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so you want to write a bisexual character?
a quick thread with some bi representation advice & common pitfalls to avoid.
please RT!!
a quick thread with some bi representation advice & common pitfalls to avoid.
please RT!!
bisexual TV characters make up less than 26% of all LGBTQ+ characters. most of these characters are cis women, with a smaller number being cis men, & a MUCH smaller number being trans & non-binary people. (source: glaad)
bi people have high depression, anxiety, & suicide rates. we are more likely to commit substance abuse and less likely to be out of the closet. more positive representation could change the lives of bi people.
(sources: RACGP, pewresearch)
(sources: RACGP, pewresearch)
list of bi rep pitfalls/stereotypes (will go more in depth on each!)
-vaguely implied
-cheating/pick a side
-villain
-binary
-no bisexuals
-biphobia
-lack of diversity
-vaguely implied
-cheating/pick a side
-villain
-binary
-no bisexuals
-biphobia
-lack of diversity
VAGUELY IMPLIED
we see this often w/ characters who are shown to like more than 1 gender but "don& #39;t like labels", are "confused", & so on. if you want to write a bi character, explicitly labeling them as bi w/in the text goes a LONG way to prevent erasure & make bi ppl feel seen.
we see this often w/ characters who are shown to like more than 1 gender but "don& #39;t like labels", are "confused", & so on. if you want to write a bi character, explicitly labeling them as bi w/in the text goes a LONG way to prevent erasure & make bi ppl feel seen.
there& #39;s nothing wrong w/ being unlabeled, but i see many writers use it as a way to avoid having to write the word bisexual. it& #39;s not a dirty word - & you don& #39;t have to write a big coming out scene, either. a casual mention or a bi flag on a character& #39;s wall can go a long way!
a similar issue is characters who suddenly & #39;become& #39; gay when get w/ a same gender partner, or theyre "straight w/ an exception for this person", or theyre jokingly referred to as [love interests name]sexual. bi people remain bi no matter who they date - so should your characters.
CHEATING
promiscuous bisexuals who cheat on their partner is a common trope due to the unfounded belief that we "can& #39;t pick a side". there& #39;s nothing wrong w/ promiscuity, but if you only have one bi character & theyre very sexualized or ESPECIALLY if theyre a cheater, rethink.
promiscuous bisexuals who cheat on their partner is a common trope due to the unfounded belief that we "can& #39;t pick a side". there& #39;s nothing wrong w/ promiscuity, but if you only have one bi character & theyre very sexualized or ESPECIALLY if theyre a cheater, rethink.
bi characters can be messy! they can be sexual! BUT i would tread carefully w/ it if you& #39;re not bi. a characters bisexuality shouldn& #39;t only be depicted through promiscuity, threesomes, cheating, etc. it contributes to the sexualization/negative perception of bi ppl in real life.
a bi character can have a love interest of any gender. it doesn& #39;t mean they picked a side. it doesn& #39;t mean their love is diluted because they& #39;re attracted to other genders. a bi character can also be single. sexuality is about attraction, not dating history.
VILLAIN
i& #39;m not gonna say villains can never be bisexual, but if the ONLY bisexual in your story is an evil, depraved, immoral villain, you are feeding into a harmful trope. i would recommend avoiding it.
i& #39;m not gonna say villains can never be bisexual, but if the ONLY bisexual in your story is an evil, depraved, immoral villain, you are feeding into a harmful trope. i would recommend avoiding it.
BINARY
don& #39;t attempt to represent us if you dont know of the history of our label & how we define it. read the bi manifesto (it& #39;s short!). understand that bisexuality isn& #39;t rooted in the gender binary, that many of us are attracted regardless of gender and/or nonbinary ourselves.
don& #39;t attempt to represent us if you dont know of the history of our label & how we define it. read the bi manifesto (it& #39;s short!). understand that bisexuality isn& #39;t rooted in the gender binary, that many of us are attracted regardless of gender and/or nonbinary ourselves.
bi rep that ties us to the gender binary or only depicts bi ppl who love cis men&cis women is inaccurate. a character can love regardless of gender & still be bi. (another reason why it& #39;s helpful to explicitly state their sexuality so they arent misconstrued as something else.)
NO BISEXUALS
this trope refers to fiction that depicts gay & straight people but never acknowledges the existence of bisexuality.
"are you into guys or girls?" "are you gay or straight?" -a questioning character is asked. bisexuality is never presented as a real option.
AVOID!
this trope refers to fiction that depicts gay & straight people but never acknowledges the existence of bisexuality.
"are you into guys or girls?" "are you gay or straight?" -a questioning character is asked. bisexuality is never presented as a real option.
AVOID!
BIPHOBIA
depicting biphobia w/in your writing as someone who isn& #39;t bi is a tricky topic that you should handle with care and sensitivity readers, if possible. biphobia is a real thing we face, so there& #39;s nothing wrong with addressing it, but every reference to a bi character& #39;s +
depicting biphobia w/in your writing as someone who isn& #39;t bi is a tricky topic that you should handle with care and sensitivity readers, if possible. biphobia is a real thing we face, so there& #39;s nothing wrong with addressing it, but every reference to a bi character& #39;s +
experience& #39;s shouldn& #39;t be tied to biphobia.
in other words (and this is advice that often applies to writing about any marginalized group), write about the character & make them well-rounded instead of ONLY focusing on the marginalization they experience.
in other words (and this is advice that often applies to writing about any marginalized group), write about the character & make them well-rounded instead of ONLY focusing on the marginalization they experience.
LACK OF DIVERSITY
bisexuals are a diverse group. many bisexuals are POC. many are trans & non-binary. many live in poverty, are disabled, nuerodivergent, gnc, polyamorous, plus size, asexual, have mental illnesses, and so on. we deserve rep that accurately reflects the community!
bisexuals are a diverse group. many bisexuals are POC. many are trans & non-binary. many live in poverty, are disabled, nuerodivergent, gnc, polyamorous, plus size, asexual, have mental illnesses, and so on. we deserve rep that accurately reflects the community!
bisexuals are not a monolith. this thread is certainly not the be all end all list of advice & bad tropes. being a bisexual POC, for instance, is a unique experience i can& #39;t comment on. a bisexual character of color will have different experiences than a white bisexual character.
this is why it& #39;s important to do further research, listen to bisexuals, and read/watch things written by DIVERSE bisexuals - in order to get a fuller understanding. and if you can afford them, sensitivity readers are also an amazing resource!
in conclusion, i& #39;m grateful you read this thread & that you care enough to want to accurately represent us. do research, give bi characters as much nuance & personality as you give other characters, and your story will be amazing!
/fin but i will be linking further resources
/fin but i will be linking further resources
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BisexualityTropes">https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pm... a more in-depth list of bi tropes with examples. this website doesn& #39;t explicitly condemn the tropes, but please note that some of the tropes on this list are fine & and some are really bad. feel free to ask questions!
check out this thread for more opinions from bi people about the kind of rep we want to see! https://twitter.com/sapphicbisexual/status/1333103754288254977?s=20">https://twitter.com/sapphicbi...
check out this thread & qrts for cringey biphobic dialogue that should definitely be avoided! i think this is a great resource that shows what some of the biphobic pitfalls actually look like in books/tv https://twitter.com/sapphicbisexual/status/1336387754628878340?s=20">https://twitter.com/sapphicbi...
