1.Bisexual people are straight and "doing it for attention", or they are in denial of being gay.
These two options are often divided by gender with women categorised as the former.
The narrative surrounding women is that they are straight and feigning bisexuality to seek the attention of men. I have had this said to me many times before, and I am sure many other women like me have. This myth is furthered still as the majority of television and film is shot with the male gaze in mind, and mainstream lesbian porn is catered to straight men.
With the second option bisexual men are frequently assumed to be gay and in denial. This binary view can also link to the patriarchy as it perpetuates the idea that bisexual women are attracted to men, and bisexual men are attracted to men.
Thinking about bisexuality in this way is erasure as it removes the fact that bisexual people are attracted to all genders.
2.All bisexual people want a threesome with you.
Of course some may be into this, but when meeting new people being asked "Threesome?" is plain rude, and not the first request anyone should have to come to expect.
3.They must have a preference.
This is just not true, but a lot of bisexual people do have a preference and this doesn't somehow lessen their sexuality in some way. There are people whose identities have seemingly been decided for them by society because they have been in long term "heterosexual" or "gay" relationships, even when they have publicly spoken about identifying as bisexual. Taking away this part of someone's identity is erasure. No matter what my partner's gender identity is I am still bisexual.
The following celebrities have discussed identifying as bisexual.
4.They are "greedy".
This is a very unfair comment to make. Nobody can help their sexual orientation, and just because attraction to all genders could potentially mean being attracted to more people than somebody straight for example does not necessarily mean they would be. To anyone who holds this view I ask: why do you even care? Are people who practice polygamy as part of their religion "greedy" in the same way?
5.Bisexual people are just "going through a phase".
This phrase is also used to describe anyone who doesn't identify as straight. People should not be thought of as straight until proven otherwise, and by not taking how somebody identifies seriously you are erasing a part of who they are.
Although, sexuality is fluid and experimentation is normal. Some people feel they were born into their sexuality whereas others feel theirs has changed, and again both are completely normal.
As it stands there are very few portrayals in pop culture that highlight the reality of this identity.
Young bisexual people need acceptance and role models to look up to in order to realise that how they feel is totally okay. For now this is a largely misunderstood sexuality with many myths and misconceptions surrounding it, and that needs to change.