The main reason I’m offended by the constant questioning of ‘cis’ and people calling it an abusive term, is that it suggests that when we talk about gender, cisgender people are automatically ‘normal’, and transgender people are to be singled out. It posits cisgenderism as the default. As many homo- and bisexual people have said over the years to heterosexual people: you’re not normal, you’re just common.

Intro to cis and why having to write this annoys me | l’esprit-d’escalier (via brute-reason)

We are tired of being analyzed, defined and represented by people other than ourselves, or worse yet, not considered at all. We are frustrated by the imposed isolation and invisibility that comes from being told or expected to choose either a homosexual or heterosexual identity.

Monosexuality is a heterosexist dictate used to oppress homosexuals and to negate the validity of bisexuality.

Bisexuality is a whole, fluid identity. Do not assume that bisexuality is binary or duogamous in nature: that we have “two” sides or that we must be involved simultaneously with both genders to be fulfilled human beings. In fact, don’t assume that there are only two genders. Do not mistake our fluidity for confusion, irresponsibility, or an inability to commit. Do not equate promiscuity, infidelity, or unsafe sexual behavior with bisexuality. Those are human traits that cross all sexual orientations. Nothing should be assumed about anyone’s sexuality, including your own.

We are angered by those who refuse to accept our existence; our issues; our contributions; our alliances; our voice. It is time for the bisexual voice to be heard.

Bisexual Manifesto (1990) historic declaration about what it means to be bisexual as defined by members of the bisexual community themselves from the magazine “Anything That Moves”, a literary, journalistic, and topical magazine published in the USA from 1990 to 2002.

MyKellyGreen: Okay, maybe I'm a huge asshole.

bidyke:

cronelogically:

But… “bisexual” does not only just imply attraction to two genders, but actually directly states attraction to two genders. Ya know, “bi” meaning two and all. So why on earth would someone who claims to be attracted to all genders call themselves “bi”sexual instead of pansexual? I mean, if you’re…

Words, binary and biphobia, or: why “bi” is binary but “FTM” is not

Why I identify as bisexual and not pansexual

I don’t think you are a “huge asshole”, I think you are just misinformed. And I think that the fact that you are willing to talk and learn is an admirable thing.

As I’m sure you have now noticed, the vast majority of bisexual people defined themselves as people who have the capacity to ♥ people of same gender as themselves and also to ♥ people of different genders/gender presentations from themselves.

Notice that is how bisexual people themselves define their identity, not how people who don’t know and/or don’t like bisexuals define them. Those other people frequently say lots of (mostly very silly and completely untrue) things, but they are what we like to call “wrong!” and besides other people do not really have the right to define someone else’s identity do they.

I’m really not sure what type of cishomonormativity there is at work that automatically makes a few people jump to the idea that the two in bisexual automatically relates to rigid cisgender categories. Especially when originally bisexuality in animals (as borrowed from botany) was originally meant to describe intersexuality (then called hermaphroditism).

However I do know it is a very recent (no earlier than than late 2005/early 2006) phenomena. The origins of this strange event seems to be a backlash against the rise of of both the trans* as well as the bisexual communities coming from not only the conservative straight culture but also from the more assimilated and powerful/wealthy portions of the gay/lesbian community and their so called “progressive” allies. Additionally in the usa at least, there seems to be an additional component of race/class mixed in.

(Source: crone-logically)