“Bisexuality Isn’t Exclusionary”: A Qualitative Examination of Bisexual Definitions and Gender Inclusivity Concerns among Plurisexual Women

Abstract

The current study investigated how plurisexual women of varying identities conceptualize bisexuality. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews women with attraction to more than one gender. Using thematic analysis, we identified three overarching themes: (1) definitions of bisexuality differ by one’s identity label, (2) concerns about sexual identity label inclusivity, and (3) outcomes of inclusivity concerns among women attracted to more than one gender. Non-bisexual women (i.e., pansexual, queer) defined bisexuality as limited to attraction to cisgender men and women and critiqued bisexuality as reinforcing the traditional gender binary. However, bisexual women defined bisexuality as attraction to two or more genders, described bisexuality as inclusive of attractions to all genders, and negative psychological outcomes as a result of the debate around bisexual gender inclusivity. Our findings suggest that sexual identity researchers might consider adopting the definition of bisexuality provided by bisexual women in this sample: attraction to more than one gender.

Keywords:

• Sexual identity
• bisexuality
• pansexuality
• queer

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the women who participated in this study. The interview transcripts are not publicly accessible to protect participants’ confidentiality, but a copy of the codebook is accessible from the first author.

Disclosure statement

We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This research was made possible by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln PsychologyDepartment WARDEN funds for graduate student research.

Notes on contributors

Allison E. Cipriano

Allison E. Cipriano (she/her) is a fourth year Social and Cognitive Psychology PhD student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. Allison received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Ithaca College in 2015 and her Masters of Arts in Social Psychology from Ball State University in 2018. Her research is informed by social psychological and feminist theory and her research interests include sexual violence, sexual identity, and sexual health with an emphasis on the experiences of plurisexual women.

Daniel Nguyen (he/him) is an undergraduate student in Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will receive his B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is planning on attending the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in pursuit of his M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology.

Dr. Kathryn Holland (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan, and her B.A. in Applied Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.