Research finally backs up the 1 dick rule

Not sure why we needed a study, but we have one.

You know me, guys: I am very enthusiastic about getting more research done that helps shed light on what it means to live as a bisexual in a monosexist world. It’s only through research that we’ve been able to, for instance, flag that bi women really are at elevated risk of sexual assault; that across the board, bi people are not doing well emotionally, financially, or health wise. The more that research digs into the lived experiences of bisexuals, the better able we are to understand the impacts of biphobia, and the better handle we will have on how to highlight and address biphobia wherever it crops up.

And as the daughter of not one but two scientists, I understand very well that research lives and dies by funding. If no one’s going to pay you to do it, your study isn’t going to exist. That’s just how it is, sadly.

But even given all of that I must admit that I am somewhat baffled that in 2023 we are getting a paper in Social Psychology and Personality Science that… offers evidence that people think that bi men are closeted gay guys and bi women are attention seeking straight women. Evidence that, I should note, was collected across three experiments.

We needed three whole experiments to determine something that’s obvious to pretty much everyone who has even so much as whispered the word “bisexual” aloud?

And I mean, look, I shouldn’t complain. It is a net good that I can now tell people that science says that people assume that everyone who claims to be bisexual actually just wants the dick. It’s not just anecdotal anymore: science says that the one dick rule is real!

But at the same time… I mean… that is the research that’s getting funded? We don’t have more pressing concerns, more pressing things to study re: bisexuality? We’re just … confirming things that have been known for decades?

Hey maybe in another five years we’ll get a study confirming that people see bisexuals as vectors of contamination. Maybe.

PS Happy Bi Month! It is also my birthday month! If you value this newsletter (or me!), why not show your appreciation in the form of cold hard cash? I also have a Patreon that you are welcome to support, but since I am terrible at keeping up with the Patreon on top of regularly writing this newsletter I feel bad asking for monthly donations like that. (I mean, I’ll take them. I just feel guilty asking for them.)