Bisexuality

Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females (gender binary),^[1]^[2]^[3] to more than one gender,^[4] or to both people of the same gender and different genders.^[5] It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, which is also known as pansexuality.^[6]^[7]^[8]

The term bisexuality is mainly used for people that have both heterosexual and homosexual attraction.^[1]^[2]^[9] Bisexuality is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation along with heterosexuality and homosexuality, all of which exist on the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. A bisexual identity does not necessarily equate to equal sexual attraction to both sexes; commonly, people who have a distinct but not exclusive sexual preference for one sex over the other also identify themselves as bisexual.^[10]

Scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences,^[11]^[12]^[13] and do not view it as a choice.^[11]^[12]^[14] Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, scientists favor biologically based theories.^[11] There is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males.^[3]^[9]^[15]

Bisexuality has been observed in various human societies,^[16] as well as elsewhere in the animal kingdom,^[17]^[18]^[19] throughout recorded history. The term bisexuality, like the terms hetero- and homosexuality, was coined in the 19th century by Charles Gilbert Chaddock.^[20]^[21]

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference AmPsycholAssn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Sexual Orientation". American Psychiatric Association. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
^ ^a ^b Bailey, J. Michael; Vasey, Paul; Diamond, Lisa; Breedlove, S. Marc; Vilain, Eric; Epprecht, Marc (2016). "Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17 (2): 45–101. doi:10.1177/1529100616637616. PMID 27113562. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^ "Understanding Bisexuality". American Psychological Association. 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Carroll JL (2015). Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Cengage Learning. p. 322. ISBN 978-1305446038. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2019. Pansexuality is also sometimes included under the definition of bisexuality, since pansexuality rejects the gender binary and encompasses romantic or sexual attractions to all gender identities.
^ Rice, Kim (2009). "Pansexuality". In Marshall Cavendish Corporation (ed.). Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Marshall Cavendish. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7905-5. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2012. In some contexts, the term pansexuality is used interchangeably with bisexuality, which refers to attraction to individuals of both sexes... Those who identify as bisexual feel that gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation should not be a focal point in potential relationships.
^ Soble, Alan (2006). "Bisexuality". Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-313-32686-8. Some bisexuals' attractions, however, appear to be gender 'blind'; that is, they are attracted to individuals independently of their sex- and gender linked attributes ... People with a gender-blind or 'pansexual' orientation are open not only to relations with men and women as traditionally figured in our society but also to relations with individuals who identify themselves as some combination of man/woman or some alternative gender entirely.
^ ^a ^b LeVay, Simon (2017). Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199752966. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^ Rosario, M.; Schrimshaw, E.; Hunter, J.; Braun, L. (2006). "Sexual identity development among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths: Consistency and change over time". Journal of Sex Research. 43 (1): 46–58. doi:10.1080/00224490609552298. PMC 3215279. PMID 16817067.
^ ^a ^b ^c Frankowski BL; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence (June 2004). "Sexual orientation and adolescents". Pediatrics. 113 (6): 1827–32. doi:10.1542/peds.113.6.1827. PMID 15173519. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b Lamanna, Mary Ann; Riedmann, Agnes; Stewart, Susan D (2014). Marriages, Families, and Relationships: Making Choices in a Diverse Society. Cengage Learning. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-305-17689-8. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016. The reason some individuals develop a gay sexual identity has not been definitively established – nor do we yet understand the development of heterosexuality. The American Psychological Association (APA) takes the position that a variety of factors impact a person's sexuality. The most recent literature from the APA says that sexual orientation is not a choice that can be changed at will, and that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors...is shaped at an early age...[and evidence suggests] biological, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality (American Psychological Association 2010).
^ Gail Wiscarz Stuart (2014). Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 502. ISBN 978-0-323-29412-6. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016. No conclusive evidence supports any one specific cause of homosexuality; however, most researchers agree that biological and social factors influence the development of sexual orientation.
^ Gloria Kersey-Matusiak (2012). Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care. Springer Publishing Company. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8261-9381-0. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016. Most health and mental health organizations do not view sexual orientation as a 'choice.'
^ Balthazart, Jacques (2012). The Biology of Homosexuality. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199838820. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
^ Crompton, Louis (2003). Homosexuality and Civilization. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01197-7.
^ Bagemihl, Bruce (1999). Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. London: Profile Books, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86197-182-1.
^ Roughgarden, Joan (May 2004). Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24073-5.
^ Driscoll, Emily V. (July 2008). "Bisexual Species: Unorthodox Sex in the Animal Kingdom". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
^ Nadal, Kevin L. (2017). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4833-8426-9. OCLC 994139871.
^ Harper, Douglas (November 2001). "Bisexuality". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 26 October 2004. Retrieved 16 February 2007.

[AmPsycholAssn-1] Cite error: The named reference AmPsycholAssn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[healthyminds.org-2] "Sexual Orientation". American Psychiatric Association. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2012.

[Bailey-3] Bailey, J. Michael; Vasey, Paul; Diamond, Lisa; Breedlove, S. Marc; Vilain, Eric; Epprecht, Marc (2016). "Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17 (2): 45–101. doi:10.1177/1529100616637616. PMID 27113562. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.

[APA_on_bisexuality-4] "Understanding Bisexuality". American Psychological Association. 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.

[:2-5] Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Carroll-6] Carroll JL (2015). Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Cengage Learning. p. 322. ISBN 978-1305446038. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2019. Pansexuality is also sometimes included under the definition of bisexuality, since pansexuality rejects the gender binary and encompasses romantic or sexual attractions to all gender identities.

[Sex_and_society-7] Rice, Kim (2009). "Pansexuality". In Marshall Cavendish Corporation (ed.). Sex and Society. Vol. 2. Marshall Cavendish. p. 593. ISBN 978-0-7614-7905-5. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2012. In some contexts, the term pansexuality is used interchangeably with bisexuality, which refers to attraction to individuals of both sexes... Those who identify as bisexual feel that gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation should not be a focal point in potential relationships.

[Soble-8] Soble, Alan (2006). "Bisexuality". Sex from Plato to Paglia: a philosophical encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-313-32686-8. Some bisexuals' attractions, however, appear to be gender 'blind'; that is, they are attracted to individuals independently of their sex- and gender linked attributes ... People with a gender-blind or 'pansexual' orientation are open not only to relations with men and women as traditionally figured in our society but also to relations with individuals who identify themselves as some combination of man/woman or some alternative gender entirely.

[LeVay-9] LeVay, Simon (2017). Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199752966. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2019.

[Rosario-10] Rosario, M.; Schrimshaw, E.; Hunter, J.; Braun, L. (2006). "Sexual identity development among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths: Consistency and change over time". Journal of Sex Research. 43 (1): 46–58. doi:10.1080/00224490609552298. PMC 3215279. PMID 16817067.

[pediatrics2004-11] Frankowski BL; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence (June 2004). "Sexual orientation and adolescents". Pediatrics. 113 (6): 1827–32. doi:10.1542/peds.113.6.1827. PMID 15173519. Archived from the original on 20 March 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2019.

[Lamanna-12] Lamanna, Mary Ann; Riedmann, Agnes; Stewart, Susan D (2014). Marriages, Families, and Relationships: Making Choices in a Diverse Society. Cengage Learning. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-305-17689-8. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016. The reason some individuals develop a gay sexual identity has not been definitively established – nor do we yet understand the development of heterosexuality. The American Psychological Association (APA) takes the position that a variety of factors impact a person's sexuality. The most recent literature from the APA says that sexual orientation is not a choice that can be changed at will, and that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors...is shaped at an early age...[and evidence suggests] biological, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality (American Psychological Association 2010).

[Stuart-13] Gail Wiscarz Stuart (2014). Principles and Practice of Psychiatric Nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 502. ISBN 978-0-323-29412-6. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016. No conclusive evidence supports any one specific cause of homosexuality; however, most researchers agree that biological and social factors influence the development of sexual orientation.

[Kersey-Matusiak-14] Gloria Kersey-Matusiak (2012). Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care. Springer Publishing Company. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-8261-9381-0. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2016. Most health and mental health organizations do not view sexual orientation as a 'choice.'

[Balthazart-15] Balthazart, Jacques (2012). The Biology of Homosexuality. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199838820. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2019.

[Civil-16] Crompton, Louis (2003). Homosexuality and Civilization. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01197-7.

[Bio-17] Bagemihl, Bruce (1999). Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. London: Profile Books, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86197-182-1.

[Evol-18] Roughgarden, Joan (May 2004). Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24073-5.

[Bi_Species-19] Driscoll, Emily V. (July 2008). "Bisexual Species: Unorthodox Sex in the Animal Kingdom". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.

[20] Nadal, Kevin L. (2017). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4833-8426-9. OCLC 994139871.

[etymon-21] Harper, Douglas (November 2001). "Bisexuality". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 26 October 2004. Retrieved 16 February 2007.

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