I present it here for consideration by my readers.
The huge majority of straight people retain a great deal of ignorance about bisexuality, often viewing it as homosexuality minus the personal integrity of complete honesty. They cling to stereotypes that bisexual people are untrustworthy, dishonest, promiscuous, insatiable, and generally up to no good. A few straight people immediately cast any bisexual persons they know into the traditional role of villain. They may change their mind if they get to know the person better, or they may not...
If the straight community is rife with ignorance and reliance on stereotypes, the gay community's reaction can be much more variable. Some gay people understand bisexuality very well and treat bi people and their differences with respect. Others fall back on the same old stereotypes. There are also a few gay people who think of bisexual folks in the gay community as spies or traitors whose real allegiance is to the straight mainstream culture.
It seems that a few gay people are engaged in a game of transference, where they take the stereotypes for homosexuality and mentally move the most onorous to bisexuals. Bisexual people have even been accused of being responsible for AIDS, for instance, as if it were a given that bisexual people are promiscuous and dishonest about their HIV status while gay people are the opposite. Some gays also assume that bisexual people have no interest in gay rights, and may argue that bi people should be relegated to the sideline of the gay rights movement so their differences do not cloud the 'real' issues...
In a sense, bisexuality is a relatively invisible orientation. A person who assumes everyone is straight or gay can get away with it much of the time. But this is changing. While bi people have always been active in the fight for gay rights, the past two decades have marked a change. Most gay rights groups now acknowledge the existence of bi members in their group, sometimes by adding the word bisexual or the letter B to their name.
Bisexual people are also coming out in increasing numbers. As with homosexuality, they are finding that straight and gay people who have multiple bisexual friends and acquaintances are more accepting and less prejudiced. There is, after all, strength in numbers.
Finally, there is a growing awareness that bisexual people have a unique perspective on gender roles, gay rights, and other issues pertaining to sexual orientation. While the mass media may not have caught on in most areas, more and more individuals are recognising that bi people are neither gay, nor straight, nor something in between. They are themselves, and they are worthwhile in their own right.
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