Bi Erasure: Bisexual Invisibility, Invalidity, and Identity Recognition

Examples include saying:

• “You are dating a man, so you are straight.”
• “You are dating a woman, so you must be a lesbian.”
• “Bisexuality is only a phase.”
• “You eventually have to choose one side.”

These statements erase a bisexual person’s identity by treating their current relationship, sexual history, or partner’s gender as proof of a different orientation.

It may involve:

• refusing to recognize bisexuality as a valid orientation;
• labeling bisexual people according to their current partner;
• assuming bisexual people are actually gay or heterosexual;
• leaving bisexuality out of LGBTQ+ discussions;
• treating bisexual identity as confusion;
• using research categories that force people into only heterosexual or homosexual groups.

Sometimes erasure happens intentionally. In other cases, it results from social assumptions that attraction must be exclusively toward one gender.

For example:

• a bisexual woman dating a man can still be bisexual;
• a bisexual man dating a man can still be bisexual;
• a bisexual person who is single can still be bisexual.

Sexual orientation concerns patterns of attraction and identity, not only present relationship status.

This distinction is important because many bisexual people experience repeated mislabeling depending on whom they are dating.

Bi erasure is a specific form of invalidation in which bisexuality is denied, ignored, or made invisible.

For example:

• saying bisexual people are untrustworthy is biphobic;
• saying bisexuality does not exist is bi erasure.

The two often overlap.

Repeated erasure can reinforce biphobia by making bisexual identities appear less legitimate or socially visible.

Bisexual people may sometimes be told that they are:

• not “queer enough”;
• secretly heterosexual;
• actually gay or lesbian;
• less committed to LGBTQ+ communities.

A bisexual person in a different-gender relationship may be assumed to have left the LGBTQ+ community.

This overlooks the fact that bisexual identity does not disappear when relationship circumstances change.

Inclusive LGBTQ+ spaces recognize bisexuality as a distinct and valid orientation.

This may reduce exposure to certain forms of discrimination in some settings.

However, the same assumption can produce bi erasure.

A person may simultaneously experience:

• reduced visible stigma;
• identity invisibility;
• lack of recognition;
• pressure not to disclose bisexuality.

Privilege and erasure can therefore occur at the same time.

A bisexual person may feel that:

• their partner does not believe their orientation;
• others see their relationship as proof against bisexuality;
• they must constantly explain or defend their identity.

Repeated invalidation may contribute to:

• frustration;
• isolation;
• self-doubt;
• identity concealment;
• internalized biphobia.

Not every bisexual person experiences these effects in the same way, but recognition and respectful communication can reduce unnecessary identity-related stress.

A clinician may wrongly assume that a patient’s sexual orientation can be determined from the gender of their current partner.

This can lead to inaccurate assumptions about:

• sexual behavior;
• STI risk;
• contraception needs;
• reproductive health;
• relationship history.

Healthcare should therefore distinguish sexual orientation from specific sexual behaviors.

Research can also contribute to erasure when bisexual participants are automatically grouped with gay, lesbian, or heterosexual populations without acknowledging bisexual-specific experiences.

• confused;
• undecided;
• secretly gay;
• temporarily experimenting;
• heterosexual once they enter a different-gender relationship.

Another form of erasure occurs when a character clearly experiences attraction to more than one gender but is never allowed to identify as bisexual.

Positive representation does not require every bisexual character to behave the same way.

Bisexual people can have different relationship styles, personalities, and sexual histories.

A bisexual person may begin thinking:

• “Maybe I am not really bisexual.”
• “I need experience with multiple genders to prove it.”
• “My identity does not count because of my partner.”
• “I should choose a different label.”

Bisexuality does not require:

• equal attraction to all genders;
• relationships with multiple genders;
• a particular sexual history;
• ongoing attraction at the same intensity.

A person does not need to prove their orientation through behavior.

Bi erasure only comes from heterosexual people.
No. It can also occur within LGBTQ+ communities.

Bisexual people must have dated multiple genders.
No. Relationship experience is not required to validate an orientation.

Bi erasure and biphobia are exactly the same.
No. Bi erasure is one specific way bisexuality can be invalidated.

Bisexuality means equal attraction to men and women.
No. Attraction can vary in intensity, type, and gender.

Being assumed heterosexual is always beneficial.
No. It may reduce some discrimination while also producing invisibility and identity erasure.

1. Bi erasure occurs when bisexuality is ignored or treated as invalid.
2. Calling a bisexual woman heterosexual because she dates a man is an example of bi erasure.
3. Bi erasure can occur within both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ communities.
4. A person’s current partner does not determine their sexual orientation.
5. Repeated bi erasure may contribute to internalized biphobia.
6. Healthcare professionals should avoid assuming orientation from partner gender.
7. Passing privilege and bi erasure can occur at the same time.
8. Understanding bi erasure helps explain bisexual invisibility, stigma, identity invalidation, and minority stress.

It can also interact with gender because bisexual people are often labeled differently depending on their own gender and the gender of their partner.

An inclusive approach recognizes bisexuality as a valid sexual orientation regardless of current relationship status, sexual history, degree of attraction, or public visibility. Respecting a person’s self-described orientation helps reduce erasure, stigma, and unnecessary pressure to prove or simplify their identity.