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Understanding Issues Facing Bisexual Americans

The Bottom Line

Understanding Issues Facing Bisexual Americans is an introduction to the many issues facing bisexual Americans, a frequently invisible community within the LGBT population. Due to unfair laws and stigma, bisexual Americans experience significant and shocking health, safety, and economic disparities. The guide includes policy recommendations to address these harmful disparities and to improve the lives of bisexual Americans.

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project, BiNet USA, and Bisexual Resource Center. 2014. "Understanding Issues Facing Bisexual Americans." https://www.lgbtmap.org/understanding-issues-facing-bisexual-americans (date of access).

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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