Bisexual characters are getting featured more and more in pop culture, but often they choose not to label themselves. But, of course, since they are fictional characters they aren't making that choice for themselves. Many creators have been treating the word "bisexual" as if it's something that should be avoided like the plague. Orange is the New Black treats its bisexual main character as if she has a gay/straight switch in her brain, as does Dear White People with a minor character. In The 100, the main character's bisexuality is never mentioned by her or any other character. All three of these shows have had characters and creators suggest that labels are a bad thing, thus never uttering the scary 'B' word on screen. Thankfully, not all creators treat bisexuality this way and have their characters embrace their bisexuality. Here are four characters that actually use the word "bisexual" to describe their sexuality. Some spoilers below.
1. Darryl Whitefeather (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
Darryl is the head of the law firm that the main character works for and he is sweet, awkward, and just really wants to be everyone's friend. In the beginning of the series he is going through a divorce with his wife and then later discovers that he has feelings for a man. He comes to the realization that he is "bothsexual" and then sings a song about his bisexuality called "Gettin' Bi." In his coming out song he plays the sax in front of the bisexual pride flag and debunks some misconceptions about bisexuality with lyrics such as, "Being bi does not imply that you're a player or a slut."
2. Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy)
Dr. Calliope Torres, as I mentioned in a previous list, starts out married to a male character. Over the course of the series Callie realizes that she is also attracted to women. It takes awhile, but she eventually embraces the label of bisexuality. She has multiple male and female love interests. Unfortunately she does have to deal with some biphobia, but she goes through a realistic journey of realizing and embracing her bisexuality.
3. Magnus Bane (The Shadowhunter Chronicles, The Mortal Instruments, Shadowhunters)
Magnus Bane is a snarky warlock introduced in Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments. Magnus is shown having attraction to both men and women and is not afraid to call himself a “freewheeling bisexual.” He is portrayed in the movie by Godfrey Gao and Harry Shum Jr. in the show. The books make it clear that he is bisexual, particularly in his own book The Bane Chronicles
. The movie doesn’t have the time to explore his sexuality and I haven’t watched the show to know if he ever explicitly states his bisexuality, but it is explicitly stated in the books.4. Prodigy (Young Avengers)
David Alleyne is known as the super intelligent superhero Prodigy in the Young Avengers team. During his time with this team he reveals his feelings for one of male teammates, which leads to him coming out as bisexual. Aside from Prodigy, Kieron Gillen's run of Young Avengers actually has a mostly LGBT+ team including America Chavez, Kid Loki, and many other characters.
