Gender & Sexuality dictionary
bi erasure
or bisexual erasure [bahy] or [bahy-sek-shoo-uh l ih-rey-sher]
Where does bi erasure come from?
Bi erasure stems from various stereotypes about bisexuality, the most common being that perception that it is not a distinct sexual orientation but rather a stepping stone or phase before a person identifies as a certain sexual orientation.
Bi erasure can have a significant impact on bisexual individuals. It may cause them to avoid identifying as such or feel overlooked in society 鈥�听as if they have been erased in the broader culture, hence the name. The term emerged in tandem 飞颈迟丑听biphobia (discrimination against bisexual individuals) in the 1990s.
Bi erasure received mainstream attention when the Netflix show Orange is the New Black was released in July 2013. The show was criticized for referring to bisexual characters as either straight or “ex-lesbians.”
In 2016, X (f0rmerly Twitter) was accused of bi erasure after its algorithm began blocking words and hashtags deemed inappropriate. One outcome was that no photos appeared when “bisexual” was searched. Users vented their frustrations at what X called “a mistake.”
Examples of bi erasure
Who uses bi erasure?
Both straight and queer people may be guilty of overt or covert听bi erasure, such as ridiculing bisexual individuals as indecisive or sexually greedy rather than acknowledging the legitimacy of their sexual orientation.
Bi erasure is commonly used in discussions of LGBTQ+ social justice and media criticism and studies. For example, the term was used by actor Amandla Stenberg in reference to her own bisexuality and pansexuality in 2016. It also notably came up in the media in 2018 when actor Cynthia Nixon, who identifies as bisexual, ran for governor of New York.
That year,听bi erasure听was also a topic of conversation during the release of the film Bohemian Rhapsody听about Freddie Mercury, frontman of the rock band Queen. Critics claimed the film participated in听bi erasure by portraying Mercury as gay when he was bisexual.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of bi erasure like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of bi erasure that will help our users expand their word mastery.