GRSJ224/bisexualityinmedia

The Bisexual Pride Flag

Bisexuality is underrepresented in Western media, often due to bisexual erasure. The rare times bisexuality is referenced in Western media it perpetuates bisexual character tropes that promote negative and often harmful stereotypes. Bisexual people are created to appear malicious, hateful, and greedy. If their bisexuality is mentioned, it is brief and for the sole purpose of titillating the main male character or audience. These harmful stereotypes can lead to mental health problems in bisexual youths and as such, accurate representation of bisexuality in Western media is necessary.

Bisexuality Tropes in Media

The few times a bisexual character appears in television or film, they are often reduced to harmful stereotypes that attack the morality of bisexual individuals. These tropes emphasize the malicious stereotypes surrounding bisexual people and erase the real life experiences of bisexuals.

Ambiguously Bi

A common quote attributed to bisexuals in media so they don't have to say bisexual.

One of the most notorious bisexuality tropes seen in popular media is the 'ambiguously bi' character. Throughout the film or television series, this character displays moments of attraction to more than one gender, but are never confirmed as bisexual. Generally, these characters show explicit interest in characters of the 'opposite' gender, while their interests in characters of their own gender are downplayed or more subtle. They are the token 'bi' character without ever having to confirm their orientation. These are often the characters that 'don't like labels' and just 'like who they like'. While it is perfectly fine to not like labels, the refusal to use the word bisexual in Western media often results in an increase in bi-erasure.

Examples of the 'ambigously bi' character include...

1. Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Annalise Keating - How to Get Away with Murder
3. Bob - Bob's Burgers
4. Deadpool - Deadpool
5. Frank Underwood - House of Cards
6. Piper Chapman - Orange is the New Black
7. Jake Peralta - Brooklyn Nine Nine

Depraved Bisexuality

A very well represented trope regarding bisexuality in Western media it that of the 'depraved bisexual'. These characters gladly accept the label of bisexual while attempting to manipulate every other character they come in contact with. The depraved bisexual will sleep with anyone, and often recognize the power of sex as a control mechanism. Western Media will associate bisexuality with evil and wrong-doing and as such the depraved bisexual trope reinforces negative connotations. These connotations paint all bisexual people as greedy, manipulative, and sex-crazed. For instance, the director of Basic Instinct noted that "Catherine is the devil - that's why she's bisexual."

Examples of the 'depraved bisexual' character include...

1. Frank N. Furter - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
2. Tom Ripley - The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. Poison Ivy - Batman Universe
4. Harley Quinn - Batman Universe
5. Jennifer Check - Jennifer's Body
6. Clare Quilty - Lolita
7. Isobel - Vampire Diaries
8. T-Bag - Prison Break
9. Dennis Reynolds - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Experimented in College

The 'experimented in college' trope is a favourite shocker plot line in romantic comedies, often in reference to a girl character. Also considered a 'lesbian until graduation', these female characters have a history of same-sex relationships or hook-ups that are revealed to the male lead, but quickly clarified to be just a 'phase'. This trope is often used for titillation purposes, the term bisexual is never used, and the entire experience is often considered to be a part of the female character's 'wild past'. This trope supports the belief that bisexuality is a phase as the characters often refuse to acknowledge the significance of their past and always end up in a heterosexual relationship.

Examples of the 'experimented in college' trope include...

1. Samantha James - Just Friends
2. Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
3. Fiona - Four Weddings and a Funeral
4. Emily - Definitely, Maybe
5. Leslie Knope - Parks and Recreation
6. Buffy Summers - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Gay for You

The "gay-dar" watch from American Dad, showing gay, straight and curious as options.

A common trope used to shock the audience is the 'gay for you' trope, also known as the 'if it's you, it's okay' trope. Here, an otherwise heterosexual character will feel attraction to only one member of the same gender. Without this relationship, the main character would still identify as straight, but this second character is their one exception. With this trope, the main character never considers identifying as bisexual, but rather oscillates between identifying as straight or gay, and generally ends up disregarding labels entirely. Again, while this is completely fine in real life, it adds to bisexual erasure in media.

Examples of the 'gay for you' trope include...

1. Frank Rossitano - 30 Rock
2. Lily Aldrin - How I Met Your Mother
3. Michael Scott - The Office
4. Lorna Morello - Orange is the New Black
5. Delphine Cormier - Orphan Black
6. Caleb Adams - The Bright Sessions

Biphobia

A quote describing bisexuality

Biphobia refers to the "structural oppression bisexual persons experience." Biphobia, in both the heterosexual and LGBT community foster harmful stereotypes surrounding bisexual people, which in turn supports the harmful tropes found in Western Media. Since the media shapes our societal beliefs, and those beliefs in turn shape the media, biphobia in either realm encourages biphobia in the opposite sphere. Bisexual individuals worldwide are affected by biphobia, which is prevalent in almost all "societies in either conscious or unconscious ways, via symbolic power, binaries and essentialized assumptions".

Biphobia in the Heterosexual Community

Biphobia in the heterosexual community is rooted in cultural imperialism. Cultural imperialism refers to the cultural influence of the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships. It simultaneously erases the existence of a minority group, while also describing the minority group in negative, biased terms. In reference to bisexual people, it relies on bi-erasure and harmful bisexual tropes. For instance, a New York Times article entitled "Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited" was written with the intention of disproving the existence of bisexual individuals. The article simultaneously denied the very existence of bisexuals (referring to them as gay individuals who are lying), while also implying that those that do identify as bisexual are unreliable, promiscuous, and greedy. The refusal to acknowledge the existence of bisexuality promotes the use of harmful tropes in Western media.

Biphobia is present in most heterosexual communities and has been studied multiple times. According to a telephone survey in the United States, heterosexual adults had more negative feelings towards bisexual individuals than towards any other sexuality, religion, race, or political group. The only group that received more negative feelings in this survey was intravenous drug users. Heterosexual individuals often refer to bisexual people in a degrading way, deny their existence, and perpetuate harmful stereotypes, all of which allow biphobia to continue to persist in Western cultures.

Biphobia in the LGBT Community

Biphobia in the LGBT community looks quite different from biphobia in the heterosexual community because it is a form of oppression within an already marginalized community. A clear example of biphobia in the LGBT community is the exploitation of bisexual members such that the products of bisexual members are often used to further the empowerment of the homosexual community, while again denying the existence of bisexuality. For instance Brenda Howard, the founder of the LGBT Pride Marches, was proudly bisexual and yet the pride parades she organized are often referred to as Gay Pride Marches and her sexuality is often ignored while her efforts are used to further the Gay Rights Movement.

Several studies have analyzed the presence of biphobia in the LGBT community. A study from 2003 found that 75% of lesbians believed bisexuality was not a stable identity, 60% believed bisexuals were less committed in woman-woman relationships, and most lesbians noted that they would not date a bisexual woman. Bisexuals are often not accepted within the LGBT community, and the negative stereotypes perpetuated by the heterosexual media are often still prevalent in the LGBT community. Bisexuals are still considered greedy, confused and/or untrustworthy by the other members of their own community.

Importance of Accurate Representation

The negative stereotypes of bisexuality perpetuated by Western media have a negative impact on bisexual youth. The prevalent biphobia in both hetero- and homosexual communities results in bisexuals being at a greater risk for poor mental health. According to an analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey, 17.7% of bisexual women have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, compared to 8.7% of lesbian women, and 5.8% of heterosexual women. Bisexual men also reported having a diagnosed anxiety disorder at a higher rate than gay and heterosexual men. While the link between poor mental health for bisexuals and biphobia has not been fully studied, the correlation is undeniable. Bisexual individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder than gay or straight individuals.

Due to biphobia in both the heterosexual and homosexual community, bisexual individuals are often left isolated and confused. Bisexuals often report less disclosure of identity, fewer community connections, and more identity confusion compared to other members of the LGBT community. The lack of a supportive community leads to bisexual youths feeling alone, contributing to their poor mental health and inability to comfortably identify as bisexual. The clear lack of support from both communities leaves bisexual youths vulnerable and alone. In order to combat the internalized biphobia that these young people must face, biphobia in the heterosexual and homosexual communities must be addressed. Western media could play an important role in normalizing bisexuality, which can be achieved through the disuse of harmful bisexuality tropes.