Bisexual Culture

[veganbigmac]

I was on bialogue, a site that this one links to when I came across an interesting question.

"What is your opinion? Is there or can there be any such things as an actual world-wide Bisexual Community or Bisexual Culture? In your opinion, why or why not? LET US KNOW. --- Thank you"

While I think that there can be a bisexual community (I feel like I'm part of one by being here) I am not too sure about bisexual culture. I can't think of anything that can be said to be bisexual culture, because to me that would be something representative of all bi people, and I think we are simply too diverse a group to have something like that.

So I ask you, what do you think about the question above. Is there a bisexual culture, and what does it look like?

[Long Duck Dong]

looks in the petri dish.... there...... its bisexual culture....lol

honestly.... I am not aware of any bisexual culture outside of individual identity in groups.... like the emo bis and the goth bis etc etc..... i know, lousy examples but.......

most groups are based and emotions, thought and image, and the sexuality is incidental, more than the reverse of something like the bisexual culture like to wear the gay pride colors....listen to enya and queen.... drink pink marguaritas and walk around in slip on shoes and socks....lol

hey we could wear pink and purple * gangsta* rags and do drive by huggings....roflmao

sorry... poking the fun a lil too much....but indeed, most of my bi friends have similiar beliefs and views.... but they are all different...and there is no real shared culture between us....

[M. Wolfe]

"What is your opinion? Is there or can there be any such things as an actual world-wide Bisexual Community or Bisexual Culture? In your opinion, why or why not? LET US KNOW. --- Thank you"

I can't think of anything that can be said to be bisexual culture, because to me that would be something representative of all bi people, and I think we are simply too diverse a group to have something like that.

Is there a bisexual culture, and what does it look like?

I can't really see it being anything more than a tag-along bunch who attach themselves to the LGBT group mainly compromised of L & G. Yes, I'd agree that we are a diverse bunch making a distinct culture difficult to picture.

I just think that self-identifying bi people are to rare for a strong culture to ever develop. Are there any Bi-interesst magazines for instance? There must be.

[bityme]

"What is your opinion? Is there or can there be any such things as an actual world-wide Bisexual Community or Bisexual Culture? In your opinion, why or why not? LET US KNOW. --- Thank you"

While there is no standard definition of culture, it generally contains some variation of the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.

On the other hand, community involves how people structure the interrelationship between its members and their behaviors within that structure.

Given those two concepts, I suppose you could talk about the existence of a Bisexual Community, but I do not think we could identify a Bisexual Culture. I think the greatest impediment to the "culture" concept is the idea of passing values, customs, and behaviors from generation to generation through learning. While me may train our offspring to be tolerant and/or accepting of bisexuality, I have never heard of someone training their children to be bisexual. Indeed, if that were the case we would see even greater resistance to anything in the GLBT arena.

[nyabn_webmaster]

Yes, I'd agree that we are a diverse bunch making a distinct culture difficult to picture.

I just think that self-identifying bi people are to rare for a strong culture to ever develop.

The first thing I want to say is that my comments (um, err essay ?? LOL) here are primarily confined to people who are more or less "out" depending on the circumstances (and in some cases the safety factors) of where they live either "out" to themselves and their circle or firends or "out" to the entire whole wide world. I am not talking about the poor desperately frightened and unhappy closeted types sneaking around in misery and shame.

As someone who volenteers my time to the "Bisexual Community" I can tell you that not only do we have one, but that we even have subtle "regional variations" . . . . New England is not quite the same as Texas which is different than LA which is different that Australia which is different that Germany which is different than Holland which is different that the UK, and so forth and so on all around and around the entire world.

Also "culture" is not just wearing folk-costumes and eating traditional foods, nor is it all only learned at your grandfather's knee. Once you are no longer a child confined to your family's home and you begin moving out into the wider world there are all sorts of other "cultures" and "cultural influences" that effect a person and that a person becomes a part of. This can start in your school days where different schools have different fashions and customs and then extends to your work-life where entire Corporations have their own distinctive "culture".

But if we take a look at all human characteristics and then think of "Culture" as the Union and Intersection of Sets (why yes I am a Computer Programmer and Nerd and proud of it :bigrin:), then we can say in general that all "Bisexual Communities and Cultures" seem to share these characteristics:

MUCH less insular and narrow-minded than their straight compatriots. Obviously some of this provably from having your eyes opened to the idea that "Hey, prejudice is Bad, Mean and Hurtful --not to mention Idiotic . . . I mean you know YOU are just a regular guy/gal like everyone else . . . so if YOU'RE just a regular Joe or Josephine maybe EVERYONE is . . . " by suddenly finding yourself to be a member of a despised minority.

But I'm guessing it is also because since bisexual people come from all races, countries, creeds, social classes, whatever and interact with people across ALL the different sexual and gender identities it becomes hard to be ignorant about or even hate your fellow humans because they are "not like us" when your sleeping with them, (or at least talking away on chat rooms).

For example, even though you may live in Mountain Home NC USA, when the terrorist attack happened in Mumbai you are personally concerned because you were just chatting up the cute guy from India just the other day and when "swine" flu and an earthquake struck Mexico City all in one week, you worry about that beautiful Mexican girl you were flirting with, and so forth and so on.


Much less obsessed with "externals" than both the "straight" and "gay" cultures. I guess in some ways that's a no-brainier, I mean since we are not obsessed with people's plumbing, but it also seems to then seep down thru other things.

But I've also noticed that bisexual people seem to much more "go their own way" and are not as fashion and youth obsessed as gay men or straight women. And I have a feeling it is because bisexual men wander back and forth between straight men (some of whom in general don't care at all) and gay men (some of whom in general care too much). And bisexual women do the same but vise versa. In general many straight women worry a lot about getting older, not being dressed right, having the wrong shade of lipstick and all that while in general I think we can all agree that this is NOT a primary concern of the "Lesbian Nation" *rolls eyes*.

And IMHO I think that makes us some of the luckiest people on earth since nature and god/ess made it so that we march more to our own drummer in all things I think we are less "internally burdened" with the need to stay in lock-step with the herd. And let's face it for 99.9% of the people on earth it is literally impossible to live up to our particular society's dictates of the perfect looks, perfect fashion, perfect jobs, perfect houses, perfect everything. Since we literally cannot be that by our own nature people seems to quickly adopt a "what me worry?" approach to life which is freeing and refreshing.

From what I have seen most of us bisexual, fluid, pansexual type people have more interesting and individually fulfilling lives and not so much of that "living lives of quiet desperation stuff". And so THAT is what make up our "Bisexual Culture".


oh and in the USA at least, we also now all share the fact that for better or worse we have been blessed with the Rose, Lavender and Blue of our "Bi Pride Flag (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi_pride_flag)" :bibounce: , so we ALL seem to have a least a COUPLE of items, our myspace, pages, our blogs, hair-ribbons, ties, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, even some tattoos . . . whatever! decorated with that.



Are there any Bi-interesst magazines for instance? There must be.

Sadly hardcopy magazines and newspapers in the bisexual community just like in the general population seem to be going the way of the horse and buggy. But the good new is that in there place there are a bunch of lively online "magazines" and Blogs/Blogging Communities. This list is far from exhaustive and also is just the English-language ones:


BiMagazine (http://www.bimagazine.org/home/index.html) (the grandparent of them all and still going strong)
BiMedia (http://www.bimedia.org/) (UK but has international interest)
BiNet USA News and Opinions (http://binetusa.blogspot.com/) (USA but has international interest)
Bialogue (http://bialogue.livejournal.com/) (primarily political)
Bi Women's Newsletter (http://biwomenboston.org/newsletter/) (pretty self-explanatory)

And then we have our own more light-hearted somewhat gossipy, and celebrity chasing media obsessed Infotaiment ones:

Bisexuality Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-3366-Bisexuality-Examiner) - by perenial bi columnist & author Mike Szymanski
Bi Social News (http://bisocialnews.com/) - new and slick
Bidar (http://biwriters.livejournal.com/) one persons quirky bi verson of "Entertainment Tonight" meets "People Magazine"


and an entire list of "Bisexual Blogging Communities" some of whch can be found on this page here (http://www.nyabn.org/Pages/StayInTouch/StayInTouch.html).

[jem_is_bi]

[QUOTE=nyabn_webmaster;129911]I am not talking about the poor desperately frightened and unhappy closeted types sneaking around in misery and shame.


But if we seem to share these characteristics:

MUCH less insular and narrow-minded than their straight compatriots.

Much less obsessed with "externals" than both the "straight" and "gay" cultures. I guess in some ways that's a no-brainier, I mean since we are not obsessed with people's plumbing, but it also seems to then seep down thru other things.



oh and in the USA at least, we also now all share the fact that for better or worse we have been blessed with the Rose, Lavender and Blue of our[I] "[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi_pride_flag"]Bi Pride Flag


CONCERNING THE ABOVE STATEMENTS:

So, you are only narrow-minded about those of us who are not out and stereotype us as desperate, unhappy and frightened and full of shame?

You may not be obsessed with plumbing but clearly your bisexual pride obsession leaves you very narrow minded about the lives of very many other bisexual people.

By the way, Rose, Lavender and Blue? I do not feel blessed.
In my opinion, Rose, Lavender, and Blue flags are not helpful for gaining the respect of red, white and blue heterosexuals.
I identify myself as a responsible member of my family, as responsible member of my community, as an American and as a scientist striving to add to the knowledge of mankind and improve our lives. Whereas, being a bisexual is like breathing, absolutely necessary, but for me, I do not feel bad that I do not inform the world that I need to breath or that I like women but need sexually active with a man to live without regret.
If I am forced by circumstances to be out, my priorities will not change. I will not tolerate those who use my sexuality as an excuse to show disrespect, however, my claim for respect will not be based on my sexuality.

In summary, I applaud you for channeling so much energy for causes you perceive are important for bisexuals of the world, but I dislike your arrogance.

[nyabn_webmaster]

umm . . . erp???

I think you might be misinterpreting what I meant by that statement. I was referring to completely closeted people (even to themselves) who none the less might possibly bring themselves to sneak around on DL now and then.

By definition no one on THIS list would fit the definition since the people I am talking about would NEVER EVER even be on here and certainly not engaged in a conversation such as this discussion.

I hope that makes it clearer.

And I was (attenpting) being jocular about being "blessed" by the good old Rose, Lavender and Blue. Shh, don't tell anyone but I am not thrilled with those either, if for no other reason than I don't think they are as nice looking as the "rainbow flag".