Prime-Time Bi-Sexuals

This television season, bi-sexuality has been featured on TV’s most popular shows. Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Gossip Girl, Glee and 90210 have all created characters that are alluded to, or actually experience the fairer sex.

No surprise, I think this is great. Openly talking about bi-sexuality not only reflects modern sexual culture, but also opens communication for alternative forms of sexuality that have otherwise been hidden, oversexed or demonized.

Popular culture’s representation of bi-sexuality has been evolving over time, but interesting progress has been made over this television season.

First, Gossip Girl. Dan and then girlfriend Olivia, played by Hilary Duff, and Vanessa agree to have the elusive threesome. Passionate, hot, mostly covered to comply with CW standards; the threesome is a pre- and post-pubescent wet dream. However, the morning and days after result in the demise of Dan and Olivia’s relationship because Olivia “saw how [Dan] looked at Vanessa”, revealing that Dan is actually in love with Vanessa. A bit of a warning against the ménage a trois: do it and your boyfriend will leave you. But hey, at least girl-on-girl got some camera time.

Next, Desperate Housewives. Katherine finds out her sexy stripper roommate is a lesbian, and after a few passionate encounters and confused feelings, she admits her attraction. Again, great to give the coverage: one woman falling in love with another, lots of confused self reflection, a realistic bevy of emotions; but the beautiful freedom of expression is othered as the characters acknowledge their outsiderness and opt to disappear from the misunderstanding eyes and judging stares of Wisteria Lane.

But then last week, 90210 gave bi-sexuals the coverage and conversation they deserve. Adrianna’s new friend, Gia, admits her lesbian lust for her. Scared and confused, Adrianna confides in her besties, Naomi and Silver, and Silver says the following,

Adrianna - "... If I'm having feelings for a girl, does it mean I'm gay?"

Silver - "I dunno, I don't think sexuality is black and white. It's more of, like a spectrum. Yeah there are some people who are 100% gay or a 100% straight. But honestly, I think most of us fall somewhere in the middle. It just depends on where we are and who we're open to falling in love with. At least that's what Kinsey found. You know, the important thing is not to get caught up in the labels. How does Gia make you feel?"

Amazing. Here are a group of girls at an age of self-realizing sexual identity fully accepting their friend’s feelings. No judgement, no shock, and best of all, no hetero-sexualizing or over-sexing it. They do not make bi-sexuality the evil, abnormal sister of heterosexuality, but rather state it as it is, a matter of fact preference. No worse, no better, no more deviant, no sexier than the heterosexual “norm”. Even when Adrianna and Gia kiss for the first time, it's awkward and shy. This is how bi-sexuality and alternative forms of sexuality should be approached. Yes, I know it’s coming from the CW, but they have loyal legions of young fans that are seeing this complete acceptance and the removal of oversexualizing that Kat Perry songs and Tila Tequila trash have previously misrepresented.

Bi-sexuals rejoice! Please let this be a sign of a new generation of understanding and sexual exploration, removed from deviant and over sexed labels. Love men, love women, love sex and be a happy, healthy, accepted individual!