Emily Kazyak
When Oregon Gov. Kate Brown came out as bisexual to her parents, they reportedly told her they wished she'd come out as a lesbian instead because it would be easier to understand and accept.
Such reactions are common, according to a new study co-authored by UNL sociologist Emily Kazyak. The study found that cultural perceptions and stereotypes have more impact on bisexuals' coming-out experiences than those of gays and lesbians.
Stereotypes of bisexuality are pervasive and often negative or over-sexualized, and most research ignores bisexual identity or lumps it together with gay and lesbian sexual identity, Kazyak said. So she and co-authors Kristin Scherrer of Metropolitan State University in Denver and Rachel Schmitz of UNL looked at how people who identified as bisexual might have different experiences when coming out.
"We know that there are certain stereotypes about bisexual identity that are different from gay and lesbian sexuality," Kazyak said. "Our hunch was that bisexual people really have a distinct experience in coming out to family members, given those stereotypes attached to bisexual identity."
Researchers interviewed 45 people who identified as bisexual and found that perceptions of how family members viewed bisexuality caused the interviewees to react in one of three ways: to not come out at all; to come out as gay or lesbian; or to come out as bisexual. Perceptions of bisexuality also affected to whom the person decided to come out, and how those family members responded.
Bisexual identity may be more difficult to accept because of monosexism, the belief that people can only be gay or straight, Kazyak said.
"We really have this sense that sexual orientation is something that is black and white and that you're either attracted to people of the opposite sex or you're attracted to people of the same sex," Kazyak said.
Such beliefs often leave bisexual identity open to re-interpretation and misunderstanding.
"Family members will say, 'Oh, it's just a phase,' or, 'You're confused,'" Kayzak said. "That's why a lot of people came out as gay or lesbian. They would say things like, 'I think this will be easier for my family members to understand.' They thought coming out as bisexual would be too confusing to their family."
While Kazyak had hypothesized that the experience of coming out would be different for bisexuals, she was surprised at how much stereotypes and perceptions mattered.
"We were struck by how much people really thought about this," Kazyak said. "People put a lot of thought and energy into how they were going to come out. It's not necessarily easier or harder to come out as bisexual, but there's a different set of negotiations that bisexual people have to go through."
The study was published in March in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Explore further: Shift to gay, lesbian, bisexual identities in early adulthood tied to depressive symptoms
More information: "Getting 'Bi' in the Family: Bisexual People's Disclosure Experiences." Mar 2015 in Journal of Marriage and Family. http://ift.tt/1FkyFds
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Emily Kazyak
When Oregon Gov. Kate Brown came out as bisexual to her parents, they reportedly told her they wished she'd come out as a lesbian instead because it would be easier to understand and accept.
Such reactions are common, according to a new study co-authored by UNL sociologist Emily Kazyak. The study found that cultural perceptions and stereotypes have more impact on bisexuals' coming-out experiences than those of gays and lesbians.
Stereotypes of bisexuality are pervasive and often negative or over-sexualized, and most research ignores bisexual identity or lumps it together with gay and lesbian sexual identity, Kazyak said. So she and co-authors Kristin Scherrer of Metropolitan State University in Denver and Rachel Schmitz of UNL looked at how people who identified as bisexual might have different experiences when coming out.
"We know that there are certain stereotypes about bisexual identity that are different from gay and lesbian sexuality," Kazyak said. "Our hunch was that bisexual people really have a distinct experience in coming out to family members, given those stereotypes attached to bisexual identity."
Researchers interviewed 45 people who identified as bisexual and found that perceptions of how family members viewed bisexuality caused the interviewees to react in one of three ways: to not come out at all; to come out as gay or lesbian; or to come out as bisexual. Perceptions of bisexuality also affected to whom the person decided to come out, and how those family members responded.
Bisexual identity may be more difficult to accept because of monosexism, the belief that people can only be gay or straight, Kazyak said.
"We really have this sense that sexual orientation is something that is black and white and that you're either attracted to people of the opposite sex or you're attracted to people of the same sex," Kazyak said.
Such beliefs often leave bisexual identity open to re-interpretation and misunderstanding.
"Family members will say, 'Oh, it's just a phase,' or, 'You're confused,'" Kayzak said. "That's why a lot of people came out as gay or lesbian. They would say things like, 'I think this will be easier for my family members to understand.' They thought coming out as bisexual would be too confusing to their family."
While Kazyak had hypothesized that the experience of coming out would be different for bisexuals, she was surprised at how much stereotypes and perceptions mattered.
"We were struck by how much people really thought about this," Kazyak said. "People put a lot of thought and energy into how they were going to come out. It's not necessarily easier or harder to come out as bisexual, but there's a different set of negotiations that bisexual people have to go through."
The study was published in March in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Explore further: Shift to gay, lesbian, bisexual identities in early adulthood tied to depressive symptoms
More information: "Getting 'Bi' in the Family: Bisexual People's Disclosure Experiences." Mar 2015 in Journal of Marriage and Family. http://ift.tt/1FkyFds
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Shift to gay, lesbian, bisexual identities in early adulthood tied to depressive symptoms
People whose sexual identities changed toward same-sex attraction in early adulthood reported more symptoms of depression in a nationwide survey than those whose sexual orientations did not change or changed in the opposite ...
Bisexual women have worse mental health than lesbians in the UK
Bisexual women are more likely to experience poor mental health and mental distress than lesbians, according to new research published in the Journal of Public Health.
Study highlights motherhood complexities for gay, bisexual women
In the popular narrative, motherhood among lesbians or bisexual women is usually viewed in one of two ways: non-existent, or seeking evidence of a lesbian baby boom.
Considerable gender, racial and sexuality differences in attitudes toward bisexuality
Men who identify themselves as heterosexual are three times more likely to categorize bisexuality as "not a legitimate sexual orientation," an attitude that can encourage negative health outcomes in people who identify as ...
It may not 'get better' for bisexual teens
The "It Gets Better" Project was launched in 2010 as an attempt to address suicides amongst lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual teens by recording online reminders that their lives will improve as they ...
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While other studies have shown that stress and negative marital quality can influence mortality and blood pressure, there has not been research that discussed how it might affect married couples over time. Using systolic ...
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