Bisexuality is a sexual orientation that is interested in both men and women. To some, this may sound like a superpower – double the romantic options means double the opportunities, right? In reality, though, bisexuality is a bit of an awkward identity. Bisexuals are not “straight,” so it’s hard to consider themselves in the majority when it comes to sexual orientation. On the other hand, they are often perceived as heterosexual, especially when they have heterosexual partners, which can sometimes make it difficult for them to feel connected to the LGBT community. Most importantly, bisexuality is vulnerable to serious misconceptions. There are many rumors and stereotypes surrounding bisexuality, some of which are even contradictory. Both heterosexuals and LGBT people can hold these stereotypes, making it even more difficult for bisexuals to integrate into both communities. Fortunately, more and more researchers have taken an interest in bisexuality in recent years, and research has improved our understanding of bisexuality. Here are three examples of how science can combat misconceptions about bisexuality: Rumor #1: Bisexuality doesn’t exist I find this rumor particularly funny: How can you tell a group of people that they don’t exist? But the idea that everyone is either heterosexual or homosexual is widely circulated, especially among men. Frustratingly, even in the most LGBT-tolerant circles, you sometimes hear the phrase “there’s no such thing as a bisexual man. In a recent study, researchers have debunked this myth once and for all. They gathered a number of heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual men and showed them several pornographic movie clips. The subjects were not only asked to assess their subjective feelings of arousal by the clips, but were also hooked up to physiological devices to measure changes in their penile girth (i.e., sexual arousal). As expected, heterosexual men had significantly higher subjective sensations and sexual arousal when viewing the female clips than when viewing the male clips, while the opposite was true for homosexual men. However, bisexual men were relatively similarly aroused by male and female images. They were also more aroused by bisexual videos – those starring two men and one woman – than the other two groups. Importantly, these differences were reflected both in their own reported arousal levels and in fairly objective data on sexual arousal. Thus, it is clear from this study that these people are not “pretending” to be bisexual. Rumor #2: Bisexuality is just a phase This rumor portrays bisexuality as an experimental phase or a state of confusion – usually occurring during college. Afterwards, bisexuals still determine their “true” identity (or decide whether they are straight or curvy). Lisa Diamond has done some very complex work on this topic, during which she has observed women’s gender identity over time. In one paper, she reports on a group of women she has been following closely for over a decade. The findings show unmistakably that bisexuality is not a transitional stage: only a very small percentage of women who were oriented as bisexual during adolescence changed their orientation to heterosexual or homosexual by the end of the study (only 8 percent). However, the orientation of bisexual women always changes over time. Over the ten-year study cycle, their level of interest in both genders kept fluctuating. Rumor #3: Bisexuals don’t stay faithful to their partners This rumor is probably the most pernicious of all. It stems from the idea that a partner cannot fully satisfy someone who is interested in both sexes. Some people feel that sooner or later they will crave someone of the opposite gender of their partner. For example, people tend to think that bisexuals are more likely to cheat on their partners than heterosexual and homosexual people. In fact, many bisexuals have happy one-on-one relationships with their partners. For example, by the end of Dr. Diamond’s ten-year study, a whopping 89% of bisexual women were in long-term monogamous relationships. In addition, regarding bisexuals who want multiple sexual partners, research shows that they often achieve this goal by negotiating an open relationship with their partner, rather than going around in private behind their partner’s back. I couldn’t find any research to support the idea that bisexuals are less faithful or honest than people of other sexual orientations. In conclusion, the future of the still small but growing field of research on bisexuality is bright. Not only has it dispelled many of the rumors and misconceptions surrounding bisexuality, but it has also provided interesting insights into sexual activity in general. Unlike other sources, such as pop culture or the media, scientific research considers bisexuality to be a relatively stable and persistent sexual orientation trait. More research is needed to more thoroughly understand the similarities between bisexuality and monogamy (aka heterosexuality and homosexuality), and its perhaps unique aspects.