Bisexuality Defined:
A person who is sexually attracted to and engages in sensual or sexual relationships with people of either sex. A bisexual person may not be equally attracted to both sexes, and the degree of attraction may vary over time.

What Causes Bisexuality?:
Some people believe that a person is born heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual (perhaps due to prenatal hormonal influences) and that their identity is inherent and unchangeable. Others believe that sexual orientation is due to socialization or conscious choice (example: choosing lesbianism as part of a political feminist identity). Others believe that it has to do with all of the above. Because biological, social, and cultural factors are different for each person, everyone's sexuality is highly individual, whether they are bisexual, gay or lesbian, heterosexual, or asexual.
The value placed on one's sexual identity should not depend on its origin. Many people assume that bisexuality is just a phase people go through. In fact, any sexual orientation can be described as a phase. Humans are diverse. Individual sexual feelings and behavior change over time. The creation and consolidation of a sexual identity is an ongoing process. Since we are generally socialized as heterosexuals, bisexuality is a stage that many people experience as part of the process of acknowledging their sexual preference. Many others come to identify as bisexuals after a considerable period of identification as gay men or lesbians.
A recent study by Ron Fox of more than 900 bisexual individuals found that one out of every three had previously identified themselves as lesbian or gay. Bisexuality, like homosexuality and heterosexuality, may be either a transitional step in the process of sexual discovery or a stable, long-term identity.

Identifying those who are bisexual:
There is no right or wrong way to be bisexual. Due to pre-programmed expectations that stem from our upbringing, we expect bisexuals to look a certain way and behave in a certain manner. Yet, bisexuals come in all shapes and sizes, from all occupations, from all levels of educational, races, and cultural backgrounds.
Due to homophobia and prejudice, some people refuse to tolerate bisexuals. As a result, bisexuals suffer from discrimination and violence just like gays and lesbians. This is why so many gay and lesbian organizations now include bisexuals in their work for civil rights.
Unfortunately, stereotypes about bisexuals being unreliable, sex-crazy, and not queer enough are more myth than truth. However, changing the minds of those who have determined to stay closed on the subject is a challenge that is ongoing.

Is bisexuality common or rare?:
It is not easy to determine how common bisexuality might be since little research has been done on this subject. Most studies on sexuality have focused on heterosexuals or homosexuals. Based on research done by Kinsey in the 1940s and 1950s, as many as 15-25% of women and 33-46% of men may be bisexual, based on their activities or attractions.
Bisexuals are in many ways a hidden population. In our culture, it is generally assumed that a person is either heterosexual (the default assumption) or homosexual (based on appearance or behavioral clues). Because bisexuality does not fit into these standard categories, it is often denied or ignored. When it is recognized, bisexuality is often viewed as being part heterosexual and part homosexual, rather than being a unique and complete identity within itself.
As a result, bisexuality is perceived to threaten the
accepted way of looking at the world by calling into question the validity of rigid sexual categories. Furthermore, it encourages acknowledgment of the existence of a diverse range of sexuality. Since there is not a stereotypical bisexual appearance or way of acting, bisexuals have begun to create their own visible communities to combat misconceptions.

Misconceptions about bisexuality:
Many misconceptions about bisexuality are perpetuated in movies, television, and magazines. The media has a tendency to trivialize bisexuality, presenting it like the cheap pornographic fantasy of a man involved in a sexual threesome. This is related to the myth that bisexuals are fiendishly focused on sex and must have lovers of both sexes to feel completely fulfilled. However, many bisexuals remain celibate. Other bisexuals are very capable of maintaining monogamous relationships. They are still "bi" no matter with whom they commit to spend their lives. As with people who are gay or straight, the decision to be celibate, monogamous, or polyamorous rests with every individual.
Along with the myths of bisexuality can come other complications. The difficulty of calling oneself "bi" is sometimes exacerbated by a fear of stigmatization and discrimination from both the homosexual and heterosexual communities. Bisexuals are sometimes viewed by members of the gay community as blurring the issues and weakening their organized movements. However, attitudes are changing and the communities are learning to live in harmony together.
Mainstream society also seems to be taking the cue about changing attitudes. A new kind of bisexual chic is taking over as America realizes the public emergence of this sexual identity. The mention of bisexuality in written publications has tripled in the last decade in comparison to the previous one as the ever changing American social conscience develops a love affair with this take on sexuality.
It seems now that, with the changing values of our society, more and more people are open to sexual experimentation and exploring their long suppressed bisexual feelings. The orientation which once proposed a serious challenge to the gender polarity involved in sexuality is now coming of age while disputing former boundaries and causing the more established views on sexual preference to redefine themselves.

What about bisexual relationships?:
Like all people, bisexuals have a wide variety of relationship styles. Contrary to common myth, a bisexual person does not need to be sexually involved with both a man and a woman simultaneously. In fact, some people who identify as bisexual never engage in sexual activity with one or the other (or either) gender. As is the case for heterosexuals, gay men, and lesbians, attraction does not involve acting on every desire. Like heterosexuals and gay people, many bisexuals choose to be sexually active with an exclusive partner for the purpose of enjoying a long-term monogamous relationships. Other bisexuals may be involved in open marriages that allow for relationships with same-sex partners, three-way relationships, or a number of partners of the same or opposite gender (singly or simultaneously).
Again, there are no set rules. This sexual preference can demonstrate itself in many different ways. It all depends on the individual. Once more, right or wrong, bisexuality is as old as the human race and, no doubt, is here to stay. How well we do as a society in dealing with the subject will depend upon the attitudes of all those who live in it.