Bisexuality isn’t a Myth

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A new study from Northwestern University may have dispelled previous assumptions about men and bisexuality. And while it’s surprising some researchers and critics of the LGBT community, anyone who calls himself “bi” will certainly not be shocked by the results. It’s what many men have been saying all along.

The study found specifically that men who say they are bisexual are, indeed, sexually aroused by both sexes, contradicting a study from just six years ago at the university that couldn’t determine with certainty that male bisexuality even exists.

Meanwhile, the guys who claim to be bisexual have long been considered closet queens. There’s been discrimination both in and outside the gay community. So does the new research give a little validation?

The New York Times thinks so.

The paper reports that male test subjects in the most recent study responded sexually to both men and women. In order to be part of the study, they also had to have had sexual experiences with at least two people of both sexes, as well as a romantic relationship for at least three months with one person of each sex. The Times says this is a vastly different approach from the earlier study, which recruited its subjects online and through gay publications and surveys.

In both studies, men watched videos of men and women having sex with sensors decoding their own nether regions to tell whether the action was “uplifting” or not. The researchers discovered that bisexual men are, indeed, turned on by both men and women, while gay and heterosexual men responded very differently.

“It’s great that they’ve come out with the affirmation that bisexuality exists,” Jim Larsen, chairman of the Bisexual Organizing Project, told the Times. “Having said that, they’re proving what we in the community already know. It’s insulting. I think it’s unfortunate that anyone doubts an individual who says, ‘This is what I am and who I am.'”

Either way, the report could do some good dispelling any myths about the LGBT community, which is a lot more complex than many people may sometimes want to admit. And to the bisexual guys out there, we welcome hearing your stories. Please email nmcdonald@phillymag.com if you’d like to share your thoughts and experiences (anonymously or otherwise).