In 1996 Dr. Fritz Klein launched a website called bisexual.org. The goal of the site was to create an online hub for the bisexual community. It was a place to find news, access bi resources, create community, and feel connected in a world where bisexuality was generally erased. Since that time, bi.org has grown and evolved along with the internet and the bi community itself.
We will always seek to explore topics from a perspective grounded in empirical science and in a manner that is as accessible as possible to our diverse audience. Visitors come to this site from all over the world. Many are English learners, many do not have educational privilege, many come from and live in conservative, religious, or traditional environments that are not open to the bolder claims of Queer Theorists. That may mean that the views you learned in college or through your favorite app are not presented here as you are used to hearing them. We invite you to approach these summaries with an open mind, taking a moment when you feel discomfort to ask yourself how and why you may feel vested in limiting the broadness and inclusivity inherent in bisexuality. We firmly believe that when you embrace that broadness and inclusivity, most, if not all, of the controversies and arguments that people have around these topics will fall away and make room for the love and sense of connectedness that we like to think is at the root of all sexuality.
First and foremost we are here to tell you that bisexuality is completely "normal" and "natural". While the word "bisexual" (as a sexual orientation) was first coined in 1892, the attractions and behaviors the word describes have been around for at least as long as there have been humans. Please know that it is very possible to be bi and lead a healthy, happy, and fruitful life. At the most basic level this all you need to know.
In 1996 Dr. Fritz Klein launched a website called bisexual.org. The goal of the site was to create an online hub for the bisexual community. It was a place to find news, access bi resources, create community, and feel connected in a world where bisexuality was generally erased. Since that time, bi.org has grown and evolved along with the internet and the bi community itself.
Although much has changed since the mid-1990s, one thing has remained constant: people have questions about bisexuality. While we live in an era where we have access to more information than ever before, that doesn't always mean finding solid answers has become easier. For the most part, the internet has been a positive force for society, particularly for LGBTI people, as it has allowed us to overcome social isolation, organize, and educate ourselves even in environments that are hostile to our very existence. However, there are also downsides to the Information Age. Social Media algorithms, by design, isolate us in echo chambers where people either agree with us or are easily demonized and "othered" by us.
People like to belong to groups, the feeling of belonging keeps us glued to our screens and increases corporate profits, but unfortunately, it appears to be part of human nature that we often create our sense of group belonging by developing a sense of superiority over people who are somehow different, whether it's how they look, where they live, or the beliefs they hold. With notable exceptions, location and looks are often rendered irrelevant online; as a result, the forums through which most of us consume ever-increasing amounts of information have a tendency to divide people along ideological lines. Within these spaces, ideas that used to be considered fringe because they are not backed by evidence, don't speak to most people's lived experience, or are otherwise esoteric can quickly become unquestioned assumptions or even dogma.
In today's online environment of radicalized echo chambers, it is very easy to get confused by the contradictory information available in different corners of the internet. With this edition of bi.org, we decided to create a space intended to rise above the noise of sectarianism and controversy in order to engage — unflinchingly — with some of the most frequent discussions around bisexuality, dispel myths, and offer balanced, reasoned understandings of these topics.
But let's be honest. These topics can become complicated; they are nuanced, and there are many different perspectives from which to view them. We believe it is important to embrace that complexity and learn to be comfortable with it. Indeed, we see that as the wisdom that bisexuality itself has to offer; life itself is ambiguous and often does not offer clear, tidy answers — as convenient as it would be if it did. Bisexuality is a broad, inclusive term that describes a wide range of attractions, behaviors, and identities. While no sexual orientation should be viewed as a tight box that narrowly defines people, bisexuality is an especially broad and malleable category because by definition it does not rely upon a dividing line between sexes or genders. For many people who are not bisexual, that is profoundly disorienting — if not inconceivable. Indeed, it is a primary reason why there are so many widespread misconceptions about bisexuality.
We will always seek to explore topics from a perspective grounded in empirical science and in a manner that is as accessible as possible to our diverse audience. Visitors come to this site from all over the world. Many are English learners, many do not have educational privilege, many come from and live in conservative, religious, or traditional environments that are not open to the bolder claims of Queer Theorists. That may mean that the views you learned in college or through your favorite app are not presented here as you are used to hearing them. We invite you to approach these summaries with an open mind, taking a moment when you feel discomfort to ask yourself how and why you may feel vested in limiting the broadness and inclusivity inherent in bisexuality. We firmly believe that when you embrace that broadness and inclusivity, most, if not all, of the controversies and arguments that people have around these topics will fall away and make room for the love and sense of connectedness that we like to think is at the root of all sexuality.
First and foremost we are here to tell you that bisexuality is completely "normal" and "natural". While the word "bisexual" was first coined in 1892, the attractions and behaviors the word describes have been around for at least as long as there have been humans. Please know that it is very possible to be bi and lead a healthy, happy, and fruitful life. At the most basic level this all you need to know.