As Hard Copy has noted before, bisexuals face unique mental health challenges that often exceed those of other sexual minority populations. It has long been known that bi-sexual men face negative judgments from both straight peers who question their masculinity and from gay peers who question their authenticity. A study of 200 self-identified cisgender bisexual males in the UK explores this phenomenon in greater depth, showing that bi-negativity from the heterosexual community is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, whereas bi-negativity from the gay community is not; contrary to the researchers’ expectations, experiencing rejection from within the gay community resulted in a stronger assertion of identity and better mental health outcomes. What still needs to be examined is whether heterosexual bi-rejection is more harmful when it comes from straight women who would never knowingly date a bi-man or from straight men who would not befriend a bi-man out of fear that he might be attracted to them.
Bi-Negativity and Mental Health
