There Is Nothing Transphobic About Bisexuality

Firstly, bisexuality is not “the attraction to both men and women”. That would be problematic as it completely ignores everyone outside the gender binary. And that’s the main problem most uninformed people (read: biphobes) seem to have with it.

Yes, we know that the latin root word “bi” means “two”. This is not some new groundbreaking discovery. The word “bisexual” was actually originally used to refer to intersex people, primarily those with who possessed two distinctly different sex characteristics. It was in 1892 that Charles Gilbert Chaddock, an American neurologist, used the term “bisexual” to describe someone who was sexually attracted to both men and women. So yes, in terms of sexual orientation, “bisexual” definitely started out not being inclusive of people outside the gender binary. But this is the 21st century and believe it or not, as perspectives and experiences and the human knowledge base grow and change and become more inclusive, so does the language we use. How about that! Now, bisexuality is inclusive of all genders with its most accurate definitions of “attracted to two or more genders”, or the one I prefer, “attracted to the same and other genders”.

So now that we’re done with the little history lesson, let’s talk about the accusations that bisexuality is transphobic somehow.

EVEN IF bisexuality meant “attracted to both men and women” (which it doesn’t), the only way that definition could be transphobic is if we were saying that transgender men and transgender women were in some obscure, outside gender category separate from “men and women”. If I say I’m bisexual, and you say “Well what about transgender people!?”…..are you saying that a transgender woman is not a woman? There is not some secret cisgender stipulation when I say I’m attracted to women. If I say I’m attracted to women, I’m talking about ALL women. To assume otherwise is cisnormative, transphobic, and really fucking gross. And the people who do put cisgender stipulations on their sexual orientation are gross, I don’t care how much shit I get for saying that. Someone go ahead and message me about it, I fucking dare you. You will get shut the fuck down.

So, long story short…the people who say bisexuality is transphobic are in fact uninformed douchebags and likely transphobic themselves.