Two-thirds of straight women and one-third of straight men are unwilling to date a bisexual person of the opposite sex, according to a YouGov poll published today, during Bisexuality Visibility Week. The poll illustrates how lingering stereotypes negatively affect people’s impressions of bisexual individuals.
The poll — which surveyed 5,983 Britons during late March, including 2,031 straight women and 1,517 straight men — found that 48% of all respondents had positive views of bisexual people and only 8% had negative views. The remaining percentage had neither a positive nor a negative view of bisexuals.
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When the survey asked straight women and men why they were unwilling to date a bisexual person of the opposite sex, most (16% and 19%, respectively) said they “just don’t” or claimed, “It’s just a preference.”
A nearly similar portion, 17% of straight women and 16% of straight men, said they felt like bi people are more inclined to cheat, or that they themselves would feel insecure that they’d be unable to provide a bi partner whatever they get from a same-sex partner.
Interestingly, 9% of straight women said they feel disgust or discomfort towards men with same-sex experiences, 8% worried about possible sexual health risks, and 10% of straight men said they considered bisexuality to be either religiously or morally “wrong.” Approximately 12-13% of all straight respondents said they just wanted their dating partner to be heterosexual.
Emphasis on the beliefs and behaviors towards bisexual individuals as well as stereotyping bisexual individuals.
Still missing the forest, I see.
Well, you’re each focused a bit much on your own tree, but the one who is also seeing the forest is velma, not you.
Your tree: “negative” applies to the entire sentence, including “beliefs” and “behaviors”, not just “attitudes”. Correct.
velma’s tree: the definition also includes stereotyping and prejudice stemming from misconceptions. Correct.
The forest: that you don’t consider an attitude or belief “negative” is immaterial when it has a negative effect on bi folks’ well being or safety.
Also, initiating a sexual relationship with a bi person because you wrongly believe based on your incorrect stereotype of bi people that this will lead to threesomes is something I would classify as negative behavior. Especially when the threesomes predictably don’t materialize.