Bi-Invisibility: A Phenomenological Exploration of Same-Sex Casual Encounters

ABSTRACT

Sexual behaviors do not always align with a person's sexual orientation. This article seeks to explore the experiences of those who sexually identify as heterosexual or mostly heterosexual and engage in same-sex sexual behavior. The authors sought to understand what led the individuals to this particular type of encounter, the behaviors associated with the encounter, how the encounters were described by the participants, and the overall affect that gender has on the experience. This phenomenological study included a sample of 14 men and six women from an online source in which the individuals described their experiences. The authors found 11 themes that were organized within three categories: before, during, and after. This study revealed diverse motivations for engaging in a same-sex encounter, as well as a gender difference in the overall impact of the experience. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Bi-invisibility
• phenomenology
• qualitative, casual sex
• same-sex hookups
• mostly-heterosexual
• sexual orientation
• sexual exploration
• homosexual

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Porter Macey

Porter Macey, M.S., is a PhD student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Texas Tech University. His research interests include the broad topic of sexuality, sexual minorities, addiction, and recovery.

Neli Morris

Neli Morris, M.S., is a PhD student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Texas Tech University. Her primary areas of research include the topics of technology and interpersonal well-being, eating disorders, and diversity.

Olivia Hamlin

Olivia Hamlin, M.S., LMFTA, is a PhD student in the Marriage & Family Therapy Program at Texas Tech University. Her research interest include medical family therapy, stranger harassment, sexuality, and multicultural families.

Jaclyn Cravens

Jaclyn Cravens, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Texas Tech Addictive Disorders and Recovery Studies department. Her research focuses on the role technology and the Internet plays in intimate partner relationships; Social justice issues in the MFT profession (e.g., weight bias, sexual and gender minority affirmative practices).