Blog Spotlight: The Design Times

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Open Forum: The Bisexual/Bi-Racial Overlap

Society tends to see things in black or white and often does not see shades of gray. Differences challenge us to open our minds and see that most things and people are not an absolute but simply fall into some shade or variation of whatever attribute we happen to be discussing at the time.

I see an overlap between bisexual and bi-racial people who probably know all too well what it is to not fall into societies neatly arranged categories of self identification. For bi-racial people many struggle with being stuck between two races and cultures. They are plagued by a society forcing them to choose one identity or the other but seldom allowing them to be who they are which is indeed a bit of both. Even if they do self-identify more with one identity, people often look at that person as a wannabe and not truly part of the race and/or culture. This creates a no-win proposition for bi-racial individuals and families.

Bisexual people face a similar struggle. Most bisexuals fall on a continuum of attraction towards men and women, some leaning more to the gay side and others more to the straight side. It creates a struggle for self-identification because if they label themselves straight, they are lying and if discovered will be considered a deviant. If they label themselves gay and then date someone of the opposite sex they are considered a traitor and confused about their sexuality. This creates a dilemma for the bisexual to accurately self-identify as who they are.

Do you see a parallel between bisexuality and bi-racial issues when it comes to identity formation?