|
|
First up, great thread. Given that I can barely tread water amongst all the theory-bitches here, I'm just going to ask a few questions, and make some quasi-relevant observations, and try not to look too stupid...or at least try and pretend I'm joking...
quote:
Originally posted by lick my plums, bitch
To start with, personally, have a whole big problem with the term bisexual... it's the most used/recognised one, and the one which if i use gives people some vague image that isn't a million miles away from what i'm trying to define.
Could you expand on this please? For me, personally, as a male bisexual, the terms does smack a little of 30-year old, guardian-reading, geography teachers from south london with leather patches on their tweed jackets, a signed copy of 'the joy of sex' and a habit of having swinging orgy parties in his suburban house. But for me, at least, the term seems pretty viable, and I can't think of any alternatives, or what the subtleties of meaning an alternative would have, other than slightly hipper connotations. So please, someone, expand, explain, elucidate. What's wrong with the term and what would an alternative mean, and how would it differ from 'bisexual's meaning?
quote:
Originally posted by Ganesh
...To a certain extent, this goes on in the gay community (or rather, the gay scene) too, with those individuals not readily classifiable as a 'type' (y'know; bitchy queen, Muscle Mary, bear, A-gay, 'straight-acting', etc.)...
what's A-gay? if you try to be one but are crap, does that make you B or C gay???
Vadrice- regarding your assorted comments about asexuality? My hi-school biology defines asexual as being reproduction by splitting in half- I strongly suspect that's not what you're referring to. How is being asexual different from being say, non- or un- sexual, or a theoretically bisexual celibate? Any chance of a nice, sturdy definition?
And finally...
quote:
Originally posted by Deva.
Ahem. Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. I just popped in to give you my fave Judith Butler quote: "Bisexuality is commonly theorized as the coincidence of two heterosexual desires in a single psyche" (you know, your butch/male side desires women, your femme/female side desires men).
I'm not that well acquainted with Judith Butler's work (understatement!!!)- is this quote in the context of a criticism of how bisexuality is usually modelled? If so, does she suggest an alternative, and if so, what? Would it be any less valid to say, instead of saying I'm a straight man and a straight woman trapped in one soul, that I'm a gay man and a lesbian?
A couple of brief observations regarding the subject, also...
I'm sure someone far more versed in the ways of the theory-bitch referred to an argument by Foucoult (IIRC) that 'homosexuality' was 'invented' before heterosexuality, in terms of it being an identity or illness- the term was invented a good few decades before the word 'heterosexual'. Does anybody know how bisexuality fits into all this? And while we're at it, why aren't there (in common parlance) terms for 'monosexual' ie the opposite of bisexual, or people, whether gay or straight who are only attracted to one gender, or generic terms for 'any people attracted to men' or 'any people attracted to women'. Without having such terminology, is it even possible to discuss bisexuality without using clumsy language?
There's also the consideration of specifically bisexual issues which neither straight people or gay people have to worry about, such as when and how you go about coming out to your opposite sex partner (and still maintaining the relationship), and how to deal with that persons potential insecurity about you being unfaithful with someone who has entire sets of sexual organs that person lacks...
Oh, and I third (or fourth if someone else got there first) the move to the headshop.
[ 11-12-2001: Message edited by: Johnny Haiku ]
[ 11-12-2001: Message edited by: Johnny Haiku ] |
|
|