Inside this principal paradigm of monogamy, depictions of figures who possess serial, monogamous relationships with women and men are hardly ever read as bisexual since their previous relationships ( having a gender that is particular are dismissed as maybe perhaps not significant. a classic illustration of this really is Willow (Alyson Hannigan) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that is depicted as straight for the first couple of periods, during which time she’s a relationship with boyfriend Oz (Seth Green), and upon entering a relationship with Tara (Amber Benson) is afterwards depicted as a lesbian. Her previous relationships with and curiosity about guys becomes re written as “not real” (or perhaps not as as “real” as her newfound love that is lesbian and therefore any possible bisexuality is erased.

Too frequently bisexual exposure requires people to locate relationship histories which subvert the principal ideals of monogamy, regardless of if they on their own are regularly monogamous. Alan Cumming, bi and actor advocate, stated in a job interview on NPR’s oxygen in 2014:

“I had previously been married to a female. Before that we had possessed a relationship with a guy. Then I had another relationship with a lady, and I also ever since then have experienced relationships with males. We still would define myself as bisexual partly because that’s how personally i think but additionally it’s important to I think sexuality in this country especially is seen as a very black and white thing, and I think we should encourage the gray because I think. You realize?”

I happened to be struck, looking over this estimate, by simply just exactly how familiar this type of bisexual storytelling is. I’ve told a form of this story myself whenever speaking about my bisexuality, and heard it from buddies and strangers alike. Read more