Modern History and "Labels"

Most people are unaware that the dichotomization and labeling of sexual orientation (homosexual-heterosexual) is a very recent historical phenomenon that came about in the 1800's. Prior to this time, sexual relations between people of the same and opposite genders was in many cultures the "accepted norm". In many areas of the world, sexual attraction and sexual relations between same-sex partners did not have "names" such as gay or bisexual, but were pervasively practiced and either openly or covertly sanctioned. Many of these same- sex relationships were on-going and happened simultaneously within the context of what we would call today a "heterosexual marriage".

Prior to the advent of "labeling", sexual relations were viewed as natural whatever the gender of the partner--particularly in cultures that were non Judeo-Christian. Sexual fluidity and flexibility were not seen as aberrant, sick, or pathological, but rather part of the normal range and variation of human sexual expression. It is indeed sad that in today's western industrialized cultures there is so much fear of what throughout history has been viewed as normative and non-threatening--even at times expected!


Life in the "GRAY ZONE"…..

Many people are uncomfortable, sometimes even hostile, due to the uncertainty that bisexuality engenders. This fear of ambiguity brings up a ton of unresolved feelings, both on an individual basis as well as societally. Bisexuals, or those individuals that prefer no labels, are, by their nature, more prone to viewing life through a prism that generally has a wider "panoramic" lens. Out of necessity, as bisexuals, we are typically more used to living in the what I call the "Gray Zone" ---verses the "black and white" duality or polarity that is a common "lens" for many who identify as monosexual (Straight or Gay).

Unfortunately, this unique ability to be flexible, adaptive, and fluid has been viewed by both straights and gays alike with suspicion, even derision----not seen as a strength, but rather a weakness to be "changed". Ironically, this capacity to be comfortable with diversity and range is, in many ways, much closer to what the natural sciences of physics and biology tell us about how the universe generally operates. Evolution and genetics are all about variation…..and bisexuality, similar to homosexuality, is yet another normal healthy variation along the sexual continuum.

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