The Intersection of Race and Bisexuality

Abstract

There has been significant growth in the past two decades in the psychological literature exploring sexual orientations from gay, lesbian, and bisexual perspectives, as well as the role of culture and ethnicity on human development. However, the research on sexual orientation has been predominantly focused on gays and lesbians from an overwhelmingly White, middle-class population. Additionally, the research on ethnic minority groups rarely acknowledges differences in sexual orientation of group members. Despite the expanding empirical research, scant attention has been given to bisexuals who are members of ethnic minority groups. Hence, there has been a lack of research in the exploration of the complex interaction between a bisexual identity and ethnic identity development. Sexual identity research on ethnic minorities has outlined how a person of color establishes a dual identity as a sexual minority and as a person of color. However, surprisingly little research has investigated the influences of ethnicity on sexual identity development. Various studies have examined the identity development of persons with dual minority status. But, again these studies have predominantly focused on gays and lesbians. Such research obscures many issues relevant to ethnic minorities who are bisexual. This article explores the research on bisexual identity development and how it intersects with people of color. It reviews previous theoretical and empirical research on bisexuality development, the impact of bisexual identity and ethnic identity, ethnic/sexual identity integration, and the current research being conducted in this area which has received little attention, an area this author refers to as the “borderlands.”