Young bisexual women’s experiences in secondary schools: “Not everyone’s straight so why are they only teaching that?”^*

^*The research described in this paper was undertaken at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Abstract

A literature search reveals minimal New Zealand and international research during the past 20 years with a specific focus on young bisexual women at school. This study addresses this paucity through acknowledgement of young bisexual women aged between 16 and 24 years and their experiences of being bisexual at secondary school in New Zealand. The study focuses on ways in which young bisexual women experience and negotiate teacher and student attitudes and practices in health classes that include sexuality education. A specific practice frames evidence from these experiences, this being societal misrecognition of the nature of bisexuality, or bisexual misrecognition. Bisexual theory and feminist qualitative methodology provide the study with a foundation for data gathering through focus groups, reflective journals and individual interviews with participants. Thematic analysis was applied to participants’ responses, exposing their experiences at school of bi-misogyny and the ways in which their bisexuality is misrecognised and erased. Based on young bisexual women’s narratives of their experiences in health education and sexuality education in New Zealand secondary schools, the study adds to the body of knowledge about this silenced minority.

Key words:

• Bisexuality
• young bisexual women
• bisexual misrecognition
• bi-misogyny
• heteroconformity
• New Zealand

Notes

^* The research described in this paper was undertaken at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.