I studied useless facts and got a PhD.

In 1948, biologist Alfred Kinsey published the Kinsey Scale, which outlined the vast range of human sexuality and represented it on a scale of 0 to 6; 0 meaning exclusively heterosexual and 6 meaning exclusively homosexual. Kinsey revolutionized our understanding of sexuality by essentially saying that "No, we aren't all straight. And those who aren't straight aren't necessarily gay." Quite an easy concept, right? 

Not so much.

I hate it when I misjudge human intelligence. It's always such a letdown.

Of course, the Kinsey Scale is not perfect, and there are many flaws in the scale that I could go into, as in its focus on sexual activity, its generalizations, the fact that Kinsey did not include asexuality in the scale (to be inputed later), as well as the lack of genderqueer or transgender acuteness in the scale. But I won't go into these issues in this post. Despite the scale's cons, you can't deny the fact that Kinsey's studies are very significant in drawing attention to the sexuality spectrum that is symbolized today in the rainbow pride colours for queer identified people.

Despite Kinsey and his great ideas, many people still act as if there is no such thing as a sexual spectrum in human beings. Open minded people still like their boxes and labels, and are under the impression that everyone can somehow squeeze themselves into one category that is completely exclusive. Bisexuals and pansexuals slip through the cracks still, experiencing polyphobia from both the straight and the gay community because they can't "pick a side." However, everyone is missing the point. Being a polysexual isn't just a transition point that eventually leads to 'picking a side.' They are simply attracted to two or more genders. Who is to tell them that they can't be that way? Attraction is attraction. It is something that can't be helped, so to say that someone should choose who they are attracted to is entirely missing the meaning of attraction in the first place. 

There is also this belief that all bisexuals and pansexuals are just promiscuous people with no boundaries. People are saying this as if there is no such thing as a straight or gay person who is promiscuous. Obviously that has never been seen before. The truth is, just because someone is polysexual does not mean they want to sleep with everyone they see. It's not a matter of "As long as it moves, it's game." People like us have standards too, and just because we have the potential to be attracted to all kinds of people, does not actually mean that we are attracted to EVERYONE. And I'm glad we're not, because that would be one giant fucking headache that I couldn't deal with.

Of course, I'm not saying that there aren't bisexuals and pansexuals who are attracted to many people at once. That's totally natural. Straight and gay people do it too. Same thing goes for polyamory. There are polysexuals who prefer to be in polyamorous relationships, as well as monosexuals who prefer to be in polyamorous relationships. However, it is wrong to assume that all polysexuals are poly in their relationships. Polysexuals have varied behaviours and lifestyles, in the same way that monosexuals do. To say that a bisexual partner would be more likely to cheat is complete bullshit, as non-bisexuals do it as well. Cheating has nothing to do with your sexual orientation, but everything to do with you being an asshole.

Bisexual erasure is a huge problem that definitely needs to be addressed. It is caused by our societal norms which dictate that people are only truly straight or gay and that if you're bi or pan, you're either confused or horny. These kinds of views are what cause many bisexual people to refuse to call themselves such, as they feel that they would be ostracized for doing so. I'm going through this right now - being afraid and wondering if I should ever actually use that word to describe myself. I was determined to never use it, and to instead come out as gay should I end up in a long-term relationship that is a queer one. Sounds great, right? However, it isn't fair, and coming out on the basis of who you're with isn't exactly how it works, or how Kinsey meant for it to be when he came up with his zero to six. The word shouldn't be something to be ashamed of, because there is nothing wrong with being a polysexual person. It is only the world that tells us so, which is why we need to educate others and bring awareness to this issue. Many people dismiss us because they think that bisexuals will all eventually become straight or gay, and therefore do not need "help" in accepting themselves. That's bisexual erasure, and that definitely needs to be stopped. 

Bisexuality and pansexuality are normal and natural. Why should we pretend that it isn't so? Live a lie just because of the biphobia in the world? We need to stop living life as if who we are is wrong because the truth is, there's nothing wrong with it. And once people realize it, it will no longer be a big deal, and we can move on with our lives and find pride in the B that belongs in LGBT.