20 Microaggressions That Are Sure to Piss Off Your Bisexual Friend

Any person who identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum is going to have experiences of someone saying something that really pisses them off. Bisexuals are no exception.

Over the past couple of months contributing to this site, I've referenced quite a few of these in several different posts. I'm here today to bring them all together. See, when it comes to interacting with bisexuals/pansexuals/omnisexuals, there are some definite "Don'ts."

Whether it refers to a tired stereotype, contributes to biphobia or bisexual erasure, or is just plain ignorant, here are some things to avoid saying to the bisexuals in your life:

1. "Bisexuality isn't real."

2. "You wouldn't get it because you're a lesbian," or anything else that mislabels us.

3. "But, if you had to choose, would you pick men or women?"

4. "You can't be bi. Nobody can really be bi. Everybody has a preference."

5. "So, you're totally down to have a threesome with me and my boyfriend, right?"

6. "I wish I were bisexual. I hate being straight. Guys are the worst."

7. "He was bisexual, but he's with a girl now, so now he's straight."

8. "I went through a bisexual phase, too."

9. "You're just experimenting right now. You'll figure it out eventually."

10. "I don't date bisexuals."

11. "Because if I were to date someone who's bi, I'd have to worry about them cheating on me."

12. "I could turn you straight," or "I could make you go 100% gay."

13. "I think bisexuality is greedy."

14. Anything that refers to us not being straight or gay "enough."

15. "He can't be bi, he's married to a chick."

16. "If you haven't had sex with both men and women, how do you know you're bi?"

17. "I think you'd feel better if you just came out all the way."

18. "It must be nice to just be able to switch genders when men are pissing you off, or vice versa."

19. "How many threesomes have you had?"

20. "I don't think we need more bisexual representation on TV. What's the big deal?"

Just remember, folks; in any situation, it's better to respectfully ask questions or simply keep comments to yourself rather than intentionally or unintentionally offend someone.

If you're wondering how that might look, here's an awesome example: