Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The Adventures of Bisexual Batman

Years ago, I wrote a novel called “Love, Sex, and Understanding the Universe.” Believing that there were many who would get a lot out of the book, I recently decided it was important to finally publish it. To be sure that the people who would appreciate the book - which is about a fictional bisexual young man - would know it existed, I decided to open a Twitter account. On Twitter, I searched for what was being said about bisexuality. What I found appalled me. You can read the rest of the story on how Bisexual Batman rose from the mist here

Twitter, by far, has way more biphobia than any other social media I've seen. Though I've adopted the Bisexual Batman alter ego for Tumblr as well, I've found that site to be hugely bi-friendly and have very rarely seen any biphobia there.  

As @BisexualBatman on Twitter I reply to biphobic tweets with remarks pointing out the tweeter's bigotry or ignorance, or reply with links to accurate information about bisexuality. When they engage back with me, I try to educate and get them to see how harmful their words can be. I also retweet unique positive comments, and interesting non-phobic comments, about bisexuality. I “favorite” other positive remarks. I reply with encouraging or helpful comments to people who seem to be under some kind of distress about bisexuality. I tweet congratulations when appropriate. I inform those with questions.

Here are examples of the kinds of things I've come upon:

A young high school student came out to her parents as bi, they took it well but the experience has left her shaken and her friends are concerned.

A middle-aged man saying that studies have shown that all women are bisexual, and no men are bisexual. Two women were vehemently arguing with him. At some point he ends up saying women are only bisexual during their “non-fertile” time of the month.

Multitudes of tweets claiming “Bisexual men? Nah, niga, you gay!”

Many tweets proclaiming “I would NEVER date a bisexual.”

Claims are made repeatedly that girls say they are bisexual just to get attention from men.

Frequent mentions that giraffes are bisexual.

A young girl who once experimented with another girl is upset when her Girls Club leader proclaims that all bisexuals are "dirty sluts." She doesn't want to confront her for fear she will “look at her differently.”

Bisexuality is defined on a regular basis as “never being disappointed by what you find when you reach down somebody’s pants.”

A woman who repeatedly reminds Huffington Post Gay Voices to say “same-sex marriage” instead of “gay marriage.” Huff Post more often than not still saying “gay marriage,” and never replying to her tweets about that and other bi-erasure stuff she sees on their page.

Tons of tweets leading to porn sights with the hashtag bisexual.

Mentions that bisexuals ALWAYS cheat or “fuck you up.”

People laughing at and making fun of sexually inexperienced people claiming they are bisexual.

Many, many, tweets saying that it’s okay to be gay, or bisexual but not okay to judge people, some change that to “not okay to wear crocks”

Many tweets saying, gay, straight, bisexual, black, white, brown, if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you.

People saying it's okay to be bi but not okay for men to say they love lesbians but think two men together is disgusting.

Proud proclamations of “I’m bisexual.”

Someone insisting that educational institutions have to recognize that there are gay, bisexual and transgendered kids.

People who say they wish others would stop insisting that they label their sexuality.

A bisexual girl complaining that bisexuals complain about gay people too much.

People declaring that they just came out as bisexual and feel great.

People wondering if they should come out.

People wondering if liking just some people of one sex or the other makes you bisexual or not.

A girl asking what the bible says about bisexuals.

Quips about bisexuals trying things and thus being trisexuals.

A lot of people saying they are confused about the meaning of the words bisexual, pansexual, and polysexual.

A proclamation that bisexual women will “always have relationship problems.”

People regularly announcing that other people (who they name) are bisexual.

Several times there were people vehemently arguing about whether someone they know is bisexual or not.

A woman declaring that "now every girl is bisexual, and you guys aren’t gettin good dick.”

A link to an Advocate article saying that Lou Reid was “perhaps bisexual” then describing his obviously bisexual life.

A link to an article where two men say they are proud to identify as gay then go on to describe their joint love-affair with a bisexual woman.

Arguments that not all bisexuals are binary any more than all gays are happy and all lesbians are residents of the isle of Lesbos.

Tweets that insist that bisexuals "fuck everyone."

Tweets that ask "why can’t everyone be bisexual?"

Tweets asking if the person they are tweeting to is bisexual.

Tweets from people wondering if they themselves are bisexual, and friends assuring them that they are not.

Tweets informing other people that they (the other person, not the tweeter) is bisexual, sometimes saying that's okay, sometimes laughing about it seemingly good naturedly.

Slews of tweets announcing, celebrating, or bemoaning (sometimes with great melodrama), that Lady Gaga, Zac Efron, Michelle Rodriguez, the Disney Princess Mulan, or the comic book character Loki ,have recently come out as bisexual.

Tweets declaring that celebs come out as bisexual just for publicity or to win fans in the LGBT community.

Men proudly announcing that their girlfriend is bisexual.

Men lamenting that their girlfriend isn't bisexual.

People saying that someone in their life is bisexual, but “that cool.”

Women saying they are tired of telling men, "yeah, I'm bisexual, but that doesn't mean I want to have a threesome with you and your girlfriend."

A man saying bisexuals are "immature hoes."

People saying "I'm bisexual, remember?" or "I'm BISEXUAL, not gay."

People saying that they forgot someone was bisexual.

A lesbian asking what's wrong with dating bisexuals.

A lesbian saying that all of her recent girlfriends have been bisexuals so "yeah, maybe I do have a type."

I, as Bisexual Batman have been accused of being MADDD, Crazy, a Bitch, a baby, a weirdo and an ass wipe. I've have been thanked, laughed at, laughed with, told repeatedly to Fuck off, and admonished "don't be a victim." There were a lot of “Who are you?” One young girl asked if I was a stalker. Quite often biphobic tweeters try to bully me by being even more biphobic and are stumped when I don’t crumble. A few times biphobic tweeters have apologized.

Bisexual Batman’s tweets and retweets have been retweeted and favorited several dozens of times.

I have gained many new followers, all of whom I’d never heard of before.

I had a man think it necessary to tell me that he has sex with men and women and does not identify as bisexual.

I've had a woman, who was saying terrible things about bisexuals, tell me she is dating a bisexual, and she hates bisexuals and I should fuck off.

I've been accused by a right-wing homophobic group as being part of the “gaystopo.”

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