“Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality” by Dr. Julia Shaw
As a straight, white man, I've come to learn that it's no one's responsibility to educate me on communities I'm not a part of but my own. But while I work on doing this, nothing is quite as useful as finding the perfect resource to open my eyes to things outside my own experience. Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality is a book everyone should read, no matter their sexuality.
Significant strides have been made in recent years in the movement for LGBTQ+ right, visibility and empowerment, but the conversation is far from over. After years of feeling the crushing dearth of information on bisexuality, psychological scientist and bestselling author Dr Julia Shaw dug deep and found a colourful and fascinating world that she is bringing out of the shadows. It is a personal journey that starts with her own openly bisexual identity, and celebrates the resilience and beautiful diversity of the bi community.
I was lucky enough to attend the launch event for Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality at the British Library. And after hearing Dr. Julia Shaw talk about the topic, I had no choice but to grab a copy on my way out.
I'm not bisexual. However, my social circle is largely made up of people in the LGBTQ+ community. And I like to tell myself that this means I have a more open-minded view of the world than many others. I don't think I'm perfect, not by a long shot, but I'm trying my best.
In fact, a part of me was reluctant to write about Shaw's book, as I felt it wasn't right for a straight person to do so. This book is so strongly grounded in the bisexual experience that I didn't think anything I could say about it could be valid.
But in the end, I realised I simply had to make it clear which perspective I am writing from. I can't speak for any bisexual readers. While I imagine Shaw's book will be nothing but beneficial to them, I can't intrude on that experience.
What I can talk about, however, are the reasons people like me who might not be bisexual should 100% read this book. Because all my no-bisexual friends need to read this, we have no idea how deep bi-erasure goes.
This was the biggest revelation I took from Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality. While I knew bi-erasure was a thing, I never recognised exactly how prevalent it is. The many logical fallacies we accept in order to pretend bisexuality isn't a thing. The places and situations where people will have consensual, valid, emotional and sexual same-sex relationships but wrap them in reasons it "doesn't count".
In fact, Shaw argues - and I've found myself agreeing with her - that bisexuality might be a significant majority in humankind. We've simply learned to hide it.
Without seeming to try, Shaw left me questioning everything I knew about human sexuality and how society forces us to maintain an artificial binary.
(I do have one complaint about the book, however. And as much as I'd like to ignore it, it taunts me every time I look at the cover. And that's the missing Oxford Comma. You have no idea how badly my fingers itch to add it each time I type it out!)
As someone trying to learn everything that can about relationships and sexualities, Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality is a must-read. And the core of its charm comes from the fact it wasn't born of a dry, scientific or academic interest. Instead, it's the result of Shaw's own desire to learn more about her bisexuality. This was her passion project. Something she couldn't not write. And it leaves us with a book that's not only rigorous and well researched but driven by a passion and personal investment that makes it a joy to read. And not only that, but it truly left me looking differently at how humanity oppresses itself.
