Tag Archives: Bisexuality

Halsey Responds To The Buzzfeed Article Penned About Her Sexuality

Halsey – who is openly bisexual – has responded to the not-so-cool Buzzfeed article penned about her sexuality; saying that it plays into bi-erasure, and the minimising of bisexuality in the queer narrative.

The article, titled What Does A Queer Pop Star Look Like In 2016, is a lengthy piece that analyses Halsey’s sexuality in conjunction with her celeb status.

It questions her motives for kissing women at her concerts; makes comments about her musical lyric and videos, accusing them of lacking same-sex romance in each; and lays judgement on her social life.

Perhaps Halsey will avoid incorporating too much queerness into her image in the future…. Or perhaps she’ll prove that being an androgynous, bisexual pop star is a real possibility in the mainstream.”

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The article even takes a dig out her recent VMA performance with Andrew Taggart of The Chainsmokers, saying,

Her VMAs outfit, however, was one of her most traditionally feminine picks: sparkly white bell bottoms and a tiny matching crop top showing a peek of underboob, the look topped off with a plain long brown wig. She and Taggart might have looked like an unremarkable straight couple to anyone who didn’t know better.”

Halsey has always been open about her sexuality, her past struggles, and her emotions.

She has since deleted the tweets, but she wrote in her denfece on Twitter “Sorry I’m not gay enough for you” and referred to the story as a

tiresome analysis of my 1 year in the public eye and the ignorance of 8+ years of sexual discovery to determine if I’m truly queer. [And it] is part of a mentality so engrained [sic] in the erasure of bisexual ‘credibility’ even within the lgbt community.”

Evan Rachel Wood Condemns Press Coverage Of Amber Heard’s Bisexuality

Evan Rachel Wood has hit out at the press coverage of Amber Heard’s bisexuality, and ridiculous headlines that allege Amber’s “lesbian friends” urged her to leave husband Johnny Depp.

Since the news hit the air waves that Heard had filed for divorce and was granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband, a number of news reports have discussed her sexuality in a derogatory manner.

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Especially now papers are trying to link Heard with super-model / actress Cara Delevingne.

Stories are surfacing that Depp became suspicious of Heard’s relationship with the model – with the actor reportedly ‘driven insane’ over worries that his wife had strayed.

Wood – who is also openly bisexual – shared her thoughts Twitter this weekend.

Amber Heard‘s sexuality is only relevant in that bi women are at far greater risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. Bisexuality however is not a reason for violence. It doesn’t mean Heard is somehow immoral or deserving of abuse.”

(Wood has since deleted the tweet.)

Wood is also said to have retweeted a tweet, which read,

What does amber being bisexual and having lesbian friends have to do with anything? F*** the media seriously..”

Heard appeared in court on Friday, with a visible bruise on her face, and alleged that Depp threw a Phone at her face last Saturday and was also violent towards her on several occasions during their 15-month marriage.

Heard wrote in the court documents.

I live in fear that Johnny will return to the residence unannounced to terrorise me, physically and emotionally,”

In court papers responding to Heard’s plea for the restraining order, Depp’s lawyer Laura Wasser claimed,

Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse. Her current application for a temporary restraining order along with her financial requests appear to be in response to the negative media attention she received earlier this week after filing for divorce.”

The negative media coverage Wasser alludes to is the commentary surrounding the fact Heard chose to file for a divorce just days after Depp’s mother Betty Sue died.

Depp has not released a statement since the news Heard had been granted a restraining order has emerged. But after the news they did not have a prenupt agreement and Heard was choosing to seek spousal support, he said the following.

Given the brevity of this marriage and the most recent and tragic loss of his mother, Johnny will not respond to any of the malicious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies about his personal life. Hopefully, the dissolution of this short marriage will be resolved quickly.”

 

 

 

Why We Should All Be More Sex Positive in 2016

2015 was a groundbreaking year for feminism. Society at large generally decided that enough is enough – and women and men have been banding together to put an end to the sexist double standards that exist. But we still have a long way to go, ladies – particularly as it pertains to sexuality.

The weird thing about this particular movement is that, all we really need to do to break the boundaries that exist between women and sex in society is to talk about it more. This isn’t a right we have to fight for, it’s not a law we have to pass, it’s just a stigma that needs to be broken.

In most cases, these particular feminist actions only require that women agree to one simple statement:

I define my sexuality. My sexuality does not define me.

This statement seems like it should be so easy to embrace, but for many women (and men) the concept is still hard to grasp. Don’t believe me?

Because sex workers are still considered criminals in most societies.

I have known a few sex workers (not intimately, of course) and I have learned that there are generally two reasons why someone might enter into that particular line of work:

  • They were in a vulnerable position, and someone manipulated them into feeling like the sex trade would help them. In many cases, these women are forced into it against their will, or if they do enter that lifestyle voluntarily, there may be a threat of violence if they try to leave. Many believe they have no other options.
  • They felt they were in a powerful position, and saw an opportunity to make a lot of money without any special training or tools. They have made a business decision over their own body, and these are the women who operate as their own bosses. They are often selective about their clients, or they may work in a sex trade that does not allow the clients to physically touch them (such as strippers and porn actresses).

Between these two situations, which woman are you supposed to look down your nose at? Whether you agree with their decisions or not, there is most likely a reason behind their choice that might not be apparent at first glance.

The women who are involved because they feel they have no other options should not be treated as criminals. These women are often victims of rape and domestic violence. But until we change our views surrounding women and sex, they will be perpetuated as homewreckers and thieves – even if they have no choice in the matter.

The women who are operating their body as a business shouldn’t really be criminalized either, though. Sex work is one of the oldest professions in the world – dating all the way back to the Roman Empire. There have been strippers and prostitutes and even sex slaves throughout all of history. Personally, if everyone involved is a consenting adult, how is it anyone else’s business?

Because rape survivors are still blamed for being raped.

Victim blaming is still a very real thing with rape survivors. Many people never report the assault because they know they’re going to have to deal with the onslaught of questions that follow – the questions that seek to prove, without a reasonable doubt, that they didn’t actually want it. These questions are often traumatizing, and unlike most other crimes, there is almost never any evidence to prove the victim is telling the truth.

This isn’t only from the standpoint of justice, either. Most victims of sexual assault never even get to that point because they fear judgment from those around them. They worry that people will ask them things like, “Well, you must have done something to provoke it.” “Well, what were you wearing?” “Well, if you didn’t want it, why did you let it happen?”

In a perfect society, when someone reported a rape, it would be handled just like any other crime (whether legal or personal). But the assumption is that a woman will “call rape” just because she feels guilty about having sex with someone. More positivity over our sexual expression may help to alleviate victim blaming because it allows women to be freer when they do enjoy sex. This way, there is no confusion between “rape” and “bad sex” – no means no.

Because women who dress provocatively are still called sluts.

This happens to tie in with victim blaming (above), too – we presume that if someone dresses with sex appeal, they must be doing it to get sex. Let me tell you, the two things rarely go hand in hand. Slut-shaming isn’t the only form of sex-negative attention our clothes get, either. Think about the last time you realized that someone “dressed gay”, or that you “didn’t look gay enough”. We don’t think about the deeper meaning within these words, so let me put it a different way.

Clothes say absolutely nothing about sex life.

We assume that someone’s stylistic expression is a reflection of their sexual preferences. A woman in a short skirt is presumed to be getting attention from a lot of men, whereas a woman in cargo shorts and a snapback is presumed to be pulling in a lot of ladies. It’s completely arbitrary, though, and the sooner we stop connecting the two things, the sooner we realize that you literally can’t tell anything about a person by the clothes they wear except what clothes they like – and even that is open to interpretation.

Because trans and butch women are still considered perverts for using public facilities.

I am so glad that trans issues are getting more attention this year, but it breaks my heart when I think about how much of this attention is still largely negative. We’ve made a lot of progress as a society, but it seems like every step forward is met by a step backward. Particularly as it pertains to the whole public restroom debacle – trans and butch women are stereotyped, marginalized, and sometimes even physically assaulted, simply for using public facilities.

This comes from a place of sexual insecurity, of the most damaging kind. The people who would place an assumption that these women would have ulterior motives for being in public spaces that everyone else gets to take for granted is completely unfounded and operates from the assumption that there is something inherently wrong with them – because their gender and/or sexual identities do not correspond with what society has deemed as “normal”.

Many places are now taking steps to remedy this situation by compromising with “all genders” bathrooms, but this has received its fair share of backlash, too. First, it sets us back to a “separate but equal” standpoint where the descriptively-vague are still treated as different. Second, it sets the precedent that people are still allowed to not want “those people” in “their bathrooms”. Does this sound like a problem to you?

Because women who breastfeed in public are still told to put their breasts away.

Feeding a child – the only real purpose boobs play in the world – is still considered obscene and sexual. Many people still compare it to a man pulling his penis out in a crowded subway (yikes!) – despite the fact that having someone see your penis is definitely not as important as early childhood nutrition. (Sorry to disappoint you!)

It is completely understandable that women are divided on the issue of whether to breastfeed in the first place, but it’s an important decision with many benefits and drawbacks. There are, of course, pros and cons for bottle feeding, as well, but no mother I have ever spoken to has listed sexual gratification as her reason for breastfeeding her child.

The idea that women’s bodies are inherently sexual is way overdone. I don’t know about you, but I think the person who is sexualizing breakfast is the one with the problem here. You might not have chosen to breastfeed your own child. You might not even have breasts, or children for that matter. But the idea that anyone has the right to tell a woman to stop feeding her child is completely ridiculous. Let’s leave it behind.

Because female nipples are still obscene and male nipples are still not.

It’s a little funny when we start comparing breastfeeding boobs with not-nourishing-a-child boobs, because in one case it’s only the nipple that’s offensive, and in the other case, the nipple’s covered – and people still complain. And, in both cases, if a man was doing it, no one would say a word.

Did you know there are special backpacks that allow fathers and non-lactating mothers breastfeed their child? In many cases, the exchange of oxytocin during this bonding process may actually stimulate lactation, even in men. This brings us an interesting idea… Would a man breastfeeding in public get the same sort of negative attention that women do?

The entire #FreeTheNipple movement that happened over the past year has proved, without a doubt, that man nipples are never considered sexual, while female nipples always are… even when they’re in the mouth of a child. Keep up the good work on this one – there’s still a long way to go before we reach true nipple equality.

Because the only trans women who get attention are the “conventionally attractive” ones.

In 2015, we were still largely judging people’s worth based on how attractive they were, and this really needs to stop. All trans women are women, and humans, and any notion that they have to conform to what someone else finds sexually appealing is overplayed and on its way out. Whether a trans woman “passes” or not is really none of your concern, nor is it your concern whether she’s had surgery or not.

Not all trans people choose to go through with surgery, nor do all choose to use hormone therapy or even wear makeup and “female clothes”. Do we really still care that much about what people look like?

This comes from the idea that someone is only as important as their presumed sexual worth to us. It’s the same thing that tells femmes that being gay is “a waste”, the same thing that tells studs that they “might as well be men”, and presumes that a gay man will treat a straight man like that straight man treats women. It’s an assumption that is very rarely grounded in facts and it leads to a lot of ignorance in the gay-straight intersection.

But it’s not just cis/straight people who are guilty of this, either, and that’s something that we in the community need to acknowledge – every day, there are lesbians who dismiss trans women as “not being a part of the gay community”. There are trans women who don’t consider themselves part of the gay community because they have always been attracted to men – and according to their gender identity, that makes them straight. The thing that both of these sub-groups fail to realize is that we all face similar problems as women, and even if we don’t band together under the rainbow umbrella, we do still need to band together as women.

Coming To Terms With Your Sexuality

Coming to terms with your own sexuality is always a complicated and unique experience.

There are a lot of opinions out there. Some will tell you what you are feeling is just a phase. Some will tell you that you are just second guessing yourself, and to let that idea go. Others will try to get you to believe that what they are saying is the truth.

Ignore them. Ignore them all. No one can tell you how to feel, or who to love.

The only person who can uncover the truth is yourself.

If you are struggling to come to terms with the fact that you might be gay, know that you are not alone. Many struggle with these exact issues. And there is a way to deal with it.

You need to spend some time to re-evaluate yourself.

Go somewhere quiet where you can be alone, and think. This is key! You need to think. Think about who you are, what makes you you. Remember all of the positive things about you, and know that no matter what your sexuality is, it does not determine your self-worth.

Imagining yourself as both heterosexual and homosexual – ignore social norms and figure out which one feels more natural to you. When you imagine yourself kissing someone, is it always a woman? Do you find women attractive, and in more than just a physical way? Which gender makes your heart race and palms sweat more?

Homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual – they are all just labels used to describe types of love. Focus less on the labels and more on your feelings.

How you feel is more important than how other people might label you.

Coming to terms with your sexuality takes time. It won’t happen over night. You’ll go through some emotions, very similar to the Five Stages of Grief.

1. Denial – “No, I’m not gay. I can’t be.”

2. Anger – “Why is this happening to me?”

3. Bargaining – “Maybe if I experiment a little I’ll find out I’m not actually gay…”

4. Depression – “I can’t believe I might be gay”

… until finally you come to the most important stage:

5. Acceptance.

Accepting your sexuality (no matter what it is) is a profound experience. It’s this moment where your mind suddenly becomes crisp and clear.

You stop, and realise that, yes, this is your sexuality and that it isn’t that bad. When you accept your sexuality, you will feel this huge weight lifted off of your shoulders. Suddenly, everything falls into place. All your problems have a source and all your feelings have a reason. Suddenly, you can’t stop smiling.

Some people have always known that they were gay. It takes others a long time to come to terms with their own sexuality.

No pace is wrong, or too slow. You have to take your time and really feel confident in yourself.

No one can tell you what to be. If you’re gay, you’re gay! You cannot decide to be gay or straight. You can only decide how and when you will accept your sexuality.

And when, and if, you accept your sexuality, it will feel amazing.

Like everything in life, there are things you cannot change. You cannot change your sexuality. You can only change your reaction to it. If you choose to accept that you are gay (or straight, or bi, or whatever), it is a huge step in your growth as a person that needs to be celebrated.

It’s your right to love; no one has the right to tell you otherwise.

Queen Latifah Looks To Quash Sexuality Rumours

Ah a celebrity lesbian rumour. They always catch our attentions; and one woman always on our radar is Queen Latifah.

In a new interview for Variety, Latifah addressed her sexuality, or rather the lack of clarity about it on it.

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Since she starred earlier this year, as bisexual blues icon Bessie Smith in her HBO biopic, questions have surfaced once more about who she is bedding.

At the time, Latifah, as usual, refused to open up about her sexuality. Now, she’s explaining why neither fans nor bloggers nor tabloids will ever hear a word from her about whom she’s bedding.

I know what I’m doing in my private life, and I know what I’m not, and I know me. And people who are not privy to that don’t know; they don’t know what they think they know. This is Bessie’s story. It has nothing to do with my life. There’s a difference for me between being honest and sharing my business with people who don’t need to know my business. So why would I start doing anything differently now because of ‘Bessie’?”

Although Latifah refuses to open up about her sexuality, she explains that she understands why people talk about it so much.

Also read: Queen Latifah Says Homophobia is Still Widespread in the Entertainment Industry

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I think it’s human nature. People have curiosity about people’s sexuality, because we’re curious about sex. I think the problem is we don’t talk about it enough. We act like sex is bad sometimes. We act like love is bad sometimes, or makes you weak somehow.”

To be fair, it’s not just an issue of being interested in sex. Fans have also had their interest piqued because of a number of photos of Latifah in intimate settings with a few of her alleged girlfriends.

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However, Latifah explains that she tries not to focus on what the tabloids are saying about her.

At some point I told all my friends, ‘Don’t come to me with negative stuff in a magazine.’ Let them write whatever they want to write. I can’t control it,”

Although Latifah has gotten used to tabloid talk about her sex life, she says there’s one area of her life where she refuses to let the tabloids pry.

Don’t write about her family.

Then I’m ready to not only sue you, but put a knuckle sandwich in your mouth. That’s where my Jersey roots come out!”

Queen Latifah Says Homophobia is Still Widespread in the Entertainment Industry

Queen Latifah – the Grammy winning rapper, and Emmy nominated actress – says she thinks homophobia is still as prevalent in the entertainment industry as it was half a century ago.

Talking to the Metro, about her recent role as legendary bisexual blues singer Bessie Smith, Latifah said:

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I think she was probably more open then than people are now. It was a different era, but people weren’t as politically correct as they are now.”

However, the actress thinks that although people claim to be more open-minded, they are still as bigoted as they were fifty years – they have just learnt to “hide it” better.

They can be just as racist, sexist and classist [sic] now as then but they just won’t say it in the same way now. They’ll kind of hide it.”

Talking of why she took the part of Smith, she added

I’ve kind of been through some of the things that Bessie has been through. I’ve lived a little bit of her and I can speak from a more authentic place.”

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She also said that she wishes more fellow rappers would “say more” about serious subjects and “go against the grain to keep things interesting.”

It takes a little courage – people have to be brave enough to use their voices, not to be the status quo.”

She previously said of the film:

People’s ideas in general are antiquated when it comes to who you love. We haven’t moved as quickly as we probably should. The reality is that there’s always been gay people in the black community, so it’s not foreign to us. And not just as a black community but just a society as a whole.

Who you choose to marry is really up to you and it’s not something you should be judged on. I don’t find being gay or lesbian to be a character flaw. Couples should be protected under the laws of this country period.

It actually angers me. It’s not unusual so let’s be adults and let’s move forward.”

‘Bessie’ Director Dee Rees Discusses How the Fearless Bisexual Singer Inspired Change (Video)

Fearless filmmaker Dee Rees discusses how Bessie Smith challenged her to challenge audiences and inspire change. Watch her critically acclaimed film Bessie on HBO NOW.

Queen Latifah gives the most impressive performance of her film career in the movie Bessie. Last month she talked to to BET’s Clay Kane,  and opened up about the lesbian love scenes in the film, and says people shouldn’t be caught off guard by what they see.

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People feel a type of way when they see any sexuality on-screen. I think its almost human nature. People are so fascinated by it. It shouldn’t even be a discussion. But it is, because people are still curious, and people still wonder how they feel about things. At the end of the day I don’t really care if someone feels uncomfortable about it. It is what it is, and it’s life. So you either deal with it or not. It’s just part of who she is, and I had to tell the story honestly.”

L Word Actress Clementine Ford Discusses Labels and Sexuality In “Words In My Mouth”

Actress Clementine Ford is probably best known for playing Molly Kroll in iconic queer show The L Word. As Molly, the daughter of Phyllis Kroll (played by Ford’s mother in real life, Cybill Shepherd), she fell for lothario Shane, despite initially having been dating a man. Molly’s time on the show was significant for viewers as it was an example of how sexuality can change, but for Ford the role was significant as it was on The L Word set in which she fell hard; for a woman.

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When she fell for this woman during her time as an L Word cast member, it wasn’t the first time that she’d had feelings for someone of the same sex as she’d had romances with women when she was younger, before dating men, getting married, and then getting divorced. But it did set off an unfortunate chain of events for the actress.

Also read: How TV Culture and Lesbian Visibility Have Changed After The L Word

Namely, there was the fact that this woman Ford fell for appeared to be biphobic, having said “You’re not bi, are you? Because bi girls are a fucking nightmare. Ugh. They’re just so—”, to which Ford replied that she was “totally gay”. And also because once they broke up and Ford continued to date, before eventually settling down with a woman, the actress did an interview with DIVA Magazine which they ran with the headline “Clementine Ford comes out!” while non-lesbian websites said “Cybill Shepherd’s daughter a lesbian!”

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In a new personal piece on AfterEllen called “Words In My Mouth”, Ford explains that those headlines calling her a lesbian were not entirely true. Following DIVA’s piece Ford did an interview with TV Guide explaining that she wasn’t interested in labels, but after the interview she felt as though she was “letting everybody down” and so she went on TV and told people that she’s gay.

Flash forward a few years and Ford began dating a man named Cyrus, who had been her co-star, and after asking her mother for advice, Shepherd went on TV and told viewers that her daughter had a boyfriend, causing dismay from Ford and severe backlash from the public.

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In the piece, Ford explains that despite having dated both women and men, at the time she wasn’t sure where she fell on the Kinsey scale. She wasn’t a lesbian because she liked men and she liked women so she couldn’t be straight either. As for bisexual, she didn’t want to put that label on herself because, as she puts it, “no one likes bisexuals”. And so after speaking to her sister, Ford decided to identify as ‘queer’, saying that “nothing felt truer than identifying as a lesbian, but queer was a close second”.

Perhaps as expected, the comments on that personal piece are particularly nasty, with many commenters attacking the actress for shunning bisexuality and for ‘not being brave enough’, with one commenter saying that “it’s time bisexuals say they are”. However, Ford is part of a growing community who chooses not to identify as either gay, straight, or bisexual.

Also read: What Does it Mean to be Gender Fluid?

 

Many more people are choosing to identify with the word queer for the fact that their sexuality is fluid and that is the word that they feel most comfortable with – should society force them to choose some sort of label. So we applaud Ford for her honesty and for being so open about her identity; no matter how divisive it is.

 

Queen Latifah Defends Lesbian Love Scenes in ‘Bessie’

Queen Latifah gives the most impressive performance of her film career in the upcoming HBO original movie Bessie.

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Talking to BET’s Clay Kane, Latifah opened up about the lesbian love scenes in the film, and says people shouldn’t be caught off guard by what they see.

People feel a type of way when they see any sexuality on-screen. I think its almost human nature. People are so fascinated by it. It shouldn’t even be a discussion. But it is, because people are still curious, and people still wonder how they feel about things. At the end of the day I don’t really care if someone feels uncomfortable about it. It is what it is, and it’s life. So you either deal with it or not. It’s just part of who she is, and I had to tell the story honestly.”

There are several scenes in the film where Latifah’s character makes out with other women, and at one point viewers see Latifah completely nude.

I had to go to a lot of different layers, I had to let it all hang out. People will see me in a different way than they have as an actor.”

Bessie premieres on HBO Saturday at 8/7c.

 

First Teaser Released for ‘Bessie’, the Biopic of Bisexual Blues Singer Bessie Smith

Few people know the story of American jazz and blues singer Bessie Smith; but they should. Bessie Smith was easily the most popular female blues singer during the 1920s and the 1930s and she also happened to be bisexual.

You don’t get queer women of colour on television very often so it’s a very big deal that US cable TV network HBO will be bringing Bessie’s story to life later this year in a biopic called ‘Bessie’.

The biopic will cover the most important parts of Bessie’s life as she became and maintained her crown as the “Empress of the Blues” (as some called her during her era). This includes the relationship with her husband Jack Gee who is portrayed in the biopic by Michael Kenneth Williams, who some will recognise from HBO’s other shows, The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. As shown in the trailer, Gee and Smith don’t have the happiest of relationships and their marriage was troubled at best. It may be hard to sit through those scenes then but at least the biopic will be realistic.

Furthermore, viewers will also see her relationship with Ma Rainey (played by Mo’Nique), the woman who reportedly got into Bessie into blues singing and helped her discover her bisexuality. We don’t know how far the biopic will delve into Bessie’s bisexuality, especially as the trailer for the movie is just 30 seconds long but so far it’s making all the right noises.

For example, the filmmaker behind Bessie is Dee Rees who is the writer-director responsible for the other brilliant queer movie, Pariah, which dealt with identity, heartbreak and sexual expression. Plus, Bessie is being played by Queen Latifah who has played a queer woman before (she played a lesbian in Chicago and received an Oscar nom for it) and she’s earned Grammy nominations for her jazz singing too, so we know she has the singing chops to pull this one off.

Bessie will air on HBO on May 16th, 2015.

A Sneak Peek at Grey’s Anatomy And A Potential Female Suitor For Callie

Is Grey’s Anatomy Callie getting back in the dating game? In a new episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Callie (played by Sara Ramirez) will encourage colleague Owen (Kevin McKidd) to start dating again.

However, when she tries to set him up with a tech rep (Amy Motta), she is shocked to discover the rep is actually interested in her.

Creator of the hit ABC series Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes, set in motion the break-up of long-term lesbian couple, Callie and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) last year.

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Back in October, there was a gut punch for fans when the couple decided it was time to end their marriage together.

“When a couple breaks up, I always ask: Where does the love go? It’s not like you don’t still love the person; the love just doesn’t disappear. But you can’t love the person. It’s really great watching them try to figure out how to be friends, how to love each other as friends and co-parents, and how to support each other when the other person needs it without it being weird or without it being too much.”

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The second half of season 11 will see Callie and Arizona learning how to best interact with each other as friends and as parents to their daughter — as well as dating new people.

“We reach a place where there is an exploration of them dating and getting back out there into the world. I didn’t want to rush it. I didn’t want to throw them at other people because I feel the same as with Owen (Kevin McKidd) — you have to be respectful of the relationship they had. We do it slowly and interestingly, and then we’re going to take our little steps. But it’s been really fun to put them out there and find people that they’re intrigued by.”

Shonda Rhimes

While it’s unclear if the out and proud bisexual Callie will date a man or a woman, Rhimes says she and star Ramirez have had a lot of conversations about the discrimination that the bisexual community often faces.

“I’ve read a lot about that concept that bisexuality has not had a lot of support. One of my favorite things that we did in the Callie and Arizona episode is Callie announcing that she’s bisexual, which by the way, I think nobody has ever done that on television, like ‘I’m bisexual,’ which I think is crazy.

I love that she’s determinedly bisexual. She’s not somebody who is straight who discovers she’s a lesbian; she’s bisexual and feels very strongly about that. That’s been interesting for us to navigate — and the character sticks to it. Arizona was always a little dismissive of that. In the early days of their relationship, the fight they always had was, ‘You’re taking a tour through being a lesbian and you’re going to go back to men.’ ” 

Shonda Rhimes

While reconciliation doesn’t appear to be in the immediate cards, Rhimes still has high hopes for Callie and Arizona winding up together.

“I’m always rooting for Arizona and Callie to be together. For me, I think they’re the perfect couple, but that’s not to say they’re going to be together. For me, they’re the perfect couple. It would make me very sad if they were apart. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to be able to work out their problems and get it together in time, for when ever the show is going to end. But I hope so. If they can, I think it would be amazing. But until they do, there’s other people to explore.” 

Shonda Rhimes

As for Arizona, she’ll be throwing herself into work and focusing on curing Dr. Herman (Geena Davis) in what Rhimes calls a “really powerful, amazing and beautiful story” between the two characters.

“What’s super cool about that is after that huge, momentous occasion, for the next six episodes — which are the only ones I know — we have not focused on Arizona and Callie in their romantic aftermath. We’ve gotten to let the characters be separate but equal, and follow them in the other part of their life — at work — and explore their passions, sense of humor and friendships.”

Jessica Capshaw

So Did Naya Rivera Come Out As Bisexual or Not?

If you spent any amount of time in Glee’s bubble of rabid Tumblr fans circa 2011 then you would have been treated to plenty of speculation about Naya Rivera’s sexuality. It has often been suggested that the actress, who plays lesbian Santana Lopez on the cult TV series, isn’t just a straight ally but is a member of the queer community herself.

There were once suggestions that she was secretly dating her Glee co-star Heather Morris (who plays Santana’s fiancée Brittany). While it may have been a case of overexcited fans with overzealous imaginations, they were backed up by Naya’s own Facebook posts that hinted that they were together, the famous kiss from the Glee tour and the fact that the two actresses just look adorable together.

But after those rumours fizzled out and Naya dated men – including rapper Big Sean and her recent marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey – could Naya have been queer after all? During a recent appearance on daytime talk show The View, the Glee actress possibly came out as bisexual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw9wLDfcn8E

On the episode of The View that aired on the 14th of January, out, gay presenter Rosie O’Donnell explained that “new research found that women who are bisexual are more likely to suffer mental health problems than lesbians”. To which Naya replied “No wonder, Rosie! No wonder I’m crazy, this just solves it all”.

While it could have been a case of Naya just wanting to chime in with her two cents on the state of female mental health, the fact that Naya pointed out her own mental health issues after the study (and Rosie’s words) directly referred to the mental health problems of bisexual women seems to suggest that Naya herself is bisexual.

Cynics have suggested that it may just be a ploy from the actress to drum up attention. During another appearance on The View Naya also made the outlandish claim that “ethnics” do not shower as often as white people, comparing her own shower habits to her husband’s, saying that she only showers a few times a week but he showers several times a day.

Of course she may have just accidentally put her foot in it (she has since apologised and explained that her comments were a joke) but as it got so many people talking about her in the last week, many people believe that she is just doing it for attention.

Attention seeking or not, many Glee fans are positively giddy at the prospect that the actress behind one of their favourite queer TV ladies may be queer in real life too. There hasn’t been a confirmation or a denial from Naya or her representatives just yet though, but we’ll keep you posted.

naya-rivera-02

 

Jessie J Addresses the ‘Bisexual Phase’ Comments

Jessie J has expressed regrets about comments she made earlier this year to ​The Mirror about her bisexuality.

“Remember the thing that you tried/did back in the day. The phase you had? That is so not YOU anymore?! And you look back and think wow how I’ve changed. I only fancy/date/love men, and only men.”

Jessie J

However, this week she ​spoke to Billboard about the bisexuality comment she made to the The Mirror. speaking with Billboard this week, the Jessie admitted she regretted using the word “phase” to describe bisexuality.

“I’m a talker; I wear my heart on my sleeve. But sometimes I just have to know when to shut up.”

Jessie J

According to Billboard, the she refused to address the comments further or talk about her sexuality.

“I never lied about my sexuality, I never labelled myself. I have dated girls and boys. I was young and I experimented! Who hasn’t? Not with just this topic, but anything! It’s part of life! No lies there.”

Jessie J

Φόρτωση…

Little shoot yesterday morning #nyc

Προβολή στο Instagram

Bisexual People Tell Their Stories at the iconic Stonewall Inn for #BiWeek

A video has been released  by GLAAD,  of bisexual people speaking outside the Stonewall Inn, to celebrate Bisexual Awareness Week.

The clip, features several people discussing their experiences of being bisexual and the challenges they face as a result.

One woman observes “[tweet_dis]A myth that I hear on a regular basis? No, this is not a transition. This is not a phase. I will never come out as ‘full lesbian’[/tweet_dis]”

Another says “Since I’m a woman, being with lesbians, often [the myth] is that I’m going to leave them for a man. That’s something I’ve dealy with my entire life, and that is not true.”

Ruth Hunt of UK charity Stonewall said on Tuesday:

“Our ground-breaking health research reveals that few bisexual people are open about their sexual orientation to healthcare professionals and many have had negative experiences of the NHS or healthcare providers.

At work we see that stereotypical assumptions and beliefs about bisexual people and their lives, from both straight and gay people, mean that they feel unable to access the very initiatives that are meant to support them.

In our 2014 Workplace Equality Index Staff Survey only 65% of bisexual people said they could bring their whole self to work, compared to 84% and 82% respectively for their gay and lesbian colleagues.”

Ruth Hunt, Stonewall UK

Organisations and individuals around the world celebrated Bi Visibility Day on Tuesday – an initiative created to celebrate bisexuality and diversity within the LGBT community.

Twitter Users’ Hilarious #BisexualFacts to Mark Bisexuality Visibility Week

For the second year in a row, Twitter has come up with a truely funny way to mark Bisexuality Visibility Week.

For this week, twitter users make up with hilarious (and fake) #BisexualFacts

Here are some of the best #BisexualFacts so far

 

 

 

True Blood’s Anna Paquin Talks Bisexuality

Award-winning New Zealand actress Anna Paquin discussed the final season of True Blood, and how Sookie’s dealing with losing important people (and other supernatural beings) in her life.

She also talked about her bisexuality or more to the point a “happily married bisexual mother”, and how she feels strongly about making her support of the LGBT community known:

“There are people who are probably going to go to their grave thinking whatever they think about the LGBT community. That’s their problem, not mine… And there’s people who think that monogamy and bisexuality are mutually exclusive. Again, their problem, not mine.”

Anna Paquin

Jessie J responds to her ‘Coming Out Straight’ Issue on Twitter

Yesterday, Jessie J  posted a lengthy response on Twitter that she never lied about her sexuality. In her response, she insisted it was ‘NEVER a publicity stunt or for album sales’ and she will continue to be supportive of same-sex couples.

‘I see my fans becoming who they are and it’s amazing!’ Jessie J says. ‘Whatever sexuality they chose, or have chosen, love is love.’

The full statement is below:

‘Warning: This tweet is defo over 120 characters…. The hate on my TL is uncalled for and ridiculous! I never lied about my sexuality, I never labelled myself, the media and some of the public did. I said almost 5 years ago now. I have dated girls and boys. Quote me! Which I had! Am I denying that…?No! I was young and I experimented! Who hasn’t? Not with just this topic, but anything! It’s part of life! No lies there. So happened I was becoming famous at the very same time and felt pressure to tell everyone all my business that really looking back was really no ones to know. I fell for a person who happened to be a girl. Every other relationship I’ve had has been with a man. My record label didn’t care and it wasn’t part of my launch! Then I was asked in an interview back in the day about relationships, first time ever, and I was honest and then BAM it took over, the word bisexual before my name on almost every article I read? Like I had to say it when I introduced myself?

‘It was crazy. Instantly I was boxed. But at the same time felt I was put forward as spokes person to break out of those same boxes? Weird. Who made it a big deal? Me? No. The media? Yes. I’m not looking for sympathy I am just being real. And yeah I have learnt to keep things private the hard way because of this exact reason. So I keep my relationships private now. To keep my sanity. I put it into songs not articles that can be edited. I apologise to anyone who is offended by me calling dating girls a “phase” but I have to be honest with me for me. And for me it was. What else do I call it if I no longer have a want for it anymore? I’m talking for me remember. Not you. I didn’t generalise, I didn’t say bisexuality isn’t real. It is for some and some people grow up dating both men and woman forever. And that’s ok. And some don’t. Simple. And I don’t have any reason to lie? Should I have lied and said I am bi, because I’m not, yet isn’t that worse than telling the truth? How would of people have reacted then?

‘Please tell me what I have done wrong here? I haven’t spoken of being bi for years. All my songs are sung from me about “him”. I didn’t discuss my personal life in my autobiography. Which came out 2 years ago. Reading “Jessie J comes out as straight” today, even typing that feels absolutely ridiculous. What has the world come to? Lol! Seriously, this is crazy. The media ofcourse are going to make this a HUGE thing. Which they are. for your originality. But I won’t stand down and be made to feel like I have killed someone or said something that deserves the messages I am currently receiving. I did and still do stand for love who you love, whichever gender that is. And I will continue to stand for it and just not act on it because I don’t want to. It isn’t who I am. I see my fans becoming who they are and it’s amazing! Whatever sexuality they chose, or have chosen, love is love.

‘Everyone has their own journey and story, and mine can’t go how you would rather it go. I have to live for me. Just to be clear this was NEVER a publicity stunt or for album sales. I won’t even argue that point. Because it’s just so silly and such a lazy accusation that I won’t even go there. I will say this, the reason I decided to put it out there in a more direct way. Even though it isn’t what I thought I would ever even do. Is because some people believed what they read instead of what I was/am saying and singing about then and now. I was getting increasingly frustrated with still feeling like sexuality was defining me as an artist. Behind close doors I am evolving into the woman I want to be forever, wanting a husband and kids one day and dreaming up my future just like everyone else. Yet I go to work and it was like people were 3 years behind and wanted me to be someone Im not.

‘I soon realised unless I said it more in black and white it would continue. People accusing me of dating my female friends, yet when I was out with a man I was actually dating no one would say anything or even notice. Weird. People were seeing and noticing what they wanted and not looking at the truth. So I as I am writing my 3rd album I believe I owe it to myself and my fans to be me. Which I am doing tbh, just speaking on something to set the record straight. That wasn’t supposed to be a joke. And at 26 I shouldn’t be anything but. Whatever backlash and hurtful things I will incur. I am only singing about loving a man and being broken hearted by a man. Because I only date men. I want my music to come out and people understand where it’s coming from, and for me not to feel guilty when people are painting a picture of me when the brush isn’t in my hand. I took the brush back. I have always been true, and honest.

‘Which is so rare in this industry. I will admit maybe not always gone about it the right way but hey I’m still new to all of this too remember. I ask that you support my music. As I did back in 2010 on YouTube. I ask that you respect that I don’t judge you on every detail of your past as I will never know of your past. And you let mind stay as mine and let me continue to grow and change just like every other human being. I will not speak on this topic anymore. It’s irrelevant to what this dream Is supposed to be about. Irrelevant to why people even know who I am if they do in the first place! The music! It needs to be about the music. Thank you to everyone who supports my music. Now to the studio I go to finish my 3rd album.’

Personally, I don’t care what Jessie J identifies as, but to equate being straight to “growing up” is a slap in the face to a lot of people. Words pack meaning – we all all hear how our LGBT sexuality is just a phase – we’ll grow out of it and get back to reality. Having that confirmed by such a public figure sets us back big time. Like many I wish she had just chosen to keep quite. There is fame and there is fame.

Jessie J Renounces Bisexuality on Twitter

If you follow Jessie J on Twitter, then you probably caught her ranting in multiple tweets about the struggles of being a role model and how much she’s changed and grown up in recent years. Although it was hard to tell just what Jessie’s actual point was in the endless paragraphs she tweeted, the 26-year-old was actually referring to her sexuality and the criticism she’s received from some of her fans for not being a loud and proud bisexual any longer.

“Maybe try not speaking in riddles and get straight to the point,” a fan wrote in response to Jessie’s ranting. “You may not need to justify yourself so much.”

Jessie then replied: “I fancy/date/love men and only men. Is that “straight to the point” enough?”

In other tweets, Jessie implied that her bisexuality was just a phase and she has grown out of, and that people shouldn’t hold it against her.

Jessie J first came out as bisexual back in 2011 back when anti-bullying, self-empowerment, and individuality was a huge trending theme in pop music.

“I’ve been with guys and I’ve been with girls. And I kind of think it’s about the person not the genitals.” – She told The Telegraph

“I’m not afraid to say I’m very comfortable with who I am and I love who I love.” – And More magazine

My mum and dad have known for years and were super cool.”- And Glamour

And during a gig at London’s G.A.Y. nightclub – “Jessie J is bisexual!” 

In recent months, Jessie J has drastically changed her image since her ‘bisexual’ days, from an array of wigs and catsuits, for more glamour attire. The new look hasn’t really caught on, and neither has her new album – Alive, which has only sold a fraction of what her debut did.

Coming out the closet as straight will probably put her back in the headlines for a minute or two, but when it comes to actually selling records and being a relevant pop diva, it looks like Jessie J is pretty much over.