Speaking Out Loud About Bisexuality: Biphobia in the Gay and Lesbian Community

Abstract

This article presents the results of a survey conducted during the 2002 Universités d'Eté Euroméditerranéennes des Homosexualités (UEEH)—The Euromediterranean Summer School for Homosexualities, which took place in Marseilles. The authors sought to understand biphobia among gay men and lesbians and to encourage discussion about bisexuality, which had been practically nonexistent during the previous years' conferences. With this intention, in addition to promoting discussions about the attitudes of gay men and lesbians toward bisexuals, a one-page questionnaire titled “Le Gueuloir Bi” was widely circulated with the collaboration of several colleagues, Catherine Deschamps, Alexandre Clemens, Sandrine Pache (Vogay Lausanne), and Stephane Levraro (BiCause). The word gueuler is a colloquial expression for shouting and protesting. The researchers invited gay men and lesbians who were in Marseilles that year to share their thoughts about bisexuality. Their critique of biphobia also showed the researchers' own desire to feel at home in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community, as is the case for many bisexuals in other countries. Ninety-three persons answered the “gueuloir”: 21 women, of whom one identified as bisexual, 69 men, of whom one identified as bisexual, two individuals who identified as transgender, and one person who identified as “bigender.” The smaller number of female respondents reflects their representation at the UEEH. Most of the participants were in fact spokespersons, representatives, or activists, as well as members of the associations and collectives forming the intellectual and activist elite of gay and lesbian communities. One can thus say that the reactions to the “gueuloir” represent significant trends in the perception of bisexuals and bisexuality in France.

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