In this, the first of a two-part series on bisexuality, sociologist Janet Lever, PhD, invites us to assess our own sexual orientation and challenges our preconceptions of what it means to be gay, straight, or bisexual.

How do you think of your sexuality now? Would you say you're heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual?

You may at some point have encountered the idea that most of us have some attraction to both sexes deep within us. Is this true? And, if so, is our culture evolving to allow greater expression of this bisexual tendency?

Life Along the Continuum

Before we could calculate the actual percentage of people who are bisexual, we'd have to agree on what that label means, and there are many competing definitions. Literally defined, 'bisexuality' means having an erotic attraction to both sexes. But the term is misleading because it implies equal attraction, when in reality only a few bisexuals make that claim. Most are predominantly attracted to one sex, while recurrently drawn to some members of the opposite sex. Some are mostly heterosexual, while others are mostly homosexual. Looked at in this way, exclusive homosexuality and heterosexuality are merely the poles on a continuum rather than two unconnected states of being.

It was pioneering sex researcher Alfred Kinsey who first broke away from the limits of labels and gave us the concept of sexual desire as a continuum rather than a dichotomy (or trichotomy, including bisexuality). In an effort to get away from restrictive labels, he sought to characterize human sexuality on a 7-point numerical scale, now known as the Kinsey scale. (In this system, the number 0 represents exclusive heterosexuality, 6 represents exclusive homosexuality, and the numbers in between represent a complex mix. For example, 1 represents predominant heterosexuality, with "incidental" homosexuality.)

Enriching the Definition of 'Bisexual'

Kinsey modernized notions of sexual orientation in other ways, too. He realized that our sexuality may be reflected in what we think or dream about, as well as by what we do. Complicating things even further, Kinsey sought to incorporate a person's entire life history in his scale because he found that sexual tastes can fluctuate over time. For example: A woman might be happily heterosexual in her 20s, take a female lover in her early 30s, then fall in love again with a man at the end of that decade. More typically, an adolescent boy may have extensive sex play with other boys but be totally heterosexual in adulthood.

Some contemporary researchers also believe it's important to know a person's romantic history (who he or she has fallen in love with) and how the person "labels" himself or herself (heterosexual, homosexual, etc.). Others remind us to consider motive as well: Did the person engage in gay sex because of real sexual attraction or merely a strong wish to be avant-garde (like those trying to be "bisexual chic" now) or politically correct (as in the early days of the feminist movement)? Was it the lack of available opposite-sex partners that prompted someone to settle for a same-sex partner? This kind of "situational" bisexuality has long been common in sexually segregated environments like prisons and boarding schools.

So, if we include past and present behaviors as well as romantic and sexual attractions--including dreams and fantasies--how many people could be classified as somewhat bisexual? Most. And how many of those people perceive themselves as bisexual? Only a few.

How We See Ourselves

The great minds of Sigmund Freud and anthropologist Margaret Mead concurred with Kinsey that most humans have bisexual capacity, if only society would allow them to explore the entire range of their sexual desires. But most people still get squeezed into only two categories--straight or gay--and usually take the identity of the category that best captures their current sexual behavior.

Surveys indicate that men and women will identify themselves as heterosexual even when they have some history of homosexual feelings or behaviors. The largest sex surveys of gays and lesbians show they also have the tendency to avoid the "bisexual" label, despite the fairly common occurrence of heterosexual feelings and behaviors among homosexuals. For example, in two surveys conducted by The Advocate, a leading news magazine for the gay community, a surprisingly large proportion of lesbians and gay men admitted to heterosexual feelings or behaviors. Some 35% of lesbians and 17% of gay men reported sexual attraction to the opposite sex, while 39% of lesbians and 15% of gay men had sexual fantasies about the opposite sex in the past 12 months. Even more dramatic, 75% of lesbians and 50% of gay men had had vaginal intercourse at some point in their lives.

What does research teach us about the people who recognize their dual attraction and see themselves as bisexual? Perhaps the most interesting finding is that they differ from gays and lesbians in the process of accepting their sexual identification. Most gays and lesbians first feel confusion--they feel different from others. This is often followed by a period of thinking that they might be homosexual, and finally a stage of acceptance and development of a positive self-image, usually when they embrace the support of the gay community.

Bisexuals, however, have a different experience. Because of the skepticism they encounter from both the straight and the gay communities, many bisexuals remain in a state of sexual uncertainty. Many report being pressured by others to be either straight or gay and also report being told that bisexuality does not exist. The lack of role models and a visible bisexual community often results in feelings of isolation and a sense of being different from everyone, straight and gay alike. But this is beginning to change with the increasing visibility of people proudly and loudly embracing the label "bisexual" as an extension of the gay rights movement. The real sea change will come when people--heterosexual and homosexual alike--believe that bisexuality really exists.

-- Janet Lever, PhD