Two Many and Not Enough

Developing sexual identity is a challenge for individuals who do not fit neatly into monosexual categories. This paper explores the use and meanings of bisexual identity among 917 individuals who are attracted to both women and men or have had sexual contact with both women and men. The data are from the International Bisexual Identities, Communities, Ideologies, and Politics (IBICIP) study. The main focus of this paper is qualitative analysis of the meanings individuals impute to their bisexual identities; also included are data regarding the popularity of various bisexual and non-bisexual identities, the use of multiple sexual identities, and gender and racial differences in the popularity of bisexual identity. A key point emerging from this analysis is the distinction between the meaning of bisexual identity and the definition of bisexuality.