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A review by inkdrinkers
Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
"Bisexual people need to regularly decide whether or not to come out, knowing that if they don't, they will probably be mislabeled as straight or gay."
Julia Shaw's Bi sets out to tackle the misunderstanding around the label that is tied to so many stigmas and negative connotations in our world. Bisexuality is the "invisible" sexuality, often lumped in with the rest of the LGBTQA+ umbrella, but never given spaces to breathe by itself.
I loved how this book chose to not only contextualize bisexuality, but discuss the wider issues with the world seeing sexuality as black and white or gay or straight. There are so many topics covered in this little book that made my heart happy, from discussion of open relationships as early as the 1800s to taking a real, difficult look at erasure of the bi community even though the mother of pride was bisexual.
Admittedly, my favorite section was by far and large the discussion about social identity and the way social media has changed the discussion around sexualities. I loved the small talk about parasocial relationships and how bisexual people who are visibly out are already changing the way culture views and speaks about bisexuality. This was just an overall fascinating read and I'm so glad I picked it up! I'm eagerly planning a trip to get a physical copy because I want to go through and highlight some of my favorite segments and quotes. Shaw had an incredible voice that not only conveyed serious topics but made me laugh out loud multiple times.
I would 100% recommend this read to anyone who is curious and wants to broaden their preconceived notions about sexuality! It's a wealth of information from historical impact to current discussion and I feel like is a wonderful starting point to understand viewpoints that might be different than your own.
Content Warnings: Biphobia/Homophobia/Lesbophobia (all discussed in detail, as it catalogues historical looks at the queer community), sexual violence/sexual assault/rape (mentions in regards to bisexual individuals being more likely/hate crimes), sexism (brief discussion about identities), racism (discussion about identities impacting social standing)
Julia Shaw's Bi sets out to tackle the misunderstanding around the label that is tied to so many stigmas and negative connotations in our world. Bisexuality is the "invisible" sexuality, often lumped in with the rest of the LGBTQA+ umbrella, but never given spaces to breathe by itself.
I loved how this book chose to not only contextualize bisexuality, but discuss the wider issues with the world seeing sexuality as black and white or gay or straight. There are so many topics covered in this little book that made my heart happy, from discussion of open relationships as early as the 1800s to taking a real, difficult look at erasure of the bi community even though the mother of pride was bisexual.
Admittedly, my favorite section was by far and large the discussion about social identity and the way social media has changed the discussion around sexualities. I loved the small talk about parasocial relationships and how bisexual people who are visibly out are already changing the way culture views and speaks about bisexuality. This was just an overall fascinating read and I'm so glad I picked it up! I'm eagerly planning a trip to get a physical copy because I want to go through and highlight some of my favorite segments and quotes. Shaw had an incredible voice that not only conveyed serious topics but made me laugh out loud multiple times.
I would 100% recommend this read to anyone who is curious and wants to broaden their preconceived notions about sexuality! It's a wealth of information from historical impact to current discussion and I feel like is a wonderful starting point to understand viewpoints that might be different than your own.
Content Warnings: Biphobia/Homophobia/Lesbophobia (all discussed in detail, as it catalogues historical looks at the queer community), sexual violence/sexual assault/rape (mentions in regards to bisexual individuals being more likely/hate crimes), sexism (brief discussion about identities), racism (discussion about identities impacting social standing)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Racism and Rape