Another sexual minority is coming out of the closet: bisexuals–those with attractions both to the opposite sex and to their own–a group often condemned by gay activists, who deny there is such a thing. And yet bisexuals reportedly constitute 40% of the LGBT community. After the jump, an account of an effort to form “more bisexual-friendly churches.”
Honest question: Wouldn’t it be legitimate to encourage bisexual individuals, especially those in the church, to enter into a heterosexual marriage, in which he or she would be faithful, suppressing all other sexual desires, as all other married couples are expected to do?
From Bryan Ballas, Destroyed Foundations: Calling for ‘Bisexually Healthy Congregations’ – Juicy Ecumenism:
With the gay rights movement getting old and the transgender movement in full swing, religious leftists are now moving on to bisexuality. To that end, Marie Alford-Harkey recently hosted a webinar stressing the need for more bisexual-friendly churches.
After defining a bisexual as one who has an “enduring romantic, emotional, and sexual attraction to people of more than one sex or gender,” Alford-Harkey noted that bisexuals constitute the LGBT’s largest demographic (40%) and at least 25% of transgendered demographic. Additionally, she noted that anywhere between 1.2-16% of the general population identify as bisexual, depending on which statistical methods are employed. She was quick to point out that simply being in a straight, married relationship does not rule out the possibility of a bisexual orientation. Finally, Alford-Harkey asserted that the only criterion one has to meet to be considered “bisexual” is to claim the identity.
Alford-Harkey claimed that this pro-bisexual initiative is made necessary by the fact that bisexuals carry a greater rate of risky physical and mental behaviors, which are products of a biphobic society’s oppressive prejudices, rather than a flaw in their lifestyle. She then ran through a list of “myths” about bisexuals, namely that they are greedy, are in transition to homosexuality, and are more promiscuous than their straight and gay counterparts.
Biphobia emanates from both the Faith and the Gay and Lesbian Communities, as they both reject the existence of the bisexual orientation. In fact, Alford-Harkey is critical of the term “gay marriage,” because it glosses over the bisexual identity.
To combat this biphobia, she calls for “bisexually healthy congregations,” which are welcoming, affirming, and “privilege” no sexual orientation over another. They also celebrate sexual diversity through the mediums of preaching and worship, emphasize that sexuality is a gift, and make sure church leaders are okay with discussing the issue. Churches must provide congregational support for adolescents who seek to nail down their sexual identities. They must also supply pastoral care for bisexuals through the medium of referrals to bi-inclusive therapeutic services, rather than those that recommend a change in their lifestyle.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In