Bisexual-Identifying Women’s Relationship Expectations of Female- and Male-Identifying Partners

Abstract

Gender role socialization influences women’s expectations in intimate relationships. For bisexual-identifying women, expectations may differ by the gender of their partner. We interviewed a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 12 bisexual-identifying cis-gender women (M = 32 years old) about their relationship expectations of female- and male-identifying partners. Using a grounded theory approach to thematic analysis(Charmaz, 2014), we identified five themes that described bisexual-identifying women’s relationship expectations: (a) Communication, (b) Safety and security, (c) Gender expression, (d) Division of labor, and (e) Allies and advocates. Within each theme, women expressed insights into their tendencies to recreate and/or resist traditional gender roles. Regardless of gender, women expected their partners to acknowledge and advocate for their bisexual identity in public and in private. Findings illustrate the continuing influence of traditional gender role norms, bi-invisibility, and bi-negativity, and the intensified challenges that multiple marginalization creates for bisexual women of color.

Keywords:

• Bisexual
• women
• relationships
• partner
• expectations

Acknowledgments

Cheryl Kwok, Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky; Sharon S. Rostosky, Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky; Ellen D. B. Riggle, Department of Political Science and Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Kentucky. We thank Hailey E. Lawson, B.S., Robbie M. Luten, B.A., Katherine C. Jensen, M.S., and Keisha R. Morgan, B.A. for their assistance with data analysis.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partially supported by grants from the American Institute of Bisexuality and the Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky.

Notes on contributors

Cheryl Kwok

The first author is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky in Counseling Psychology. She identifies as a heterosexual, cis-female and third-generation, Chinese Indian. She was born and raised in New Delhi, India where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Delhi. She then went on to complete her Master of Arts in Applied Psychology at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Her research interests broadly focus on the influence of intersectionality on the lived experiences of minority communities within the LGBTQ* community. Specifically, she is interested in understanding how race, gender, and sexual identities intersect to influence experiences.