by S.S. McDaniel

Created on: August 02, 2009

I could not help but chuckle a bit when I read this debate title: Should bisexuals be considered homosexuals?

A bisexual, as the word should indicate, is a person sexually interested in either sex. This means that, unlike homosexuals, a bisexual can be attracted to the opposite sex. This also means that, unlike heterosexuals, a bisexual can be attracted to the same sex.

It should be noted, however, that most bisexuals have a "lean". A female bisexual may be attracted slightly more often to males than females, or the other way around. This explains what many people call "bi-curious", usually a complete misnomer. The phrase "bi-curious" is often used in reference to people who are attracted to the same sex for a period of time, but later settle in a heterosexual relationship. The phrase implies that the interest in the "rejected" sexual preference was merely a passing whim, a "curiosity", and is often very derogatory. Some of these people are simply experimenting with their sexuality, but many are true bisexuals who happen to have found the person they want to spend their life with in the more "normative" sexual pairing.

This lean is also responsible for a high level of discomfort between bisexuals and both the homo and heterosexual communities. Both communities are often puzzled and offended by the "choices" of bisexuals, who they see as having the option to be either heterosexual or homosexual. This is another misconception: bisexuals are open to either sex, but like everyone else will only form deep connections with certain people. As a friend once put it "Bisexuals are like equal opportunity employers." Bisexuals choose their partners based on the individual's merits, not their genitalia.

The deep essential difference between homosexuals and bisexuals is as different as that between heterosexuals and bisexuals. A homosexual person is only interested in the same sex. A heterosexual person is only interested in the opposite sex. For these people, there is no middle ground, no exceptions to the rule. For a bisexual person, there is no real rule. They can be attracted to anyone, regardless of sex, although as mentioned above they are often more frequently attracted to one sex than another.

To simplify my argument, you would not call a parrot a cat just because it meows on occasion. Thus you should not call a bisexual a homosexual just because they choose to have a relationship with someone of the same sex some of the time.

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