How bisexual men understand their bisexual identities

What is it about?

There has been significant shift in attitudes toward sexual minorities over the past 30 years, with increasing acceptance of non-marital and same-sex sexual acts. This article examines the impact of these changing norms on the ways in which 90 bisexual men identify. Recruiting men from the cities of Los Angeles, New York and London, it adopts a generational cohort design to examine how different age groups experience the trends differently. It finds palpable differences between generations, including that the youngest generation have little attachment to the identity of bisexuality, almost adopting a post-identity perspective. ‘Bisexuality’ is still a useful label and identity that these men inhabit and use, but there is no evidence to show it is the characteristic that defines their lives.

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Why is it important?

Our findings differ from much of the research on bisexuality, particularly that which focuses on the effects of societal biphobia and minority stress.