![Bisexual men](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Bisexual_men.jpg)
The portrayals of
bisexuality
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
in the
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
reflect
societal attitudes towards bisexuality in the
existing media portrayals. Throughout history,
numerous bisexual characters have appeared in
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
, including
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
s,
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
,
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
and web series, along with
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
,
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
,
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
, and other mediums.
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
is a
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
that refers to the romantic and/or
sexual attraction
Sexual attraction is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest. Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal is an individual's ability to attract other people sexually, and is a factor in sexual selection or ma ...
towards people of more than one gender (historically towards men and women). Bisexual characters have been featured in animation and anime for years. Despite this representation, "not all queer presentation" is created equal as one scholar noted, with representation of bisexual and transgender characters lagging behind lesbians and gay men in some respects, with this representation important in the
U.S. political climate while GLAAD called for Hollywood to produce more films with LGBTQ characters.
Film
In a 2002 report analyzing bisexuality in various mediums, specifically movies, television, and music,
GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
criticized the track record of the
movie industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...
in the United States, when it came to representation, and inclusion, of bisexuality, stating that often bisexual content is either "removed from novels that films are based on," removed from original screenplays when filming begins, or is taken out on the
cutting room floor
The term cutting room floor is used in the film industry as a figure of speech referring to unused or scrapped footage not included in the finished film. Outside of the film industry, it may refer to any creative work unused in the final product. ...
.
This report praised the films ''
Flirting With Disaster'' (1996), ''
My Own Private Idaho
''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''Henry V''. The story follows two friends, Mike ...
'' (1991), ''
The Color Purple
''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. '' (1985), ''
French Twist'' (1995), ''
Rocky Horror Picture Show
''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also a ...
'' (1975), and ''
Henry & June
''Henry & June'' is a 1990 American biographical drama film directed by Philip Kaufman, and starring Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, and Maria de Medeiros. It is loosely based on the posthumously published 1986 Anaïs Nin book of the same name, and ...
'' (1990) for being "fair, accurate and inclusive" when it came to bisexual characters. However, the film ''
Basic Instinct
''Basic Instinct'' is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wea ...
'' (1992) was described as "one of the worst examples of
biphobia
Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality and bisexual people as individuals. It is a form of homophobia against those in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative ste ...
ever put on a screen" while ''
Inside Daisy Clover
''Inside Daisy Clover'' is a 1965 American drama film based on Gavin Lambert's 1963 novel of the same name, directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Natalie Wood. It follows a tomboy becoming a Hollywood actress and singer.
Plot
In 1936 Santa Mon ...
'' (1965) and ''
Spartacus
Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...
'' (1960) were criticized for their removal of scenes with "bisexual content." ''Basic Instinct'' also received controversy from the
bisexual community for portraying a bisexual as a psychopathic killer.
In 2005, the site ''Out Films'', listed 10
Hollywood films which they felt had the best bisexual representation. Apart from ''
My Own Private Idaho
''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''Henry V''. The story follows two friends, Mike ...
'', which GLAAD had listed in their report, the site listed nine other films: ''
Kissing Jessica Stein
''Kissing Jessica Stein'' is a 2001 American independent romantic comedy film, written and co-produced by the film's stars, Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen. The film also stars Tovah Feldshuh and is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. I ...
'' (2001), ''
De-Lovely'' (2004), ''
Water Drops on Burning Rocks
''Water Drops on Burning Rocks'' (french: Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes) is a 2000 French romantic comedy drama film directed by François Ozon, based on Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play ''Tropfen auf heiße Steine''. The plot concerns a 5 ...
'' (2004), ''
Sunday, Bloody Sunday'' (1971), ''
Midnight Cowboy
''Midnight Cowboy'' is a 1969 American drama (film and television), drama film, based on the 1965 Midnight Cowboy (novel), novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars ...
'' (1969), ''
Kinsey'' (2004), ''
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
'' (1972), ''
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...
'' (2001), and ''
Midnight Express'' (1978).
In 2018, the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
argued that bisexuals are often not explored in cinema, with the worse examples of films being "downright squeamish about their characters’ bisexuality." They noted this was the case in films such as ''
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
'' (2004), ''
Caligula
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...
'' (1978), and ''
Skyfall
''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villai ...
'' (2012), and added that bisexual women are "even less visible in Hollywood films," apart from ''
Young Man with a Horn'' (1950). As such, BFI criticized portrayals in films like ''
The Fox'' (1967) and ''
Gia
''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' (1998). The Institute further notes films, including those not bisexual "in the conventional sense," where characters enjoy "sex with men and women," apart from those noted by GLAAD and Out Films: ''
Sex in Chains
''Sex in Chains'' (german: Geschlecht in Fesseln – Die Sexualnot der Strafgefangenen) is a 1928 silent film directed by William Dieterle.
Plot
The film opens with Franz Sommer (Dieterle) and his newlywed wife, Helene ( Mary Johnson). They are ...
'' (1928), ''
Les Biches
''Les biches'' () ("The Hinds" or "The Does", or "The Darlings") is a one-act ballet to music by Francis Poulenc, choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska and premiered by the Ballets Russes on 6 January 1924 at the Salle Garnier in Monte Carlo. Ni ...
'' (1968), ''
Theorem
In mathematics, a theorem is a statement that has been proved, or can be proved. The ''proof'' of a theorem is a logical argument that uses the inference rules of a deductive system to establish that the theorem is a logical consequence of th ...
'' (1968), ''
Score'' (1974), ''
The Comedian'' (2012), and ''
Appropriate Behavior
''Appropriate Behavior'' is a British-produced comedy film set in New York City, which premiered on 18 January 2014 at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Desiree Akhavan, the film—Akhavan's feature directorial debut—stars ...
'' (2014). The same year, Ariel Sobel, in an article in ''
The Advocate'', praised
Rooney Mara
Patricia Rooney Mara ( ; born April 17, 1985) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, ...
in ''
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (original title in sv, Män som hatar kvinnor , lit=''Men Who Hate Women'') is a psychological thriller novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson (1954–2004). It was published posthumously in 2 ...
'' (2011) for portraying "the ultimate queer superhero" and called her character,
Lisbeth Salander
Lisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson in his award-winning ''Millennium'' series. She first appeared in the 2005 novel '' The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', as an asocial computer hacke ...
, "a testament to the brilliance of bisexual women."
Sobel also pointed to ''
Tully'' (2018) as a film about "a woman who happens to be queer" and argued that it "showcases how LGBTQ people go through all sorts of milestones," then experiencing them.
In February 2020,
Pride.com
Here Media Inc. is an LGBT-oriented media company. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company produces and distributes niche content focused on LGBT consumers.
History
Here Media was founded in 2009 by Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow when He ...
said that while corporations "seem content to live in their heteronormative worlds," sources reported that Sony was creating a live-action movie with
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
as bisexual and having a boyfriend.
In September 2020, Zachary Zane and Adrianna Freedman concluded in an article in ''
Men's Health
''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands.
Started as a men's health magazine by Rodale, Inc. ...
'' that it is "not easy to find a movie with bisexual characters," especially not easy to find one "that offers a positive and authentic depiction of bisexuality," saying this is terrible for bisexual people. As such, the article pointed to 16 films which have done a great "or at least reasonably decent" job at depicting bisexuality, most of which had not been highlighted by GLAAD or Out Films: ''
Atomic Blonde
''Atomic Blonde'' is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by David Leitch (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, based on the 2012 graphic novel ''The Coldest City'' by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The f ...
'' (2017), ''
Booksmart
''Booksmart'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman. It stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as two grad ...
'' (2019), ''
Call Me By Your Name Call Me by Your Name may refer to:
* ''Call Me by Your Name'' (novel), a 2007 novel by André Aciman
* ''Call Me by Your Name'' (film), a 2017 film based on the novel, directed by Luca Guadagnino
** '' Call Me by Your Name: Original Motion Pictur ...
'' (2017), ''
Imagine Me and You
''Imagine Me & You'' is a 2005 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Ol Parker and starring Piper Perabo and Lena Headey with Matthew Goode, Celia Imrie, and Anthony Head. It centers on the relationship between Rachel (Perabo) and ...
'' (2005), ''
Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by O ...
'' (2005), ''
Behind the Candelabra
''Behind the Candelabra'' is a 2013 American biographical drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh. It dramatizes the last ten years in the life of pianist Liberace and the relationship that he had with Scott Thorson. It is based on Thorson's ...
'' (2013), ''
Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
'' (2018), and ''
Dare'' (2009). However, one of their selections, ''
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack ...
'' (2018), was criticized for its portrayal of Mercury's sexuality and use of homophobic tropes. Another selection, ''
Chasing Amy
''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee. The film is about a male comic artist (Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian woma ...
'' (1997), was praised by ''
The Advocate'' for its "exploration of sexual politics" and the troubles that bisexual women encounter when taking "on straight partners."
The same magazine argued that ''
Frida
''Frida'' is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Julie Taymor which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
Starring Salma Hayek in an Academy Award–nominated portrayal as K ...
'' (2002), one of Zane and Freedman's selections, highlights an "underacknowledged bisexual,"
Frida Kahlo
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, ...
, and called ''
The Kids Are All Right'' (2010), also chosen by Zane and Freedman, was "the most accomplished film about queer women created by a queer woman." In 2021, Marya E. Gates of
Nerdist
Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast (The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium conte ...
restated that clear bisexuality is rare in film and also wrote that several acclaimed bisexual-themed films did not "get it", suggesting there were only few examples of bisexuality in film that are explicit and genuine, naming examples ''
Appropriate Behavior
''Appropriate Behavior'' is a British-produced comedy film set in New York City, which premiered on 18 January 2014 at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Desiree Akhavan, the film—Akhavan's feature directorial debut—stars ...
'' (2014), ''
Moonlight
Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes.
Illumination
The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...
'' (2016) and ''
Shiva Baby
''Shiva Baby'' is a 2020 comedy film written and directed by Emma Seligman. The film stars Rachel Sennott as Danielle, a directionless young bisexual Jewish woman who attends a with her parents, Joel (Fred Melamed) and Debbie (Polly Draper). Oth ...
'' (2020).
In December 2020, Apoorva Nijhara examined bisexuality in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
films, noting those which had positive or negative representation.
She noted that Bollywood has not tried to counter
stigma against bisexual people, stating that "bisexuality happens to be the least explored topic when it comes to Bollywood," citing ''
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
'' (1996), ''
Dedh Ishqiya
''Dedh Ishqiya'' () is a 2014 Indian black comedy film directed by Abhishek Chaubey and starring Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi and Vijay Raaz. Produced by Raman Maroo of Shemaroo Entertainment and by Vishal Bhara ...
'' (2014), and ''
Padmaavat
''Padmaavat'' is a 2018 Indian period romantic action drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Based on the epic poem of the same name by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, it stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, a Rajput queen known for ...
'' (2018) as examples of bad representation. However, she points to bisexual-positive themes in ''
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
''Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.'' is a 2007 Indian comedy drama film. It is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment banner and marked the debut of Reema Kagti as a director. The movie has six different parts in it.
...
'' (2007) and ''
Margarita with a Straw
''Margarita with a Straw'' is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Shonali Bose. It stars Kalki Koechlin as an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy who relocates to America for her undergraduate education and comes of age follow ...
'' (2014), calling the latter film the "only movie that has actually shown bisexuality in perfect light."
Live-action television
In 2003,
GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
concluded that there were have only been "a few bisexual characters
on TV ONTV or variant may refer to:
* ''ONTV'' (pay TV), now-defunct American UHF subscription television service owned by National Subscription Television
* ''ONTV'' (Egyptian TV channel), now known as ''ON'', an Egyptian digital television channel lau ...
."
The report cited
Steven Carrington in the soap opera, ''
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' (1981-1989) who "had a long term love affair with Luke" but got married, had a child, and later lived with his former lover, Bart, as the first example. The same report also cited C.J. Lamb, played by
Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe (born 29 June 1962) is an English actress. She first came to attention as a 16-year-old living with pop singer Adam Ant, appearing in the music videos for the Adam and the Ants singles "Antmusic" (1980) and "Stand and Deliver" ( ...
, in the NBC drama ''
L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...
'' (1986-1994), and Nancy, played by
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures.
She is perhaps b ...
in
Roseanne (1988-2018), as bisexual, calling the latter "probably the most recent portrayal of bisexuality." The report concluded that while bisexual characters had been popular in television shows, even raising ratings, "there are no bisexual characters on primetime today," supposing this is the case because networks have "chosen to ignore bisexuality in the plots of their shows."
In 2015, Eliel Cruz, in ''
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'', praised ''
American Horror Story
''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...
'' for its bisexual representation with
Ramona Royale
The fifth season of the American Horror (genre), horror Anthology series, anthology television series ''American Horror Story'', subtitled ''Hotel'', is centered around the mysterious Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, the scene of disturbing and para ...
falling for
The Countess and a man, a trans female bartender of the Blue Parrot Lounge named
Liz Taylor who was married to a woman before coming out as transgender but falls in love with a male model, and
Will Drake
The fifth season of the American horror anthology television series ''American Horror Story'', subtitled ''Hotel'', is centered around the mysterious Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, the scene of disturbing and paranormal events, overseen by its e ...
, buyer and new owner of the Hotel Cortez, called himself bisexual in one episode.
Cruz called this unique because unlike lesbian and gay characters, "bisexual characters rarely say the word bisexual in media," with
GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
even counting bisexual characters in their annual reports even though "the majority of characters never using the word bisexual." She said the effect of this is that "bisexuals are severely underrepresented in the culture" and are often badly represented, with Drake's character as an "example of what can happen with television producers and writers get our community right."
In 2018, ''
The Advocate'' pointed to five TV shows as having positive bisexual representation: ''
The Good Wife
''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...
'' (
Kalinda Sharma
Kalinda Sharma (born c.1984) is a character on the CBS television series ''The Good Wife'', portrayed by Archie Panjabi for the first six seasons of the show's run. For her performance, Panjabi received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, win ...
), ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
'' (
Oberyn Martell
Oberyn Nymeros Martell, nicknamed the Red Viper, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones'', where he is portr ...
), ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'' (
Callie Torres), ''
House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...
'' (
Frank Underwood), and ''
How to Get Away with Murder
''How to Get Away with Murder'' is an American legal thriller television series that premiered on ABC on September 25, 2014, and concluded on May 14, 2020. The series was created by Peter Nowalk, and produced by Shonda Rhimes and ABC Studios. Th ...
'' (
Annalise Keating
Annalise Keating Esq. (née Anna-Mae Harkness) is a fictional character in the legal drama series '' How to Get Away with Murder''. Series creator Peter Nowalk is responsible for creating and developing the character, and American actress Viola ...
).
In 2019, Madison Lennon of
ScreenRant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scree ...
explained that while it can be "difficult to find bisexual characters that don't fall prey to offensive stereotypes" and there have been "some great depictions of bisexuality over the years."
As such, Lennon listed relatable representations of bisexuality in TV, apart from one mentioned by ''The Advocate'' in 2018: Max in ''
Black Sails'',
Nico Minoru
Minoru Nico (briefly known as Sister Grimm), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character debuted in ''Runaways (comics), Runaways ...
in ''
Runaways'',
Clarke Griffin
Clarke Griffin is a fictional character from the post-apocalyptic young adult science fiction novel series ''The 100'' by Kass Morgan, and the television series of the same name on The CW. She is the lead character in both the novels and the tel ...
in ''
The 100 The 100 may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* 100 (DC Comics), fictional organized crime groups appearing in DC Comics
* ''The 100'' (novel series), a 2013–2016 science fiction novel series written by Kass Morgan
* ''The 100'' (TV series), 20 ...
'',
Rosa Diaz
Rosa Diaz is a fictional character portrayed by Stephanie Beatriz in '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', an American police procedural comedy. She was originally created under the name "Megan", but changed to Rosa when Stephanie Beatriz got the part over ...
in ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'', Ilana Wexler in ''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web series ...
'',
Sara Lance
Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. The c ...
in ''
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
'' and ''
Legends of Tomorrow
''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American Time travel in fiction, time travel superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klem ...
'', Magnus Bane in ''
Shadowhunters
''Shadowhunters'', also known as ''Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments'', is an American supernatural drama television series developed by Ed Decter, based on the book series ''The Mortal Instruments'' written by Cassandra Clare. It premiered ...
'',
Lucifer Morningstar
Lucifer Morningstar (also known as Samael before his banishment from heaven) is a fictional character and titular protagonist of the urban fantasy comedy-drama television series ''Lucifer''. The character is portrayed by Welsh actor Tom Ellis ...
in ''
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...
'', and
Miles Hollingsworth III in ''
Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
During the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
special ''Home Videos'' stand-up comedian and director
Jerrod Carmichael talked about his sexuality, revealing that he has had relationships with both men and women.
In 2021, Nerdist writer Marya E. Gates wrote that bisexual representation often featured biphobia, but argued that in the preceding years, representation had both increased and improved, highlighting ''
Hannibal
Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...
'', ''
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Bloo ...
'', ''
Jane the Virgin
''Jane the Virgin'' is an American romantic comedy-drama and satirical telenovela developed by Jennie Snyder Urman. The series premiered October 13, 2014, on The CW and concluded on July 31, 2019. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan t ...
'' and ''
Schitt's Creek
''Schitt's Creek'' (stylized as ''Schitt$ Creek'') is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, that aired on CBC Television from 2015 to 2020. It consists of 80 episodes spread over six seasons. Produced ...
''.
[
]
Anime and animated series
Isaiah Jones of '' CBR'', posting during BiWeek in September 2019, explained that throughout anime there have many bisexual characters, all with their own "circumstances and stories relating to their sexuality." Jones then listed ten bisexual characters in anime series, ranging from the late 1990s to the present. This included Utena Tenjou in ''Revolutionary Girl Utena
is a series created by Be-Papas, an artist collective founded by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The primary entries in the series include a 1996 manga written by Chiho Saito, a 1997 anime television series directed by Ikuhara, and ''Adolescence of ...
'' (1997), Honoka Maki in ''Kiznaiver
is a 2016 Japanese anime television series produced by Trigger, Aniplex, and Crunchyroll and written by Mari Okada. The series features character designs by Shirow Miwa. It also features the directorial debut of Hiroshi Kobayashi, assistant ...
'' (2016), Ranka in ''Ouran High School Host Club
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Bisco Hatori, and serialized in Hakusensha's '' LaLa'' magazine between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran Ac ...
'' (2006), Yukari Sendou in '' Rosario + Vampire'' (2008), Suruga Kanbaru in ''Monogatari
is a literary form in traditional Japanese literature – an extended prose narrative tale comparable to the epic novel. ''Monogatari'' is closely tied to aspects of the oral tradition, and almost always relates a fictional or fictionali ...
'' (2009-2012), Pitohui in ''Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series is a spin-off of Reki Kawahara's ''Sword Art Online'' series. A manga adaptation by Tadadi Tamori launched in 2015, and an anime te ...
'' (2018), Miku Izayoi in '' Date A Live II'' (2014), Apollo in ''Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
, also known as for short, and with English subtitle ''Familia Myth'', is a Japanese light novel series written by Fujino Ōmori and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda. SB Creative has published eighteen volumes since January 2013 under th ...
'' (2015–Present), Ertegun in ''Carole & Tuesday
is a 24-episode anime television series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was animated by studio Bones, in commemoration of the studio's 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of record label FlyingDog. It aired from April 11 to Octob ...
'' (2019), and Ash Lynx in '' Banana Fish'' (2018). However, Megan Peters of ''Comic Book'' stated in 2018 that "Pitohui has never acknowledged her sexual preference," meaning that the canon is "wide open" and some argued that Ertegun is a "massive jerk" and is self-serving.
Due to the fact that series creator Kunihiko Ikuhara
, also known by the nickname Ikuni, is a Japanese director, writer, artist, and music producer. He has created and collaborated on several notable anime and manga series, including ''Sailor Moon'', ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', '' Penguindrum' ...
tried to express queer and feminist themes in ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', some called the series "groundbreaking." Some characters are lesbian, like Juri Arisugawa, and others are bisexual, like Utena Tenjou, a crossdressing prince and her friend (and love) "Rose Bride" Anthy Himemiya
is a series created by Be-Papas, an artist collective founded by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The primary entries in the series include a 1996 manga written by Chiho Saito, a 1997 anime television series directed by Ikuhara, and ''Adolescence of ...
. Ryouji Fujioka (also known as Ranka), the father of protagonist Haruhi Fujioka, was praised by Angela Goulene of CBR for being a "groundbreaking" queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
parent. Goulene noted that Ranka is a crossdresser
Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes usually worn by a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and self-express oneself.
Cross-dressing has play ...
who performs as a drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
, is accepted by his mother, and is shown as a "completely normal parent," who cares about his own daughter. She further says that despite his flaws, he is a "caring, loving father" who speaks fondly of Fujioka's mother, saying the show should be applauded for its "normalcy with which queerness and cross-dressing are approached in the show." Ranka also brings home male lovers, has cross-dressing friends, and asserts he is bisexual.
In 2020, Pride.com
Here Media Inc. is an LGBT-oriented media company. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company produces and distributes niche content focused on LGBT consumers.
History
Here Media was founded in 2009 by Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow when He ...
talked about several characters in Western animation which they consider "bi icons." This includes Stewie Griffin
Stewart "Stewie" Gilligan Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series ''Family Guy''. He was born in 1998 and is voiced by the series creator Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Gr ...
in ''Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' (1999–Present), Roger Smith in ''American Dad!
''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...
'' (2005–Present), Pam Poove in ''Archer
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
'' (2009–Present), Sterling Archer in ''Archer
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
'' (2009–Present), Bob in ''Bob's Burgers
''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—who r ...
'' (2011–Present), and Rick in ''Rick and Morty
{{Infobox television
, image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png
, alt =
, caption =
, genre = {{Plainlist,
* Animated sitcom
* Adult animation
* Science fiction
* Black comedy
* ...
'' (2013–Present), six characters in popular adult animations. The article also noted Korra in the all-ages animation, ''The Legend of Korra
''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...
'' (2012-2014). The same website described Luz Noceda
Luz Noceda is the main protagonist of the Disney Channel animated series ''The Owl House'', created by Dana Terrace. She is voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles. Luz is confirmed to be bisexual by Terrace, some calling her the "first bisexual lead ch ...
, the protagonist of ''The Owl House
''The Owl House'' is an American animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace that premiered on Disney Channel on January 10, 2020. The series stars the voices of Sarah-Nicole Robles, Wendie Malick, Alex Hirsch, Tati Gabrielle, Issa ...
'' (2020–Present) as an "awesome" LGBTQ character, noting that she had crushes on male characters and on her friend, Amity, as confirmed by series creator Dana Terrace
Dana Terrace (born December 8, 1990) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director, producer and voice actress. She is best known as the creator of the Disney Channel animated series ''The Owl House''. She is also known for storyboa ...
. In August 2020, Rebecca Sugar
Rebecca Rea Sugar (born July 9, 1987) is an American animator and screenwriter. She is best known for being the creator of the Cartoon Network series ''Steven Universe'', making her the first non-binary person to independently create a series for ...
confirmed that Marceline the Vampire Queen
Marceline the Vampire Queen is a fictional character in the American animated Cartoon Network television series ''Adventure Time'', created by Pendleton Ward. She is voiced by Olivia Olson in most appearances, by Ava Acres as a child, and b ...
of ''Adventure Time
''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...
'' (2010-2018) was bisexual, noting that people began to recognize her as bisexual based on "her interactions with other people... ndher feelings about herself," noting that she had never seen that before and that this was as "revelation" to her. Marceline has a canon relationship with another sapphic woman, Princess Bonnibel "Bonnie" Bubblegum, confirmed in the season finale
A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try ...
when both kiss each other, confirming their relationship, which had been hinted at and subtle since the episode "What Was Missing," leading fans to ship these characters. A November 2020 episode of '' Adventure Time: Distant Lands'', "Obsidian," also shines a light on Marcy and Bonnie's relationship.
In the commentary for '' Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story'', the writers describe how they were going to make Stewie discover he was gay but decided to scrap this idea in order to retain Stewie's sexual ambiguity for writing purposes. MacFarlane planned for the series' third season to end with Stewie coming out of the closet
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
after a near-death experience. The show's abrupt cancellation, before later continuing, caused MacFarlane to abort these plans, and the episode "Queer Is Stewie?" was produced, but never shown.
The Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
animated series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
''The Legend of Korra
''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelode ...
'', on the other hand, Korra
Avatar Korra is the title lead character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''The Legend of Korra'' (a sequel to '' Avatar: The Last Airbender''), in which she is depicted as the current incarnation of Raava's Avatar—the spiritual em ...
, a teenage girl, Asami Sato
is a major character in the Nickelodeon List of animated television series, animated television series ''The Legend of Korra'', which aired from 2012 to 2014. The character and the series, a sequel to ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', were create ...
, a young female industrialist, were bisexual and protagonists. The two girls are both initially romantically interested in the same man, but after putting their feelings aside, they manage to become friends. Over the course of the series, their relationship is shown growing and developing, and eventually culminates in the final scene, which indicated the start of a romantic relationship between Korra and Asami. The series was lauded for its unprecedented representation of bisexuality in American children's television, as well as its portrayal of a same-sex relationship between bisexual women. The creators later confirmed the intention of the ending scene was to show Asami and Korra becoming a romantic couple. In the graphic novel '' The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars'', which is the sequel to the animated series, Korra and Asami are in a relationship.
Video games
In June 2017, Sean Murray of ''The Gamer'' noted that while many video games in the early 2000s have gay characters, bisexuality didn't appear more in games until the 2010s, when "different romance options" are shown. He proceeded to highly 15 characters be considered were "hottest bisexual ..in games."
This included Jacob Frye in ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate
''Assassin's Creed Syndicate'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 23, 2015, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 19, 2015, for Microsoft Windows. It is th ...
'' (2015), Kelly Chambers in ''Mass Effect 2
''Mass Effect 2'' is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2010 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. It is the second installment in the ''Mass Effect'' series and a ...
'' (2011), Axton in ''Borderlands 2
''Borderlands 2'' is a 2012 first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. Taking place five years following the events of ''Borderlands'' (2009), the game is again set on the planet of Pandora. T ...
'' (2012), Iron Bull
The Iron Bull is a fictional character in BioWare's ''Dragon Age'' franchise. He appears in the 2014 video game '' Dragon Age: Inquisition'', where he serves as a companion party member. He is a Qunari, a member of metallic-skinned race of lar ...
in '' Dragon Age: Inquisition'' (2014), Trevor Philips
Trevor Philips is a fictional character and one of the three playable protagonists, alongside Michael De Santa and Franklin Clinton, of ''Grand Theft Auto V'', the seventh main title in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series developed by Rockstar ...
in ''Grand Theft Auto V
''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
'' (2013), Vamp in '' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' (2001), Javier Garcia in '' The Walking Dead'' (2012), Tatsuya Suou
''Persona 2: Innocent Sin'' is a 1999 role-playing video game by Atlus for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation. It is the second entry in the Persona (series), ''Persona'' series, itself a subseries of the ''Megami Tensei'' franchise, and act ...
in the ''Persona 2
''Persona 2'' refers to a duology of role-playing video games released by Atlus. It refers to:
* '' Persona 2: Innocent Sin'' (1999)
* '' Persona 2: Eternal Punishment'' (2000)
{{Media set index
Persona (series)
Shueisha manga
Shueisha fran ...
'' duology (1999 and 2000), Kanji Tatsumi
is a fictional character introduced in the 2008 PlayStation 2 video game ''Persona 4'' by Atlus. In the game Kanji is a high school student who becomes famous in television after fighting delinquents in the streets. Kanji becomes a victim of a ...
in ''Persona 4
released outside of Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4'', is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the ''Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise, and was ...
'' (2008), Rhajat in ''Fire Emblem Fates
''Fire Emblem Fates'' is a tactical role-playing video game for the Nintendo 3DS handheld video game console, developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. It was released in June 2015 in Japan, then released in ...
'' (2015), Max Caulfield
Maxine "Max" Caulfield is a fictional character from the ''Life Is Strange'' video game series published by Square Enix. Created by French developer Dontnod Entertainment, she first appears in the 2015 video game ''Life Is Strange'' as the main ...
in ''Life Is Strange
''Life Is Strange'' (abbreviated ''LIS'') is a series of primarily episodic graphic adventure games published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the series debuted with the eponymous first installment, ...
'' (2015), and Mae in ''Night in the Woods
''Night in the Woods'' is a 2017 single-player adventure video game. It was developed by Infinite Fall, a studio founded by game designer Alec Holowka and animator/ artist Scott Benson, and Secret Lab, an Australian studio, and published by ...
'' (2017). Murray also pointed to all the characters in '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'' (2011) and ''Fallout 4
''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for PlayStation 4, ...
'' (2015), the player character in '' Fable II'' (2008), and a protagonist in '' Saints Row: The Third'' (2011).
Separate from that, in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, Shuichi Saihara
The following is a list of characters from the Spike Chunsoft video game series ''Danganronpa''. The series follows the students of Hope's Peak Academy who are forced into a life of mutual killing by a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma. The seri ...
is represented to be bisexual. Unique to Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, the player can pick a character of their choosing to spend a night with, while playing as Shuichi. You can pick any character regardless of gender
Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
, and Shuichi is shown to participate in explicitly romantic and sexual activities with characters of both male and female gender during these events.
Radio, podcasts, and web series
Having been created as a radio program
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
in 1937 and transitioning to television in 1952, ''Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' is the oldest television series in the world to feature bisexual characters; Olivia Spencer and Natalia Rivera Aitoro
Olivia Spencer and Natalia Rivera Aitoro, often referred to by the portmanteau Otalia, are a fictional couple from the American CBS daytime drama '' Guiding Light''. Olivia is portrayed by Crystal Chappell, and Natalia is portrayed by Jessica Lec ...
. Olivia was introduced in 1999 and Natalia in 2007, with the two women realizing they are bisexual and beginning a relationship in 2008. In 2011, presenter and singer-songwriter Tom Robinson
Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson ...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
explored the topic of bisexuality.
There are a few podcasts that have bisexual characters and discuss bisexuality. Bisexuali-tea, hosted by Rin Ryan and Sasha Fernandez, and produced by AWOL at American University
The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...
, is a bi-weekly podcast, discussing "various topics related to LGBTQ+ life in college." ''Hello Good Bis!'', hosted by Rose and Annie, tries to provide context about "the bisexual experience," talking to people, sharing stories and advice. Mark Bryant in "The Bright Sessions
''The Bright Sessions'' is a science fiction podcast audio drama created by Lauren Shippen and starring Julia Morizawa as the titular Dr. Bright. The podcast takes place in a fictional universe where super-powered individuals, called "atypicals" ...
", in a April 2018 episode, uses the term bisexual, showing romantic interest in both men and women, going with a guy to prom while Barry and Darla Abiatti in "The Blood Crow Stories" are bisexual and homoromantic
A person's romantic orientation, also called affectional orientation, is the classification of the sex or gender with which a person experiences romantic attraction towards or is likely to have a romantic relationship with. The term is used a ...
.
As of October 2009, there is a bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
"webisode
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or c ...
" series known as "A Rose By Any Other Name" being released on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
that was directed by Independent film director and bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
rights advocate Kyle Schickner
Kyle Schickner is an American film producer, writer, director, actor and a bisexual civil rights activist. He is the founder of FenceSitter Films, a production company devoted to entertainment for women, and sexual and ethnic minorities. He c ...
of Fencesitter Films
FenceSitter Films is a film production and television production company founded by Kyle Schickner an American film producer, writer, director, actor and a bisexual civil rights activist.
History
It was originally formed in 1995 as FenceSitter P ...
. The plot of the series revolves around a lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
identified woman who falls in love with a straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* ...
man, and goes on to realize she is actually bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
, and the reaction of both her friends and her boyfriend's friends.
Rager Antinian in ''Hero Squad: Under the Dragon's Shadow'' was confirmed to be bi/pan in Episode 6, when he said he was "down for anything" and "very curious" in reference to seducing a male character while the series ''KTHNXBI'' follows the daily lives of two bisexual individuals: Ben and Emily and Vax'ildan in ''Critical Role
''Critical Role'' is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The show started streaming partway through the cast's first campaign in March 2015. Campaign one ended in October 2017 after ...
'' was confirmed by Liam O'Brien as bisexual in a Q&A and Allura Vysoren by Matthew Mercer
Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
on Talks Machina. Also, Panic Grimtongue and Greckles Birdman in ''The Unexpectables'' are bisexual. Panic is depicted as having multiple love interests, primarily male. Greckles is shown having attraction to the character Remy Corbeau. Both characters hired male and female escorts in episode 26.
Music
In 2003, GLAAD
GLAAD (), an acronym of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals ...
, in a report, focused on bisexual representation in the music industry
The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...
, noting that bisexuality in music "has been prevalent...dating back to at least the 1920's and 1930's," citing musicians such as Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the " Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock a ...
and Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...
, along with Elton John, Janis Joplin, and David Bowie in the 1960s and 1970s. Their report noted that in the 1990s "more bisexual men and women in the industry" came out of the closet
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
, including artists such as Ani DiFranco, Tom Robinson
Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson ...
, Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule (born January 16, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film ''Clueless''. Her folk-inflected compositions alternate between ironic, ...
, Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...
, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Me'Shell Ndgeocello. The report predicted that this would open the doors for "other artists to come out and express their whole selves through the powerful medium of music." This was reaffirmed by '' The Advocate'' which stated that there are "plenty of songs about being attracted to both men and women" from LGBT music, sometimes lamenting "what it's like to be bisexual in their music," even songs from heterosexual
Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...
artists, and listed 29 tracks which focus on bisexuality.
'' The Advocate'' and ''Pride.com
Here Media Inc. is an LGBT-oriented media company. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company produces and distributes niche content focused on LGBT consumers.
History
Here Media was founded in 2009 by Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow when He ...
'' both highlighted various popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
songs about bisexuality. Both publications pointed to Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
's "Girls / Girls / Boys
"Girls / Girls / Boys" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco. It was released as the third single from their fourth studio album, ''Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!'', on October 7, 2013. The music video for the song, directed by ...
" (2013), Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
's "Cool for the Summer
"Cool for the Summer" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the lead single from her fifth studio album ''Confident (album), Confident'' (2015) on July 1, 2015, by Hollywood Records and Island Records, and premiered on ra ...
" (2015), The Veronicas
The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso.
In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled '' The Secret Life of...'', which peak ...
' " Take Me on the Floor" (2008), Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
's " Poker Face" (2008), and Book of Love's " Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" (1988), as examples of such songs. At the same time, College Magazine
''College Magazine'' is a college-guide and quarterly magazine, written and edited by college students, created in 2007 by publisher and founder Amanda Nachman. The website offers guides to over 100 colleges nationwide and college rankings. Both ...
and Pride.com
Here Media Inc. is an LGBT-oriented media company. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company produces and distributes niche content focused on LGBT consumers.
History
Here Media was founded in 2009 by Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow when He ...
noted that Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon ...
's " Make Me Feel" (2018) focused on bisexuality, while ''The Advocate'' and ''College Magazine'' said the same about the song "Girls / Girls / Boys" and David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's "John, I’m Only Dancing
"John, I'm Only Dancing" is a song by English musician David Bowie, originally released as a non-album single on 1 September 1972. A glam rock and R&B number, the lyrics describe a situation in which the narrator informs his lover not to ...
" (1972). Each of these publications listed an array of other songs, but none of these tracks were duplicated on the lists of other publications.
Literature
Donald E. Hall on the now-defunct glbtq Encyclopedia Project
glbtq.com (also known as the glbtq Encyclopedia Project) was an online encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( GLBTQ) culture. Launched in 2003, it was edited by Claude J. Summers, emeritus professor at the Universit ...
extensively focused on bisexual literature, noting that while bisexual experiences appear throughout literature, it is often not discussed from a bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
perspective, with specific or implied evidence of erotic
Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...
activity by a single character with another character is considered as evidence of their "primary sexual orientation" as heterosexual
Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to ...
or homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
, relying on an existing gender binary
The gender binary (also known as gender binarism) is the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine, whether by social system, cultural belief, or both simultaneously. Most cultures use a gender bina ...
, leading to bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure or bisexual invisibility is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources.
In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can inclu ...
. Hall aimed to counter this trend, first highlighting specific theories of bisexuality posed by Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...
, Wilhelm Stekel
Wilhelm Stekel (; 18 March 1868 – 25 June 1940) was an Austrian physician and psychologist, who became one of Sigmund Freud's earliest followers, and was once described as "Freud's most distinguished pupil". According to Ernest Jones, "Stekel ...
, and Fred Klein
Fred Klein (8 April 1898 – 25 April 1990) was a Dutch painter who spent much of his life in France. Born Friedrich Franz Albert Klein in Bandung, Indonesia, he was known in the Netherlands under the name of Frits Klein and in France as Fred ...
, then noting that bisexuality existed among ancient Greeks and Romans, with mention in works by "Homer, Anacreon...Pindar...Plutarch, Cicero, and Catullus," along with vaue references in ''Satyricon
The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as Titus Petro ...
'' by Petronius
Gaius Petronius Arbiter["Gaius Petronius Arbiter"]
Sappho
Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her Greek lyric, lyric poetry, written to be sung while ...
". The project also pointed to bisexual themes in sonnets by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
and Marlowe Marlowe may refer to:
Name
* Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593), English dramatist, poet and translator
* Philip Marlowe, fictional hardboiled detective created by author Raymond Chandler
* Marlowe (name), including list of people and characters w ...
, in the activities by French writer Madame de La Fayette
Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette ( baptized 18 March 1634 – 25 May 1693), better known as Madame de La Fayette, was a French writer; she authored ''La Princesse de Clèves'', France's first historical novel and on ...
and English poet Katherine Philips
Katherine or Catherine Philips (1 January 1631/2 – 22 June 1664), also known as "The Matchless Orinda", was an Anglo-Welsh royalist poet, translator, and woman of letters. She achieved renown as a translator of Pierre Corneille's '' Pompée'' ...
, and the writings of Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
. Erotic Victorian works such as ''The Adventures of a Schoolboy'' (1866) and '' My Secret Life'' (1888) were noted as having bisexual themes. Hall also pointed to the title character in Mademoiselle de Maupin (1835) as "explicitly bisexual," the love affairs of a poet named Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine (; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' in international and ...
, the works of Walt Whitman
Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...
, the poetry of Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry.
Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massach ...
, and the works of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
. Further, it was noted that early twentieth century works revolve around the idea of a "true" heterosexual or homosexual identity, even within works with bisexual characters like ''Maurice Maurice may refer to:
People
* Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
* Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
*Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...
'' (1914), ''The Well of Loneliness
''The Well of Loneliness'' is a lesbian novel by British author Radclyffe Hall that was first published in 1928 by Jonathan Cape. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose " sexual inversion" (hom ...
'' (1928), and '' Orlando: A Biography'' (1928). Hall said this is because bisexual appeared in this literature in a "a tortured, tense state," citing many novels by D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...
, while later novels like ''Brideshead Revisited
''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...
'' (1945) and '' Giovanni's Room'' (1956) portrayed bisexuality as a phase that characters need to move past to avoid "personal disaster." Countering this, the project stated, were the afterward of ''The City and the Pillar
''The City and the Pillar'' is the third published novel by American writer Gore Vidal, written in 1946 and published on January 10, 1948. The story is about a young man who is coming of age and discovers his own homosexuality.
''The City and t ...
''(1948), works by Colette, the French novelist, the sci-fi novel ''The Left Hand of Darkness
''The Left Hand of Darkness'' is a science fiction novel by U.S. writer Ursula K. Le Guin. Published in 1969, it became immensely popular, and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science fiction. The novel is set in the fictiona ...
'' (1969), ''Woman on the Edge of Time
''Woman on the Edge of Time'' is a 1976 novel by Marge Piercy. It is considered a classic of utopian "speculative" science fiction as well as a feminist classic. The novel was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf. Piercy draws on several inspir ...
'' (1976), ''The Color Purple
''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. '' (1982) as well in the works of Hélène Cixous
Hélène Cixous (; ; born 5 June 1937) is a French writer, playwright and literary critic. She is known for her experimental writing style and great versatility as a writer and thinker, her work dealing with multiple genres: theater, literary a ...
and Kate Millett
Katherine Murray Millett (September 14, 1934 – September 6, 2017) was an American feminist writer, educator, artist, and activist. She attended Oxford University and was the first American woman to be awarded a degree with first-class honor ...
. Furthermore, the short stories of Paul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles (; December 30, 1910November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his ...
, '' Ancient Evenings'' (1983), ''The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon
''The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon'' is a 1991 novel by American author Tom Spanbauer set at the beginning of the 20th century. Told primarily in flashback by its protagonist, a biracial Native American named Out-In-The-Shed ("Shed" for ...
'' (1991), the "works of David Leavitt and the poet Gavin Dillard" for their positive bisexual representation. Finally, Hall concluded with a call for action:
...the discourse on sexuality has rewidened since the mid-twentieth century so that validation for bisexuals is no longer impossible to locate in literature and social movements. Conceptualizations in the 1990s of a broad notion of a "queer" identity...have been welcomed by many in the subsumed communities, even as others have resisted any revision in the narrower, binarized notions of identity...But simplistic designations of all human beings as fundamentally heterosexual or homosexual are clearly as oppressive toward some people as institutionalized homophobia has been toward gays and lesbians...in recognizing the unique interests of the bisexual community, as well as the numerous ways such interests intersect with those of the gay and lesbian communities, we can come to a better understanding of social history and the rich heritage of literary traditions and representations that counter heterosexism and challenge the narrow, tradition-bound, and oppressive categories through which society identifies and thereby judges people.
The wending "discourse of sexuality" and improved bisexual representation was reflected in novels such as John Glassco
John Glassco (December 15, 1909 – January 29, 1981) was a Canadian poet, memoirist and novelist. According to Stephen Scobie, "Glassco will be remembered for his brilliant autobiography, his elegant, classical poems, and for his translations."S ...
's ''Fetish Girl'' (1972), Jane Ransom's novel, '' Bye-Bye'', Tom Perrotta
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in '' Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
's '' Little Children'', Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978 in Martinez, California) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/ horror and the pseudon ...
's ''October Daye'' novels, Stieg Larsson's ''The Girl Who Played with Fire
''The Girl Who Played with Fire'' ( sv, Flickan som lekte med elden) is the second novel in the best-selling ''Millennium'' series by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in Swedish in 2006 and in English in January 2009. ...
'',[Stanton Peel]
"The World's -- and My -- Love Affair with Lisbeth Salander. Lisbeth Salander -- a misfit -- may be the most beloved figure in the world."
''Psychology Today
''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direct ...
'', Published on December 16, 2011 in ''Addiction in Society'' and Ellen Kushner
Ellen Kushner (born October 6, 1955) is an American writer of fantasy novels. From 1996 until 2010, she was the host of the radio program '' Sound & Spirit'', produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International.
Background ...
's ''The Privilege of the Sword
''The Privilege of the Sword'' is a fantasy novel by American author Ellen Kushner. First published in 2006 by Bantam Spectra, the novel won the 2007 Locus Award and was nominated for both the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Gaylactic Spectru ...
''. Kusher, on a post on her Tumblr
Tumblr (stylized as tumblr; pronounced "tumbler") is an American microblogging and social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and currently owned by Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a sho ...
confirmed one of the novel's characters as bisexual.
Comics
Comic books and webcomics have featured numerous bisexual characters over the years. This includes characters such as Mystique, Loki
Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
, Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36) ...
, and even Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
.
Wonder Woman was confirmed as bisexual in a September 2016 interview with comic book writer Greg Rucka
Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...
. While ''The Mary Sue
Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966) is an American media entrepreneur, television host, legal commentator, and author. He is currently the host of the prime-time show ''Dan Abrams Live'' on NewsNation, ''On Patrol: Live'' on Reelz and ''The Dan Ab ...
'' argues that Loki is not canon genderfluid
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typicall ...
or bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
, Loki was confirmed as bisexual in the book " Loki: Agent of Asgard" as well as in the Loki television series and by the director, Kate Herron, of the Loki series, and elsewhere as genderfluid.
ScreenRant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scree ...
, in an article about Marvel characters who are confirmed as bisexual and those who are only seen that way by fans, stated that Deadpool
Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
and Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
are canon bisexual. In the same article, ''ScreenRant'' notes that some fans consider Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
, Sam Wilson, Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of th ...
, Bucky Barnes
James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally introduced as a sidekick to Captain America, the character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and first appeared ...
, and Steve Rogers to be bisexual, but this is not canon. On Parker, this is promoted by a "vocal subsection of the LGBTQ+ comic fandom" with fans shipping Parker with male characters on fan fictions
Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is Fiction, fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by Fan (person), fans, unauthorized by, but derivative work, based on an existing work of fiction. Copyright ...
on Archive of Our Own dating back to 2002. On the other hand, ''The Geekiary'' noted further characters from DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, with a qualifier that the characters they listed likely fell under the term of pansexual
, meaning "all"
, definition = Sexual or romantic attraction to people regardless of gender
, classification = Sexual identity
, parent = Bisexuality
, synonyms =
, associated_terms = Polysexual, queer, heterofl ...
due to the fact that bisexuality exists " on a spectrum." Their list included John Constantine
John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...
, Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
, Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...
, Poison Ivy, Jericho
Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...
, Jeanette Jeanette, Jeannette or Jeanetta may refer to:
* Jeanette (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name)
Places
* Jeannette, Ontario, Canada
* Jeannette Island, Russia
* Jeannette, Pennsylvania, U.S ...
, Daken
Daken (; birth name: Akihiro) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Daken was created by writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon and first appeared in '' Wolverine: Origins'' #10 (March 2007).
...
, Shatterstar
Shatterstar (Gaveedra-Seven) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' The New Mutants'' #99 (March 19 ...
, and Homelander
The Homelander (John Gillman) is a Character (arts), character and one of the main antagonists of the comic book series ''The Boys (comics), The Boys'' and the media franchise The Boys (franchise), of the same name, created by Garth Ennis and Da ...
. Daken, as noted by a writer for the character, regularly seduces male and females to suit his own ends, with writer Marjorie Liu
Marjorie M. Liu is an American ''New York Times'' best-selling author and comic book writer. She is acclaimed for her horror fantasy comic '' Monstress'', and her paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels including ''The Hunter Kiss'' and ''Tig ...
calling him "no more homosexual than he is heterosexual," adding it "about control" for Daken. In ''X-Factor'' in 2010, Peter David
Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
, Shatterstar tries to explore his new world of sexual potential for the first time.
In 2020, a new Guardians of the Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
It may more specifically refer to:
Comic book teams
* Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...
comic from Marvel
Marvel may refer to:
Business
* Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company
** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment
** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe
** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics
* ...
portrayed the character Peter Quill
Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...
, otherwise known as Star-Lord, as in a "polyamorous bisexual relationship." CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
further stated that Valkyrie is another bisexual woman in Marvel comics and will be "portrayed as bisexual on screen" in the upcoming " Thor: Love and Thunder" film.
Notes
See also
* Biphobia
Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality and bisexual people as individuals. It is a form of homophobia against those in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative ste ...
* The Bisexual Option
''The Bisexual Option'' (1978; second edition 1993) is a book by the sex researcher Fritz Klein. It is considered one of the seminal works on bisexuality in the discipline of queer studies.
Summary
The book shows bisexuals that they are not alo ...
* Bi the Way
* Bisexual lighting
Bisexual lighting is the simultaneous use of pink, purple, and blue lighting to represent bisexual characters. It has been used in studio lighting for film and television, as has been observed in the cinematography of various films. Whether the t ...
* List of bisexuals
* LGBT stereotypes
Stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions with parents, teachers, peers ...
* Media portrayal of lesbianism Lesbian portrayal in media is generally in relation to feminism, love and sexual relationships, marriage and parenting. Some writers have stated that lesbians have often been depicted as exploitative and unjustified plot devices. Common representat ...
* Media portrayals of transgender people
Portrayals of transgender people in mass media reflect societal attitudes about transgender identity, and have varied and evolved with public perception and understanding. Transgender representation in media is vital in order to give visibility ...
* Media portrayal of asexuality
The portrayals of asexuality in the media reflect societal attitudes towards asexuality, reflected in the existing media portrayals. Throughout history, asexual characters have appeared in television series, animated series, literature, comics, ...
* Media portrayal of pansexuality
The portrayals of pansexuality in the media reflect existing societal attitudes towards pansexuality and current media portrayals. Although pansexual characters are not often characters in mass media, they have appeared in various films, TV serie ...
* Media portrayal of LGBT people
Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in media have been negative, reflecting the cultural intolerance of LGBT individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in th ...
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
* Bryant, Wayne M.. ''Bisexual Characters in Film: From Anais to Zee''. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies, 1997.
* Thomas Geller's ''Bisexuality: A Reader and Sourcebook'' (1990)
External links
Bisexuality in Media: A Dangerous Game of Telephone by Samantha Newsom
Journal of Bisexuality
Lee Wind's blogsite, "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?," lists, summarizes, and offers reader reviews of 4 books with Bisexual Teen Characters and Themes
The B Word: Bisexuality in Contemporary Film and Television – Excerpt by Maria San Filippo
{{LGBT fiction
Bisexuality
LGBT and society
Bisexuality-related lists