Biphobia Is Louder Than Ever This Pride – Stop Asking Us To 'Be More Queer'

Who are we to determine someone else's sexuality?In a month in which we’re meant to celebrate queer joy in all its forms, you only need to look at the online discourse around bisexuality at the moment to feel like something is seriously amiss.For instance, look at all the backlash against JoJo Siwa and her relationship with Love Island’s Chris Hughes. Following her CBB appearance, the former Dance Moms star has been at the centre of several headlines about her personal life, following the news that she’d broken up with her long-term partner Kath Ebbs and later began dating fellow housemate Chris Hughes. JoJo, who identifies now as ‘queer’ rather than lesbian has sent the internet into a spiral over the fact that she is dating a man, as though we have a right to say ‘no, sorry, your coming out experience is OVER’. It’s a similar thread of conversation when it comes to Billie Eilish right now – who has also had her bisexuality up for debate online after being spotted kissing long time friend and actor Nat Wolff, sparking gross biphobic tweets such as…billie eilish when it's time to eat that girl for lunch pic.twitter.com/cbOZJg0ormhttps://t.co/mpQuDpb2LL— becstat de lioncourt (@vampirhae) June 8, 2025The proportion of people aged 16 to 24 years identifying as bisexual more than doubled from 2.8% to 7.5% between 2018 and 2023, and while at 32 I might be a bisexual pensioner in comparison to JoJo and Billie, what message are we sending to young people who are trying to understand their sexuality by engaging in ‘how gay is gay enough’ discourse?Because who are any of us to ask someone to prove their sexuality? What receipts are you looking for? Because if someone is only queer enough if they solely date someone of the same gender… I think you may be missing the point of bisexuality in the first place.I’ve known my sexuality since my teen years (shout out to the girl I worked at HMV with who sparked my bi awakening, yes I know it was as obvious as a brick through a window) – in my younger years I was only out in certain groups of friends and family and even now, I’m still firmly in the closet in others. And if there’s one thing I’ve faced time and time again by various people I’ve shares my sexuality with over the years, it’s scrutiny over how ‘believable’ my bisexuality is.Only recently I was asked “well, if you are bisexual, how many women have you slept with?” by a complete stranger who had overheard a conversation between a friend and myself in a pub – as if that is a completely normal fucking question to ask someone, as if there is a number I have to hit or go past to be allowed to determine my own sexuality. What do you want from me? t.A.T.u. lyrics tattoo’d on my forehead? Someone’s sexual history as a marker for their ‘queerness’ is a beyond outdated belief – more than once I’ve had someone of an older generation ask me how someone can be gay or bisexual if they’ve never had sex with someone of the same gender, normally countered by my response ‘how did you know you were straight then?’. And it’s not just straight people I’ve had to convince – I’ve played into the troupes and stereotypes of bisexuality in a bid to appear ‘queer enough’ in certain LGBT circles and spaces. It is utterly fucking exhausting – when others limit my sexuality to whatever relationship I am in, my past and who knows, future, is completely disregarded. twitter when a bisexual is bi: pic.twitter.com/2yuyBvrsos— jessica ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ (@tinkjobej) June 8, 2025If I’m in a relationship with a man, I’m a bisexual for attention. If I’m in a relationship with a woman, I’m a lesbian who can’t admit it. And all of the enraged tweets about JoJo, Billie and other celebs who identify as bisexual and dare to date someone of the opposite sex just prove my worries right. Again, if you were a 14 year old scrolling social media and seeing people tear someone apart for their dating history not being ‘gay enough’, what message are we sending that teenager, especially if they think they might not be straight?Then, of course, there’s the ever present homophobia we face just by talking about our sexuality and its history in the first place. Even writing this has probably gotten me firmly scored off the Christmas card list of some family members – but enjoy saving on stamps this festive season I guess! In a world that is attacking the rights of our entire LGBT+ community, why are we turning on one another? It has never been a more fucking terrifying time to be anything but cis het and we are all having our experiences as queer people invalidated. The least we can do is protect one another’s. And in the month of Pride, is publicly questioning someone’s sexuality something to be proud of?Related...Jojo Siwa Breaks Silence On Miley Cyrus' Controversial Joke About Her At World PrideHeartstopper’s Kit Connor Supported By Cast And Fans After Being Forced To Come Out As Bisexual'I Want To Tell My Parents I’m Bisexual, But I’m Scared Of What They’ll Think'

Comments

Breaking news

Billy Connolly reflects on memories of his youth in new artworks

The Herald

Comments

Breaking news

Billy Connolly reflects on memories of his youth in new artworks

Police Scotland send 80 officers to Northern Ireland as riots spread

I have terminal cancer and won’t wait around for the agonising death my wife had

Seven men convicted of sexual offences against two schoolgirls in Rochdale

Massage parlour offering ‘unparalleled rejuvenation’ turned out to be a brothel

Severe thunderstorm weather warning issued in parts of the UK

'Leave The Mask At Home': The Neurodivergent Dating Rule I Wish I Knew Sooner

Kemi Badenoch Accused Of Making A 'Liz Truss-Style Promise' With Latest Unfunded Policy

Israel's Attack On Iran: Why The UK Is 'Very Worried' About What Comes Next

Police accused of misusing license plate data in hunt for woman who had abortion

Meta sues deepfake ‘nudify’ app which uses AI to remove clothing from photos

Weight-loss jabs could soon be among most commonly used NHS drugs, top doctor says

Wales will overhaul its democracy at the next election. Here’s what’s changing

Florida sheriff warns protesters ahead of nationwide rallies: ‘We will kill you dead’

Some fish feel excruciating pain for up to 20 minutes after catch, scientists find

Nightclub owner arrested following deadly roof collapse which killed 236 people

Download Festival mosh-pit warning over hundreds of ‘accidental’ ambulance calls

Greater Manchester Police chief refuses to apologise for past homophobia in ‘insult’ to LGBT+ community

Earthquakes damage centuries-old monasteries in a secluded religious community in Greece

Footage of Hainualt sword attacker slashing at police shown to court

Archaeologists uncover France’s deepest shipwreck: ‘As if time froze’

Pope confirms when millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonised

Israel and Iran: How do they compare militarily?

Mapped: the 40 cities where anti-ICE protests have erupted across the US

Calls grow for Kristi Noem to resign in the wake of Padilla incident

What to know about Israel's major attack on Iran

Dad-of-two killed in Air India crash after scattering wife's ashes in final wish

Ryanair issues advice on 'joining the left queue' at the airport

Bus operator working to resolve Hamilton pavement parking congestion issue

Young people in West Lothian tasked with designing alternative uses for heat pumps

Air India crash survivor 'watched air hostesses and passengers die' before him

Newly identified Covid symptom that shows you have highly infectious Nimbus variant

Double Scots murderer slices fellow inmate's face open in brutal attack behind bars

UK holidaymakers face 'extreme risk' in two Spanish islands amid high temperatures

Historic rural Stirling bridge set to re-open after nine month closure

Scotland's 'cheapest and most expensive' places for a pint named

Billionaire friend of Prince William dies after swallowing bee while playing polo

How did Google, Spotify, YouTube and more go down at once in massive outage?

SNP minister Neil Gray in fresh 'Limogate' scandal after being chauffeured to pub before Aberdeen game

Wishaw MSP encourages charities working with young people to apply to £50,000 fund

Club World Cup guide: How it works, how to watch - and why some footballers are upset about it

Yung Filly faces further sexual assault charges in Australia

'Danger to life' warning for thunderstorms set to hit UK

Only survivor of Air India plane crash thought he was 'going to die'

Who were the Iranian military chiefs and nuclear scientists killed by Israel?

Berghaus’ £750 five-person tent that can be pitched in ‘just twenty minutes’ is now under £360

This Morning stars in emotional on-air tribute to guest feared dead in Air India crash

Huge £208,000,000 Euromillions draw offering biggest lottery prize ever seen runs tonight

Sole survivor reveals what happens in final seconds before Air India plane crashed

Man charged with murdering 13-month-old baby boy

Passenger on Air India plane before it crashed shares video showing worrying defects

Girl ‘sexually assaulted by teenage boys’ wants violent ‘racist’ Ballymena riots to stop

M62 traffic: Motorway closed in both directions after crash with ‘severe delays’ to last hours for thousands of drivers

Rachel Reeves admits she has no clue where Channel migrants will go instead of hotels

Darren Jones Admits To 'Insulting' Zia Yusuf's Intelligence In Catty Exchange On BBC Question Time

My Mom’s Disappearance Was A Mystery. Then I Saw An Old Photo — And What I Discovered Next Left Me Shaken.

Apple's New iOS Feature Could Solve A Universally Hated Problem

Chef wins £20,000 payout after boss ranted about ‘unreliable Mexicans’ and threatened to get him deported

Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran

Former England star made bankrupt over £36k tax debt