Bigenderism and Bisexuality

The term “bigender” is proposed to describe people who combine male and female gender identities. Bigenderism is to be distinguished from “bisexuality” whose meaning would be limited to sexual attraction to both sexes. This change in terminology allows for more precise theory and clinical formulations, since some cases of bigenderism have been mistakenly identified as transgender. The relationship between gender identity and sexual orientation is discussed in the classification schemes of Kinsey, F. Klein, and Krafft-Ebing, and in some cases described by contemporary clinicians. Irrational ideas about bisexuality and bigender, and the way they inform understanding of transference and countertransference, are identified and analyzed.