You’re Misinterpreting What I Said: I'm Bisexual, Not Promiscuous

It’s not unusual for a bisexual woman to be unidentifiable at first glance.

And why should we be? There’s no uniform for nonconformity. Sexual orientation shouldn’t warrant a certain look or dress, or some occult tattoo. The entire point of embracing your sexuality is to live in your unapologetic truth. But I’ve had to stop talking to my friends about being interested in and attracted to women almost entirely

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Unfortunately for me, and many others, being open and honest doesn’t eliminate the longstanding cognitive dissonance that straight men experience when you try to inform them of this.

Just last week a guy friend of mine­—and I’m using the term "friend" very loosely— texts me and asks me if I’m bi, out of the blue, I might add. I quickly prepare for the f*ckery that is about to ensue and start to consider this a learning opportunity for my “friend.”

His response: I didn’t know you consider yourself that. I got somebody we can have fun with.

My first reaction isn’t visceral, although my temper was reaching a boil. I remained cool and politely began to educate him on all the ways that women do just fine enjoying sex in the absence of men. And then, I respectfully declined his offer and send him on his way with a “now go f*ck yourself, have a nice day” text.

My exchanges with straight women aren’t much better.

They assume that I must’ve had a threesome before, or I’m at least interested in having one. They want to know many girls I’ve been with, they may start scouring the room to identify what girl looks like my type, or feel compelled to ask about my religious beliefs. Or worse, they misinterpret me owning my sexuality as an invitation for them to “explore” their own sexuality using my body.

That’s no different than a man objectifying a woman. Lucky for them, I’m always available to help women identify when they’re operating from a heterosexist disposition.

I’ll admit: I once had a three-year on-again, off-again situationship with a woman.

She just so happened to also have an on-again, off-again boyfriend the entire time. She knew my family and friends. We’d go on trips, spend birthdays and holidays together. But after coming to the realization that she herself didn’t consider herself bisexual, and that she associated bisexuality as something to be ashamed of, the secrecy of it all began to smother me.

During that three-year time span, I dated a men. One of them, after learning I was bisexual, began thinking I would cheat on him with my then off-again girlfriend. I later determined it had nothing to do with me but that my sexuality in and of itself was an attack on his male ego. And the other decided that my being bisexual meant he was free to date and sleep with whomever. He tried to use my sexuality against me to argue this to his advantage.

The overarching theme in all of this?

Women should be allowed to own their sexuality without being deemed sexual deviants. It perpetuates the idea that there’s a “norm” to deviate from. I’m not knocking open relationships or promiscuity. Women should feel empowered in expressing their sexuality. But monogamy and bisexuality are not mutually exclusive. In the same way that women’s agency cannot be trivialized to the heterosexual women’s refusal to be objectified by men.

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The brain has a natural tendency to categorize people and things to make easier to understand, sure. But leaning on someone’s sexual orientation to determine his or her sexual behavior is a reach.

The notion that bisexual women are having twice the fun: false.

I can’t speak for all bisexual women but I haven’t had sex in as many moons as cats have lives, or 9 months in layman’s terms. If nothing else, take from this that being open to connecting and expressing a genuine interest in someone of the same sex is a far cry from being casual and unselective in a person’s approach to sex and relationships.

DeJanae Evins is a freelance writer and creative from Los Angeles who grew up in a very diverse community, with an insatiable curiosity about herself and the world. Putting the "nose" in nosey, she trusts her instincts to seek out stories, although, more often than not, her best stories are those inspired by her own experiences. She's a crystal-in-her-bra wearing, flexitarian with a mega-watt personality. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @dejanaetanye.