(Re)producing the sexuality binary: on bisexual experiences in U.S. gay and heterosexual spaces

Abstract

The geographies of sexuality literature is a great source of information for the experiences of gay men and lesbians as they navigate heteronormativity in both private and public spaces, and engage in gay and lesbian counter-space production. However, this literature has yet to fully incorporate bisexual experiences into its paradigm. This article finds that bisexuals experience the spatial (re)production of a sexuality binary (gay/straight) through three interrelated processes: passing, blending, and biphobia. These processes occur throughout the spaces they inhabit, whether those be public or private. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with participants from a Midwest U.S. college town. Additionally, examples of exclusion from gay spaces arise during interviews, suggesting that binary sexuality is connected to the queer unwanted. Information on bisexual experiences can further expand geographers’ understanding of how sexuality is spatialized, and further make room for non-binary subjectivities.

Keywords:

• Biphobia
• bisexuality
• geographies of sexuality
• queer unwanted
• sexuality binary

Acknowledgements

This research would not have been possible without the volunteers of this study who were willing to speak to some of the private and uncomfortable situations in their lives – this study is dedicated to other bisexuals who feel the sexuality binary tugging at them every day. I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their generous feedback, and cannot say enough about the support I received from friends. Thank you to Reecia Orzeck, Liv Stone, Jim Stanlaw, Erin Durban-Albrecht, Lorraine Dowler, Vivian Rodríguez-Rocha, Bradley Hinger, and all the other people who helped me along the way.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jacklyn Weier

Jacklyn Weier is a doctoral candidate in the Departments of Geography and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Pennsylvania State University. Her dissertation research examines intentional communities, with specific focus on gender and everyday politics. She finished her Master of Arts at Illinois State University and defended on bisexual experiences.