User:Zy175311460/Bisexual theory

Background Knowledge of Bisexual

• Definition of Bisexual, Bisexuality is known as attraction to various genders. Individuals who identify as bisexual are attracted to both their gender and the other sex, whether romantically or sexually. Although this is a basic description, there are many different types of bisexuals. Regarding their sexual orientation, each person views things differently.

The difficulty of Bisexual Individuals and the way to help (MHS)

Bisexual people constitute the largest sexual minority group in North America and experience significant mental health disparities in comparison to heterosexuals, gays, and lesbians. Specifically, research has reported that compared with both heterosexual and gay/lesbian people, bisexuals experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, substance use, and self-harming behaviors

Even though LGB folks, especially bisexuals, deal with similar issues as everyone else, there are additional challenges for minority individuals. This psychologist, Meyer, came up with a model in 2003 to explain how these extra challenges, like stigma and discrimination, can create stressful situations for LGB people and affect their mental health. For bisexuals, it's not just about facing heterosexism and homophobia; they also have to deal with monoecism and biphobia. Monoecism is when people think being either completely gay or straight is better than other sexual orientations. Biphobia is the discrimination and prejudice specifically aimed at bisexuals. This kind of bias not only makes it harder for bisexuals to get support but is also present in social systems, including mental health services, which can keep these harmful attitudes going. Bisexuals often face more bias from mental health providers compared to gay and lesbian individuals, and they're more likely to say their mental health needs aren't being met. We don't know much about how bisexuals use mental health services, but in one study, almost half of the participants found these services(MHS) helpful. People had a good experience when their mental health provider acknowledged and understood bisexuality, saw it as normal, and knew a lot about it. But when their needs weren't met, the care felt wrong, or they faced prejudice, they stopped using the services.

Stereotypes and Challenges Faced by Bisexual Individuals Based on Gender

Stereotypes and obstacles specific to bisexual men and women differ. Bisexual women are frequently seen by others as being in an experimental phase or as seeking male attention. Words like "bisexual" and "lesbian until graduation" are reflections of these attitudes. The media frequently fetishizes female sexual conduct, and straight women may experience pressure to act bisexual in order to satisfy men's desires. Nonetheless, males are under pressure to conceal or minimize their same-sex attraction since male same-sex desire is frequently depicted negatively. Many believe that bisexual guys are hiding their actual gay inclination. Bisexual people, particularly males, are generally seen to be dishonest about their actual attraction, which feeds into discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community.

Biases and Misunderstandings about Bisexuality

Bisexuality may be ignored or dismissed by people due to prejudices, however, these theories haven't been well studied in much research. Monoecism, the idea that being attracted to just the same sex or the opposing sex is legitimate, is one possible source of this prejudice. This stems from a mindset that sees gender identity as permanent and unchangeable. Since bisexuality blurs these lines, some people may wish to eradicate it. However, bisexual men and women may be seen differently for reasons other than monoecism. Another contributing aspect can be androcentric, a prejudice that prioritizes males and masculinity. The idea that bisexual males are more drawn to fellow bisexual men and bisexual women are more drawn to men may result from this prejudice. In essence, individuals may presume that everyone feels the same way and is consequently more attracted to males if they place a higher value on men and masculinity than on women and femininity.

Challenges Faced by Bisexual Individuals in Research

Bisexuals deal with a lot of discrimination and pressure from both the straight and homosexual communities. Sadly, they receive less research than homosexuals and lesbians, and even when they do, their experiences are frequently combined with those of other people. Because bisexual persons have distinct experiences, this might result in erroneous inferences. For instance, compared to lesbian, gay, or straight persons, bisexuals had higher rates of anxiety and depression in an Australian survey. They also had greater identity confusion, were less supported by friends and family, and received less support from the community. To learn more about how bisexual persons manage these extra difficulties, more study is required.