Bisexual representation is nonexistent. And the weak scraps of representation we do get is often horrendously offensive, with either the bisexuality of a character being synonymous with thoughtless promiscuity or a character seeing the light and marrying a man. There's no problem with a bisexual person marrying a man, or doing whatever they please sexually, but when those tropes are the only ones being shown in the media, it presents huge issues. I remember a particularly painful conversation with a family member of mine one day after I had conjured the bravery to come out to her.
Her response?
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"Oh, you just haven't found the right man yet! Give it a couple more years, you're pretty enough." The ignorance of this statement has stuck with me. for years. Each part of it rubs me the wrong way, from the concept of a right man to the half-compliment on my appearance.
When a person says they are bisexual, that means they are attracted to two genders. This doesn't change if and when they get married, or if they date a person of a certain gender. If a bisexual woman dates a man, she is still bisexual. If a bisexual woman marries a genderqueer individual, she is still bisexual. If a bisexual man dates a man, he is still bisexual. The concept that marriage alters sexuality is frankly ridiculous.
The media likes to trick us into believing that a woman isn't bisexual if she marries a man. That her bisexuality was a either a phase or a facade. That said woman was either just confused, or is betraying her bisexuality. Or, even better, her bisexuality was just a cool trick to lure in guys.
All of these notions are both blatantly incorrect and deeply hurtful.
There is no such thing as "too straight" or "too gay" when it comes to bisexuality. Bisexuality can be and often is fluid. So, if you watch a movie where the leading bro magically turns a bisexual woman straight, feel free to vomit along with me.
