Human sexuality
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Bisexuality - the least common and most
misunderstood of the three sexual orientations.
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Overview:
Bisexuality is difficult for some people to understand. Many of
us are taught to look at almost everything in the universe as a duality:
male and female, light and dark, hot and cold, moral and immoral, etc. This
is often carried over into human sexuality. Many view it as
existing in two forms:
heterosexuality and homosexuality. However human sexuality is more complex
than that. One cannot squeeze the full range of human sexual feelings and behaviors into
only two classifications.
A minimum of three is really needed to represent human sexual
attractions and activities: heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual.
Some have suggested five or seven.
Unfortunately, there is no consensus on the precise meaning of terms like homosexuality, bisexuality and heterosexuality. People differ on whether the terms are defined in terms of the gender to which a person is sexually attracted, or in terms of the gender with whom a person is sexually active.
Decades ago many individuals believed that only two sexual orientations existed: heterosexuality and homosexuality. They thought that everyone claiming a bisexual orientation was really gay or lesbian but had not fully come to terms with their sexual identity. However, bisexuality is now acknowledged by almost everyone as a distinct sexual orientation, and also the least common.
Topics covered in this section:
- Part 1: Quotations. Definitions of terms related to bisexuality as used by various groups.
- Part 2: Review & summary of terms.
How bisexuals are misunderstood.
- Part 3: Does male bisexuality exist? Controversies over "choice."
Copyright © 2001 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2001-JAN-19
Latest update: 2012-JAN-27
Author: B.A. Robinson
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