What bisexual youth can tell us about today's gender and sexual identities Despite the increasing visibility of LGBTQ people in American culture, our understanding of bisexuality-perhaps one of the least visible sexual orientations-remains superficial at best. Yet five times as many people identify as bisexual than as gay or lesbian, and, if we were to include the many bisexual people who remain hidden from sight, including those who simultaneously identify as pansexual, fluid, genderqueer, and no label, as much as 25 percent of the population is estimated to be bisexual. In Bi, Ritch C. Savin-Williams brings bisexuality out of the shadows, particularly as Gen Z and millennial youth and young adults increasingly reject traditional sexual labels altogether. Drawing on interviews with bisexual youth from a range of racial, ethnic, and social class groups, he reveals to us how bisexuals define their own sexual orientation and experiences-in their own words. Savin-Williams shows how and why people might identify as bisexual as a result of their biology or upbringing; as a bridge or transition to something else; as a consequence of their curiosity; or for a range of other equally valid reasons. Savin-Williams provides an important new understanding of bisexuality as an orientation, behavior, and identity. Bi shows us that bisexuality is seen and embraced as a valid sexual identity more than ever before, giving us timely and much-needed insight into the complex, fascinating experiences of bisexual youth themselves.
Ritch C. Savin-Williams is Professor Emeritus of Developmental Psychology at Cornell University and the author of many books, including Mostly Straight: Sexual Fluidity Among Men and The New Gay Teenager. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, and has appeared on Good Morning America, C-SPAN About-Books, All Things Considered, CBS Newsradio, CNN, BBC, Voice of America and others.
Plenty of people still doubt that bisexuality really exists, and others assume that bisexuals are closeted gays, curious heterosexuals, or maladjusted people who can't decide what they want. No one can hold on to these outmoded stereotypes after reading Ritch C. Savin-Williams' powerful book. By letting the voices of so many diverse individuals speak their own truths, in all of their individuality and complexity, he provides one of the clearest and most compelling portraits available of the phenomenon of plural attractions. Savin-Williams brings us right inside their experiences, and allows us to share his empathy, his curiosity, his admiration for their strength and courage, and his celebration of their dazzling diversity. -- Lisa M. Diamond, author of Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women's Love and Desire
