Society has made some progress with the acceptance of different sexualities, but we still have a long way to go. Transphobia, as well as homophobia, have been a recent topic of discussion and difficulty. Some people think that just because same-sex marriage was legalized by the supreme court in June of 2016 we can all stop discussing the issue of homophobia in America. Well, I can tell you that we are far from leaving this discussion, especially now in light of the Orlando shooting. But what I want to talk about right now is another problem the LGBTQ community is currently facing and that is the hypersexualization of bisexual women.
A huge problem that bisexual women face is being hypersexualized both in the real world and through the media. Some people seem to think that bisexuality isn't a real thing. Rather, it's just a 'phase' or 'confusion.' This then leads to the problem of men thinking they can use this to their advantage. I've heard men say things to bisexual women that follow somewhere along the lines of, "Maybe I can set you straight. Just let me try." or "Can I watch?" Again, this stems mostly from the media portraying bisexual women as purely sexual creatures who are there for pleasure only.
We need to look stop looking at sexuality as if we are all in a college fraternity movie because we are not. We live in the real world, dealing with real people who have real feelings. I can guarantee you that any sexual comment you have made to a bisexual women has not made her feel confident or good about herself. If anything, it will make her feel alienated and embarrassed.
How do we stop this problem? First of all, stop believing what the media is telling you about bisexuality among females. Bisexual women are not all having a sleepover in their underwear, having a pillow fight in front of a camera. Although, if you are a bisexual woman reading this who does that, more power to you. My point is, if a woman tells you she is bisexual don't let your mind go there. Instead treat her like an actual person and be respectful. Don't ask questions unless they are respectful and out of genuine concern. Don't use that person as a fantasy topic. Their sexuality is a part of who they are as a human being. Their sexuality is personal. And frankly, it's none of your damn business.
