FOURSIGHT
Exclusion zone
As Bisexual Awareness Week approaches, four bisexuals tell us if they feel accepted in 2023
Katie Baskerville (she/her) Freelance sex & health journalist
I came out (officially) in my late 20s and had a lot of stuff to work through. My internalised bi-phobia controlled how I felt about myself and how I thought the community saw me. The usual stuff: slutty, greedy, confused, a cheater. In all honesty, I was confused — but not about my identity. I was confused as to why being who I was was such a big deal, but I knew that being out would expose me to biphobic discourse surrounding threesomes and greediness. And I was proved right every time I’d pluck up the courage to tell a partner. I’d be met with: “Oh, you’re not going to leave me for a woman, are you?” or, “We should totally have a threesome.” Because of this, there have been times when I’ve felt incredibly lost and unsure of myself because of queer imposter syndrome. I feel accepted by some, but just knowing that there are entire groups inside and outside of the community with the fervent belief that I shouldn’t exist is a terrifying prospect. No one in 2023 should have to live with that. Bisexuality is a fully formed identity. It is not built on percentages that measure how gay or straight I am. I’m 100 per cent bisexual, and that’s OK.