Buy the Book : The Architecture of Biphobia (16,50€)
Digital Copy : Free PDF version of The Architecture of Biphobia
About the book
The Architecture of Biphobia is an essay on discrimination against bisexual and pansexual people, as well as the mechanisms that sustain it. It seeks to answer the following question: what structurally explains biphobia, and how can it be distinguished from homophobia?
The theoretical framework I propose is based on an analogy with dual nationals in times of war. When a powerful nation attacks a smaller one, people who hold dual citizenship often find themselves in an untenable position. They are viewed as traitors and exposed to forms of violence specific to their situation. Likewise, biphobia originates primarily in homophobia. It is society’s aggression toward the “smaller nation” that creates the tensions faced by bisexual and pansexual people.
Structure of the book
Part I. Where Does the Conceptualization of Biphobia Stand Today?
A critical examination of the dominant theories of biphobia, including the work of Shiri Eisner, Kenji Yoshino, and Robyn Ochs, together with a review of the available scientific evidence.
Part II. Toward a New Theoretical Framework for the Origin of Biphobia
The development of a new theory of biphobia, including the « dual citizen in wartime » analogy as a conceptual tool for understanding the position of bisexual people in societies shaped by homophobia.
Part III. Biphobia and Lesbophobia: Two Distinct Forms of Oppression
An exploration of the differences between biphobia and lesbophobia, and of the ways bisexual women can experience both forms of oppression simultaneously.
Part IV. Systemic Biphobia
An examination of the structural manifestations of biphobia, including the sabotage of bisexual activism, the long-term consequences for bisexual political autonomy, and several case studies of systemic discrimination.
Conclusion
Why do bisexual women die younger than both heterosexual and lesbian women?
The conclusion reflects on the concrete consequences of biphobia through the health inequalities documented in research on bisexual populations.
Why I wrote this book
For several years, I have been popularizing research on the health and experiences of intimate partner violence among bisexual people through YouTube and Instagram. In many studies, bisexual people are identified as a vulnerable population, sometimes at even higher rates than gay men and lesbians.
Whenever I presented these scientific findings, people found them difficult to believe. The statistics seemed absurd. Why would bisexual people be more vulnerable?
On a personal level, I found it entirely plausible that bisexual people face so many difficulties, particularly because of my family history. The image of dual nationals in times of war, stateless people or those forced to assimilate, resonated with stories that were very present in my home. My family belongs to the Mauritian and former Yugoslav diasporas. I grew up hearing the accounts of survivors, traumatic migrations, homesickness, poverty, social decline, and a country torn apart by competing ethnic groups. The fate of bisexual people struck me as remarkably familiar.
But as a scientist, I wanted to go further and put this idea to the test. I filled notebooks with diagrams, conducted calculations and thought experiments. Does this model hold up? Are bisexual people the dual nationals of heterosexuality and homosexuality? This book is the result of that investigation.
Who is this book for?
This book is for:
- bisexual people who want to better understand their experiences,
- researchers interested in bisexuality studies,
- activists working on bisexual visibility and community organizing,
- policymakers and health professionals who want to better understand bisexual populations,
- LGBTQ+ people who wish to build stronger alliances with bisexual communities.
Buy the Book : The Architecture of Biphobia (16,50€)
Digital Copy : Free PDF version of The Architecture of Biphobia
///Floralie Resa 