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Religious Tolerance
Human sexuality · educational guide

Bisexuality deserves accurate, respectful context.

An introduction to bisexuality as a sexual orientation, including definitions, identity, common misunderstandings and the relationship between personal experience, culture and public life.

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Overview

What bisexuality means

Bisexuality is commonly understood as a sexual orientation involving attraction to more than one gender. People use the term in different ways, and their experiences may change in intensity or expression over time. There is no single pattern that every bisexual person must follow.

Sexual orientation, romantic attraction, sexual behavior and personal identity are related but not identical. A person may describe their orientation in one way while their relationships or past experiences appear different to others. Those outside observations do not determine the person’s identity.

Human attraction is more varied than a simple two-category model suggests. Some people use bisexual, pansexual, queer or another term; others do not use a label. Respectful discussion begins by allowing people to describe themselves in their own terms.

A note about terminology

Definitions can vary between communities, researchers and historical periods. This page uses broad educational language and does not treat one definition as the only legitimate account of bisexual experience.

Discrimination and public life

Bisexual people may encounter assumptions that they are confused, seeking attention, or required to choose one identity. Such assumptions can make people less visible and can affect relationships, health care, workplaces and access to equal treatment. A careful approach distinguishes personal identity from stereotypes and evaluates policies by their effects on people’s rights and dignity.

Historical reports linked from this section remain part of the archive. Their dates and original setting matter; readers should not assume that an older report describes every present-day circumstance.

Reading carefully

Three distinctions that help

Clear categories can support understanding, provided they are not used to police another person’s identity.

Orientation

A person’s enduring or developing pattern of attraction. It is not reliably inferred from a single relationship or from appearance.

Identity

The words a person chooses, if any, to describe themselves. Identity labels can be meaningful, practical, cultural or intentionally left open.

Behavior

Relationships and sexual experiences are part of a person’s history, but behavior alone does not define their orientation.

Reader guide

Frequently asked questions

Is bisexuality a distinct sexual orientation?

Yes. Bisexuality is widely recognized as a distinct orientation, although people and organizations may use different working definitions.

Does bisexuality require equal attraction to different genders?

No. Attraction does not need to be equal, fixed or expressed in the same way across a person’s life.

Can someone be bisexual without having had relationships with more than one gender?

Yes. Orientation concerns attraction and identity; relationship history does not serve as a required test.

Is bisexuality the same as being undecided?

No. Uncertainty and bisexuality are different experiences, though a person may explore language before settling on an identity or may prefer not to settle on one.

How should religious disagreement be discussed?

Discussion is more constructive when it separates theological interpretation from claims about people’s dignity, safety and equal treatment.

Where can I find related terms?

Use the glossary and the guide to potentially confusing terms.