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Bisexual chic is a phrase sometimes used to describe the public acknowledgement of bisexuality among various segments of society. In some cases the phrase can be considered pejorative, when used to trivialize or dismiss genuine feelings of same-sex attraction especially if those expressing these thoughts, continue to exhibit otherwise heteronormative behaviors. Bisexual redirects here. ... Image File history File links Bi_flag. ... Sexual orientation refers to an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction toward others,[1] usually conceived of as classifiable according to the sex or gender of the persons whom the individual finds sexually attractive. ... Bisexual redirects here. ... Pansexuality (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality[1]) is a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. ... Someone who is bi-curious does not identify as bisexual, but has an interest in both men and women to one degree or another. ... Questioning is a term that can refer to a person who is questioning their gender identity, sexual identity or sexual orientation. ... Biphobia is the fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of bisexuals (although in practice it extends to pansexual people too). ... The slang term lesbian until graduation (LUG) is occasionally applied to college women who choose to experiment with lesbian sex or with adopting a temporary homosexual or bisexual identity, but ultimately adopt a strictly heterosexual identity. ... Christopher Street Parade Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures concern the culture, knowledge, and references shared by members of sexual minorities or transgendered people by virtue of their membership in those minorities or their state of being transgendered. ... The notion of the bisexual community is complex and slightly controversial. ... BiNet USA (the Bisexual Network of the USA) is a national network founded in 1990 to formalize the loose network of bi groups and individuals that had developed over the previous several years. ... The UK BiCon (more formally known as the UK National Bisexual Convention or UK National Bisexual Conference), is the largest and most consistent annual gathering of the UKs bisexual community. ... Bi Community News (commonly shortened to BCN) is the United Kingdoms only publication serving the bisexual population. ... Celebrate Bisexuality Day is observed on September 23 by members of the bisexual community and their allies. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... LGBT history refers to the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cultures around the world, dating back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality within ancient civilizations. ... This is a list of confirmed famous people who were or are bisexual: people who have had sexual relations with, or have expressed sexual attraction to both sexes. ... This is a list of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films. ... The portrayal of bisexuality in the media reflects societal attitudes towards bisexuality. ... Bisexual redirects here. ...

One usage of the phrase describes increased public interest in bisexuality, or increased social acceptance of bisexuality. This usage is usually associated with a celebrity coming out as bisexual or being labeled as bisexual, or with a high-profile reference to bisexuality in popular culture media, like a cover article of a magazine. For other uses, see Celebrity (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coming out (disambiguation). ... Popular culture (or pop culture) is the widespread cultural elements in any given society that are perpetuated through that societys vernacular language or lingua franca. ...

The other main usage describes a faddish attention towards bisexuality. This usage is also limited in scope, as it fails to provide relevant content of what it means to be bisexual, to give context to the legitimacy of bisexuality as an orientation, and even to convey a full understanding of bisexuality.^[1] For other uses, see FAD (disambiguation). ...

1 Origin of term
2 Gender contrasts and the decline of bisexual chic
- 2.1 Fading of bisexual chic in the 1980s
3 Reemergence of bisexual chic
- 3.1 Question of male bisexual chic
4 Bisexual chic in the 2000s
5 Criticisms of term
6 See also
7 References
8 Related reading

Origin of term

The phrase came into usage in the 1970s, on the tail end of the hippie movement, which extolled free love. This era ushered in the emergence of glam rock, and British artists like Elton John and David Bowie. In 1980, TIME Magazine referred to Bowie's persona Ziggy Stardust as "the orange-haired founder of bisexual chic."^[2] A media-generated “wave” took place, focusing “on "bisexual chic" in the club scene, and among celebrities such as Elton John, David Bowie and Patti Smith.”^[3] At the same time, bisexual groups formed in several large US cities, heralding the birth of the modern bisexual civil rights and liberation movements.^[4]Musical acts such as Elton John, Mick Jagger, Lou Reed and the androgynous David Bowie made public their experiences with other men, as did celebrities like Marlon Brando and Gore Vidal, Janis Joplin and Joan Baez. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... For the British TV show, see Hippies (TV series). ... The term free love has been used since at least the nineteenth century to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage, especially for women. ... Glam rock (also known as glitter rock), is a rock music style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s which was performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is a 1972 concept album by David Bowie, praised as the definitive album of the 1970s by Melody Maker magazine. ... A nightclub (often dance club or club, particularly in the UK) is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... Patricia Lee (Patti) Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American musician, singer, and poet. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... A liberation movement is a group organizing a rebellion against a colonial power (Anti-imperialism) or seeking separation from a state for parts of the population that feel suppressed by the majority. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Sir Michael Phillip Mick Jagger (born July 26, 1943) is a English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Lou Reed (born March 2, 1942) is an influential American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... If referring to a flower, see disambiguation under bisexual Androgyny is the state of indeterminate gender, or characteristics of gender. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Janis Lyn Joplin (19 January 1943 â€“ 4 October 1970) was an American singer, songwriter, and music arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas. ... Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ...

In 1972, the highly popular musical film Cabaret featured a love triangle with a man and woman fighting for the same (male) lover. The author who inspired it, Christopher Isherwood, was among the first openly homosexual celebrities.^[5] Later in the decade, the androgyny of glam rock and softening of male fashion in the disco movement allowed new recognition for bisexuality as a perceived form of sexual liberation. Cabaret is a 1972 film. ... Christopher Isherwood (left) and W.H. Auden (right), photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Christopher Isherwood (prior to 1946 Christopher William Bradshaw-Isherwood) (August 26, 1904 â€“ January 4, 1986), Anglo-American novelist, was born in the ancestral seat of his family, Wybersley Hall, High Lane, in the north west of... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Glam rock (also known as glitter rock), is a rock music style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s which was performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots. ... This article is about the music genre. ...

The phrase can be used to imply someone is only pretending to be bisexual because it’s fashionable at the moment.^[6] Alternatively, it can be used to assert that someone is free of taboos, experimental, in touch with both masculine and feminine aspects of themselves, and therefore potentially a better lover or even a better person.^[7]

Gender contrasts and the decline of bisexual chic

Fading of bisexual chic in the 1980s

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Bisexual chic has eluded males in recent decades. It fell out of popularity with the increasingly conservative culture that dominated the 1980s. As evidence of the AIDS epidemic surfaced in the media about homosexual men contracting a "strange new illness," promiscuous bisexuals were seen as likely carriers, and the fad waned. As a result, many people who had declared themselves bisexual in the 1970s now retracted their comments. Mick Jagger, Lou Reed, David Bowie renounced their bisexuality in the 1980s. Male counterparts to female celebrity figures flirting with bisexuality are extremely rare. By the 2000s it would represent an apparent double standard. It is unacceptable among males; it is seen as cute and even acceptable among females. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... A double standard, according to the World Book Dictionary, is a standard applied more leniently to one group than to another. ...

Reemergence of bisexual chic

In the early 1990s, another wave of bisexual chic began^{[citation needed]}, again beginning in the celebrity world. This time, however, women were at the forefront of the trend. In Madonna's infamous music video for "Justify My Love," she passionately kisses former Roxy Music model Amanda Cazalet (who is dressed as a man) and her male lover. Madonna also later released her provocative book Sex, as well as revealing her controversial "Erotica" music video that also featured same-sex contact. Openly bisexual comedian and rumored lover of Madonna, Sandra Bernhard, was featured as a bisexual on the popular television sitcom Roseanne amidst the trend. To illustrate the trend, Roseanne later found herself kissed by another woman and was "consoled" by Bernhard's character, bringing bisexuality to Middle America. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... This article is about the American entertainer. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... The Immaculate Collection track listing Vogue (15) Justify My Love (16) Rescue Me (17) Audio sample Justify My Love is a single released by Madonna in 1990. ... Roxy Music are an English art rock group founded in the early 1970s by art school graduate Bryan Ferry (vocals and keyboards). ... Sex is the title of a highly-designed coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames shot by Fabien Baron, released October 21, 1992 by Warner Books. ... This article is about the song. ... Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955 in Flint, Michigan) is an American actress, comedian, author and singer. ... Jackie Harris redirects here. ...

The willingness of heterosexual actors to engage in homosexual behavior for roles in film also fueled bisexual chic. The cult-classic My Own Private Idaho (which is often cited as providing River Phoenix's most potent film role) was released in 1991 and saw Phoenix and Keanu Reeves as gay hustlers. The controversial 1992 hit Basic Instinct featured a glamorous bisexual murderer played by Sharon Stone. In 1993, Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for portraying a gay man who had AIDS in Philadelphia. The fashion industry was the next promoter of bisexual chic, when Calvin Klein and others began to generate homoerotic, lesbian chic, and otherwise sexually ambiguous images as advertisements for their consumers. Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love or sexual desire exclusively for members of the opposite sex or gender, contrasted with homosexuality and distinguished from bisexuality and asexuality. ... My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 gay-themed independent film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeares Henry IV, part 1. ... River Jude Phoenix (August 23, 1970 â€“ October 31, 1993) was an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated American film actor. ... The year 1991 in film involved some significant events. ... Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. ... A male prostitute (or rent boy (UK)/hustler (US)) is a sex worker or prostitute who earns money by providing sexual services to clients. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Basic Instinct is a 1992 thriller film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. ... Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and former fashion model. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Philadelphia is an Academy Award-winning 1993 drama film revolving around the HIV/AIDS epidemic, written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. ... This article is about the corporation Calvin Klein Inc. ...

Popular culture saw a leaning towards the acceptance of gay rights, fueled by celebrities, take effect during the 1990s. Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Elton John, Rupert Everett and others who identified as homosexuals, became enormously popular entertainers. Perhaps taking them as an example, bisexuals or bi-curious people began to be unafraid to announce their orientation. There was a sharp rise in coming out, both among homosexuals and bisexuals^{[citation needed]}. Soon, gays, lesbians and bisexuals were almost ubiquitous in the media, and Hollywood officially had taken the closet door off. Even a star with a huge mainstream following, Janet Jackson, recorded a cover version of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" in which she sings to a woman with whom she is about to engage in a ménage à trois, saying, "This is just between me... and you... and you...." The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and currently the Emmy Award-winning host of the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. ... Melissa Lou Etheridge (born May 29, 1961, in Leavenworth, Kansas) is an Academy Award-winning and two-time Grammy Award-winning American rock musician and singer. ... K.D. Lang, OC (or k. ... Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Rupert James Hector Everett (born May 29, 1959) is a Golden Globe-nominated English actor and a former singer. ... Someone who is bi-curious does not identify as bisexual, but has an interest in both men and women to one degree or another. ... For other uses, see Coming out (disambiguation). ... This article is about the singer. ... // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... Tonights the Night (Gonna Be Alright) is the name of a song written and recorded by Rod Stewart for his 1976 album A Night on the Town. ... Look up mÃ©nage Ã trois in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Question of male bisexual chic

In music, Michael Stipe of the wildly popular band R.E.M. alluded to his bisexual inclinations for the first time during this period. As well, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana said that he could possibly be bisexual in The Advocate during his brief but revolutionary career in the early nineties, as did his wife, Courtney Love of Hole. Popular front man Billie Joe Armstrong for the California-based band Green Day made a profound statement about bisexuality when he came out in The Advocate on January 24, 1995. REDIRECT Template:Infobox Musician John Michael Stipe (born January 4, 1960 in Decatur, Georgia) is the lead singer of the American rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known (and occasionally parodied) for the mumbling style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well... R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by Bill Berry (drums), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Michael Stipe (vocals). ... Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 â€“ c. ... This article is about the American grunge band. ... The Advocate (ISSN 0001-8996) is a US-based LGBT-related biweekly news magazine. ... Courtney Love[1] (born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9, 1964) is an American rock musician. ... // Hole has released three official albums, Pretty on the Inside, Live Through This and Celebrity Skin. ... Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972, in Oakland, California) is best known as the lead vocalist, main lyricist, and guitarist for the rock band Green Day. ... This article is about the band Green Day. ...

Nevertheless, far fewer men are open about committing to or flirting with bisexuality. The above examples of bisexual women far out-number the bisexual men.^{[citation needed]}

Bisexual chic in the 2000s

Some have^[who?] pointed to the first decade of 2000s as another flashpoint for the bisexual chic trend, with sexually fluid musical acts like The Killers, Peaches, and Franz Ferdinand all receiving considerable success. Films alluding to bisexuality (or manifestations thereof) such as Kissing Jessica Stein, Y tu mamá también, Mulholland Drive, Alexander, Kinsey, and Brokeback Mountain are being distributed and received well. In 2005, Alex Kelly featured on The O.C., was a high-visibility bisexual character on U.S. network television, forming relationships with two of the show's main characters. The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, most famous for their hit singles Somebody Told Me, Mr. ... A Peaches promotional photo. ... Franz Ferdinand are an award winning rock band, from Glasgow, Scotland. ... Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) is a U.S. independent romantic comedy starring and written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, and directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld. ... Y tu mamÃ¡ tambiÃ©n (literally And your mother, too, released in English-speaking markets under the original Spanish title) is a 2001 Mexican film directed by Alfonso CuarÃ³n. ... For the street in Los Angeles, see Mulholland Drive. ... Alexander is a 2004 epic film, based on the life of Alexander the Great. ... Kinsey film poster Kinsey is a 2004 semi-biographical film written and directed by Bill Condon. ... This article is about the motion picture. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Alex Kelly (disambiguation). ... The O.C. was an American teen drama television series that originally aired on FOX in the United States , and in Canada On CTV Television Network from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ...

Britney Spears staged a kiss with Madonna (who also kissed Christina Aguilera in the same performance) on an MTV Video Music Awards performance that would continue to fuel bisexual chic, and at the time many news and tabloid outsources referred to it as "lesbian chic", [1] [2] since it was clear from her impending marriage to Kevin Federline that Spears was certainly not a monosexual lesbian. The kiss is seen as a publicity stunt but helped to fuel the ever-growing trend. In November 2006, Paris Hilton appeared in public with her hand on Spears' left breast.^[8] Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning[1] American pop singer, dancer, actress, author and songwriter. ... This article is about the American entertainer. ... This article is about the singer. ... Kevin Earl Federline (born March 21, 1978), is an American back-up dancer, model, actor, and rapper. ... Bisexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by romantic love or sexual desire for members of either or both genders, contrasted with homosexuality, heterosexuality, and asexuality. ... Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebrity and socialite. ...

In 2006, actress and model Carmen Electra (who appeared in glam rocker Joan Jett's music video, A.C.D.C.), revealed that she had a childhood crush on Jett.^[9] Tara Patrick redirects here. ... Glam rock (also known as glitter rock), is a rock music style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s which was performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots. ... Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin on September 22, 1958 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress. ... Look up crush in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In 2006, British sci-fi series Torchwood aired, which features amongst its cast at least two bisexual characters, with all of them described as bisexual by newspapers like The Sun.^[10] This has in turn led to more discussion of the nature of bisexuality across interview programs in Britain, notably Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and others. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For plants known as torchwood, see Burseraceae. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is a chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. ...

According to surveys by the CDC, a larger number of female college and high school students are experimenting with other women than ever before and, in a surprising twist, actually report being encouraged to do so by pop culture for the first time. Whether or not this change in popular culture is longstanding or, indeed, a simple trend remains to be seen[3]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the leading United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people. ...

Criticisms of term

Members of the bisexual community, although usually in favor of bisexual visibility, see “bisexual chic” as an informal form of bisexual visibility that, while potentially helpful, glosses over issues of sexual health and orientation, as well as self-determination and identity politics. The notion of the bisexual community is complex and slightly controversial. ... Within the framework of WHOs definition of health[1] as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life. ... Orientation can refer to different things. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... Identity politics is the political activity of various social movements for self-determination. ...

References

^ US girls embrace gay passion fashion, The Observer, by Richard Luscombe, January 4, 2004
^ Time magazine, Monday, Aug. 04, 1980
^ Bisexuality in the United States: A Social Science Reader by Paula Claire Rust, 2000, pg 538
^ A Brief History of the Bisexual Movement
^ Christopher Isherwood on GLBTQ.com
^ San Francisco's Bisexual Center and the Emergence of a Bisexual Movement by Jay P. Paul
^ Sex in Public: Australian Sexual Cultures by Jill Julius. Matthews; 1997, pg 75
^ http://www.playfuls.com/news_00001729_Britney_Spears_Groped_By_Paris_Hilton.html
^ dotnewsmagazine.com
^ Sarah Nathan (September 2006). Dr Ooh gets four gay pals. The Sun. Retrieved on 2006-10-06. “GAY Doctor Who star John Barrowman gets four BISEXUAL assistants in raunchy BBC3 spin-off Torchwood.”

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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