Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Definitions of bisexuality are manifold and heterogeneous. There are at least four seemingly contradictory meanings associated with the term. Firstly, in early sexology bisexuality was conceived of as a primordial state of hermaphroditism prior to sexual differentiation. Secondly, bisexuality has been invoked to describe the co-presence of “feminine” and “masculine” psychological traits in a human being. The idea of androgyny has impinged to a certain degree on popular ideas about bisexuality. Thirdly, bisexuality has provided the concept to account for people's propensity to be sexually attracted to both men and women. This is currently the most common understanding of bisexuality. Fourthly, bisexuality is frequently seen as a pervasive “middle ground” (of merged gender, sex, or sexuality). This representation of bisexuality includes the notion that “we're all bisexual, really,” which may imply either an essential androgyny or a universal “latent bisexuality” in the sense of an abstracted potential to love people of both genders (or irrespective of gender) ( Hemmings 2002 ). Bisexuality plays a rather paradoxical role in the history of sexuality. Although it has been integral, if not central, to most modern theories of sexuality, it has rarely been acknowledged or taken seriously in or for itself. Thus, Angelides (2000) shows that bisexuality has been a central concept in the ... log in or subscribe to read full text