko – vocalist, guitarist.
- Tom Hardy is an actor, screenwriter, producer.
- Duncan James – singer, actor.
- David Bowie is a singer, producer, sound engineer, actor, artist.
- Mika is a singer.
- Marlon Brando is a film and television actor, political activist, and film director.
- James Dean is an actor.
How to test yourself for bisexuality?
To determine if you are bisexual, answer yourself a few questions:
- Have you ever been sexually attracted to someone of your gender?
- Do stories, plots, or encounters with couples in homosexual contact turn you on?
- Has it ever happened that you imagined a love relationship with representatives of your mole?
- Can you argue that you identify with members of the opposite sex?
- Can you say that you are tolerant of a person’s choice in terms of sexual orientation?
The more times you say yes, the more bisexual you will have.