Exploring Bisexuals' Experiences of Bi Erasure, Stigma & Discrimination: A Qualitative Study

Abstract: Bisexual individuals are often marginalized, disregarded, excluded, or seen as sexual deviants. The focus of the study is to understand the lived experiences of people who identify themselves as bisexual. The study included a sample of 12 bisexuals (3 males and 9 females) aged between 21-32 years. Data was collected through short, semi-structured interviews with the help of open-ended questions. The study aimed to analyze bisexual participants' experiences of prejudice, rejection, and invalidation in India. Ten global themes emerged while analyzing the data using thematic analysis which included Identity Denial and experiences of Binegativity; Guarding the traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity; Fetishization and negative stereotypes; Stigma and negative expectations interrupting with the need for social belonging; Cognising bisexuality as hypersexuality and openness to threesomes; Concealing the sexual stigma in a heterosexist society; Dilution of Bisexuality; Chances of being discriminated against; Unconstructive gatekeeping within the community; Significance of supportive community spaces. Even though bisexuals are included in the LGBT community, there are still issues (such as rejection) within the group that limit a bisexual's access to the community. The study has implications for bisexuals' significant experiences with discrimination and sexual objectification.