What Is “Biphobia”?
Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪ.foʊ.bi.ə/
Part of Speech: Noun
Grammatical Formation:
- “Bi-” (relating to two or bisexuality) + “-phobia” (fear or aversion)
- Uncountable noun: Biphobia affects many bisexual people in daily life.
Definition:
Biphobia refers to fear, prejudice, mistrust, or negative attitudes toward bisexual people—individuals who are romantically or sexually attracted to more than one gender. It can be expressed through stereotypes, denial of bisexuality’s legitimacy, or exclusion from LGBTQ+ and heterosexual spaces.
Synonyms:
anti-bisexual bias, bisexual prejudice, sexuality-based discrimination
Antonyms:
acceptance, bisexual-affirming, inclusivity, open-mindedness
Related Terms:
homophobia, transphobia, monosexism, pansexuality, bisexual erasure, queerphobia
Simple Explanation:
Biphobia happens when someone treats bisexual people unfairly or says hurtful things about them because of who they’re attracted to. It includes stereotypes like “they’re just confused” or “they can’t be faithful.”
Common Collocations:
- internalized biphobia
- casual biphobia
- biphobic comments
- fight biphobia
- biphobia in media
Sample Sentences:
- Many bisexual people experience biphobia from both straight and gay communities.
- His joke about bisexuals being indecisive was biphobic.
- Internalized biphobia can make someone doubt their own identity.
- We must challenge biphobia in pop culture and stop erasing bisexual characters.
- Her efforts to educate others about biphobia made a real difference.
Idiomatic or Cultural Usage:
- “Call out biphobia” – to confront or point out anti-bisexual remarks.
- “Biphobic microaggressions” – subtle yet harmful comments like “it’s just a phase.”
- “Biphobia within the LGBTQ+ community” – addressing prejudice even within marginalized groups.
Does “Biphobia” Have a Relationship to Sexuality?
✅ Yes. Absolutely.
Biphobia directly relates to sexual orientation. It targets people who identify as bisexual or express attraction to more than one gender. While it overlaps with broader LGBTQ+ discrimination, biphobia has distinct features, such as invisibility or dismissal of bisexuality as a “real” identity.