Bi America: Myths, Truths, and Struggles of an Invisible Community

by William Burleson
Rutledge (formerly Haworth Press) 2005
ISBN-10: 1560234792  ISBN-13: 978-1560234791

 

Have you been to a bisexual community picnic? How about a bisexual conference? A bi cabaret? Do you know if there is a bisexual community where you live?

In the United States there are at least five million bisexual people, generally invisible to the straight society, the gay community, and even to each other. While the vast majority of these five million people live within the straight or gay world, there are a few, if only a few, who have formed a community of their own. Bi America will take you on a tour of this bi community, and help us understand what it means to be bisexual in America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Because
• Chapter 2: Relating Bisexuality to the World: The Jerry Springer Show
• Chapter 3: Bisexuality Defined
• Chapter 4: In Search of a Bisexual Community
• Chapter 5: Women’s and Men’s Experiences: Penthouse Bisexuals and Support Group Men
• Chapter 6: The Transgender Community
• Chapter 7: What Is The Relationship Between Non-Monogamy and Bisexuality?
• Chapter 8: The Bi Community in the Time of AIDS
• Chapter 9: The History of the Bisexual Community
• Chapter 10: The Future of the Bi Community: GLBT Identity vs. Cyberspace
• Chapter 11: Because Repris
• Appendix A: The Survey
• Appendix B: The Bisexual History Project
• Appendix C: Resources

The Buzz

I HAPPENED TO STUMBLE ON YOUR BOOK when I was wandering around the library one day out of boredom. I checked it out, out of curiosity. I have been a bisexual since I could remember, but being only 18, and having just came out, I was interested in a resource. I immediately related to many of the topics. I have never felt more like I was inside my own head. All the things that I think, all the things that I experience, hate and invisibility, were there. I felt like at last, someone understood me. My first serious girlfriend broke up with me last week, because she said that she couldn’t deal with the idea that I would leave her for a man, and she found it hard to believe that I loved her because I was a bisexual. I have dealt with comments like this from so many lesbians i have befriended, and your book opened my eyes. I am not the only one, and there is a Bi community that will welcome me, despite my inability to “pick a gender”. Thank you so much, I have never felt so much at home in my orientation, or so happy in my choice to be openly Bi.–S.H. 2-10-2006

“I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK to anyone who is curious about bisexuality, loves a bisexual person, or thinks they might be one. Bi America has been waiting for a book like this. Written in an engaging, witty, and conversational style, it vividly paints a picture of the hopes, dreams, and struggles of bisexual people in the United States today. Burleson combines information and personal interviews from the Bi History Project, an online support group, and bi community activists and participants to convey a sense of the out and proud bisexual community–who we are and where we’re heading.”– Beth A. Firestein, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Inner Source Psychotherapy

“ENJOYABLE AND INFORMATIVE. . . . There is no question that this book will provide readers with a better understanding of the social, sexual, political, and HIV-associated situations of bisexuals and help them to quell the related misunderstandings that surround them. Burleson writes beautifully and provides a very evenhanded depiction of the bisexual in America .”- Martin S. -Weinberg, PhD, Professor, Department of Sociology, Indiana University ; Co-author of Dual Attraction: Understanding Bisexuality

“THIS BOOK OFFERS IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF BISEXUAL ACTIVISM AND COMMUNITIES in the US , including local, regional, and cyberspace groups. It situates bisexual practices in the context of other queer practices and communities in the US , including transgender, HIV, and non-monogamous.”– Serena Anderlini D’Onofrio, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities, University of Puerto Rick, Mayaguez; Editor of Plural Loves:Designs for Bi and Poly Living

I JUST FINISHED YOUR BOOK a couple weeks ago and I can’t tell you how much it has helped me! I’ve on a bulletin board for married women who love women, some of whom are Bi. I’ve recommended your book at least 20 times since I finished it…it seems that there is always a question someone asks that you’ve answered in your book!

Seriously…thank you. It’s so difficult to find information on bisexuality here, and in spite of the internet, I still found myself at a loss for direction at times. Your book was a Godsend!  Best Regards, Laurie   8-19-2005