List of media portrayals of bisexuality
The portrayal of bisexuality in the media reflects societal attitudes towards bisexuality. List includes portrayals of bisexual identification as well as non-identified bisexual behavior.
Literature
Fiction
Title | Author | Release Date | Bisexual Characters | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Advise and Consent | Allen Drury | 1959, July 11 | Brigham Anderson | Anderson, a married senator, has a homosexual affair. |
American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis | 1991 | Paul Denton, Sean Bateman | |
Ancient Evenings | Norman Mailer | 1983 | ||
Belle de Jour: diary of a London call girl | Anonymous (Belle de Jour) | 2006 | Belle (Anonymous) | Published blog[1] |
Bi Guys: Firsthand Fiction for Bisexual Men and Their Admirers | Ron Suresha | 2006 | ||
Blonde | Joyce Carol Oates | 2000 | Cass, Eddie | Cass and Eddie are manipulative. Marlon Brando also appears, but his bisexuality is not made apparent. |
Boyfriends with Girlfriends | Alex Sánchez | 2011 | Sergio, Allie | Sergio identifies as bisexual. Allie has a boyfriend and falls in love with Kimiko. |
Breakfast on Pluto | Patrick McCabe | 1998 | Pussy | |
Bye-Bye[2] | Jane Ransom | 1997 | Rosie | |
The Circle Opens series | Tamora Pierce | 2001-2013 | Rosethorn | Rosethorn is established in a long-term, committed relationship with a woman, Lark, but it is later revealed to be an open relationship, and Rosethorn is casually involved with men. |
The City and the Pillar | Gore Vidal | 1948 | Bisexuality is portrayed as the most "natural" human state. | |
Claudine Novels | Colette, under the name of her husband, Willy | 1900, 1901, 1903 | ||
Cloud Atlas | David Mitchell | 2004 | Robert Frobisher | |
The Color Purple | Alice Walker | 1982 | Celie Johnson, Shug Avery | |
The Corrections | Jonathan Franzen | 2001, September | ||
Cry to Heaven | Anne Rice | 1982 | ||
The Dispossessed | Ursula K. Le Guin | 1974 | ||
Drawing Blood | Poppy Z. Brite | 1993 | Zack | Zack is portrayed as promiscuous, but able to commit. |
Dusty Answer | Rosamond Lehmann | 1927 | Judith | Judith is attracted to both men and women, and interacts with fairly openly gay and lesbian characters during her years at Cambridge. |
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Tom Robbins | 1976 | Sissy Hankshaw | |
The Fall of the Kings[3] | Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman | 2002 | Theron | |
Fanny Hill | John Cleland | 1748 | Fanny Hill | |
Fetish Girl | John Glassco | 1972 | Ursula, Adrian | initially published under the pseudonym "Sylvia Bayer"[4][5] |
The Fifth Sacred Thing | Starhawk | 1993 | ||
The Fox | D. H. Lawrence | 1923 | ||
From The New World | Yusuke Kishi | 2008 | Homosexual relationships are encouraged in adolescents as a method of releasing stress without disrupting societal population controls. | |
The Front Runner | Patricia Nell Warren | 1974 | Harlan Brown, Vince Matti | Harlan is portrayed as homosexual, but he was formerly married to a woman; Vince identifies as gay, but still sleeps with women. |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Stieg Larsson | 2005 | Lisbeth Salander | |
The Girl Who Played with Fire | Stieg Larsson | 2006 | Lisbeth Salander, Greger Beckman | Salander is portrayed as having an on-and-off relationship with both Mikael Blomkvist and Miriam Wu.[6] Beckman is described by his wife as having a "strong bisexual inclination". |
Goldfinger | Ian Fleming | 1959 | Pussy Galore | Portrayed as a lesbian until she falls in love with James Bond. |
Giovanni's Room | James Baldwin | 1956 | David | Portrayed as vacillating, weak, and neurotic; Giovanni is portrayed as a conflicted character and a killer. |
Glamorama | Bret Easton Ellis | 1998 | Victor Ward | While outwardly homophobic refers to his past identification as bi and is easily seduced by Bobby Hughes. Sean Bateman from Rules also reappears. |
How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater | Marc Acito | 2004 | ||
The Hunger | Whitley Strieber | 1981 | Miriam Blaylock, Sarah Roberts | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood | Poppy Z. Brite | 1993 | ||
The Informers | Bret Easton Ellis | 1994 | Bruce, Graham, Martin, Bryan Metro, Danny, Biff, various others. | Various characters are casually bisexual, one of many shared features which serves to make these Los Angeleans almost entirely indistinct from one another. |
Just As I Am: A Novel | E. Lynn Harris | 1995 | ||
Kushiel's Legacy | Jacqueline Carey | 2001-2008 | Phèdre nó Delaunay, Anafiel Delaunay, Alcuin nó Delaunay, Melisande Shahrizai, others | The society of Terre D'Ange (an alternate version of France) is a sexually progressive one, with bisexuality readily accepted and often encouraged. |
The Left Hand of Darkness | Ursula K. Le Guin | 1969 | ||
The Last of the Wine | Mary Renault | 1956 | ||
Less Than Zero | Bret Easton Ellis | 1985 | Clay | |
Little Children[7] | Tom Perrotta | 2004 | Sarah | |
The Lost Language of Cranes | David Leavitt | 1986 | ||
Lost Souls | Poppy Z. Brite | 1992 | Zillah, Nothing | Zillah is portrayed as sexually driven; Nothing is portrayed as young, lonely, and loving. |
Lunar Park | Bret Easton Ellis | 2005 | Fictional Bret Easton Ellis, Mitchell Allen | Semi-autobiographical author depiction. The fictional Bret also relays that most of the boys at Camden College experimented with bisexuality. |
The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon | Tom Spanbauer | 1991 | ||
The Metaphysical Touch | Sylvia Brownrigg | 1999 | ||
The Mortal Instruments | Cassandra Clare | 2007 | Magnus Bane | |
Mrs Dalloway | Virginia Woolf | 1925 | Clarissa Dalloway, Septimus Warren Smith | |
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh | Michael Chabon | 1988, April | ||
The Neanderthal Parallax | Robert J. Sawyer | 2002, 2003 | All Neanderthals | Neanderthals are all bisexual in the parallel universe. |
Odd John | Olaf Stapledon | 1935 | John Wainwright | |
Orlando: A Biography[8] | Virginia Woolf | 1928 | ||
The Passion | Jeanette Winterson | 1987 | ||
The Persian Boy[2] | Mary Renault | 1972 | Alexander | |
The Privilege of the Sword[3] | Ellen Kushner | 2006 | Katherine | |
The Romance of Lust | anonymous | 1873–1876 | Charlie Roberts, the narrator; most other characters | Steven Marcus comments "all men … are always and infinitely potent; all women fecundate with lust and flow inexhaustibly with sap or juice or both. Everyone is always ready for everything".[9] |
The Rules of Attraction[2] | Bret Easton Ellis | 1987 | Paul, Sean, Victor | Lauren Hynde has relationships with three bisexual men: the flamboyant Paul Denton, the unstable Sean Bateman and the vacuous Victor Johnson. Clay from Less Than Zero also appears. |
A Safe Girl to Love | Casey Plett | 2014 | Carla, and others | Various characters portrayed as sexually fluid. |
Son of a Witch | Gregory Maguire | 2005 | Liir | |
Story of O | Pauline Réage | 1954 | O | |
Stranger in a Strange Land | Robert A. Heinlein | 1961 | Valentine Michael Smith | Smith is raised on Mars, a planet without gender. |
Swordspoint[3] | Ellen Kushner | 1987 | Michael Godwin, Richard St Vier | |
Taltos | Anne Rice | 1994 | the Taltos, Ashlar, Michael Curry, Yuri Stefano, Mona Mayfair | the Taltos are bisexual, biromantic (although they usually do not engage in specific romantic relationships) and non-monogamous. Homosexual encounters are the norm. Michael, Rowan and Ashlar claim to love each other, although the attraction between Ashlar and Michael might not be sexual. Samual claims that Yuri is falling in love with Ashlar; Yuri is described as being erotically attracted to Aaron, Ashlar and Mona. Mona claims to be interested in sleeping with a girl or a woman, and is previously described as having sex with men. |
Time Enough for Love | Robert A. Heinlein | 1973, June | Bisexuality is portrayed as the norm. | |
The Vampire Chronicles | Anne Rice | 1976-2003 | Lestat, Armand, Daniel, Marius, Nicolas | |
The Vesuvius Club/The Devil in Amber | Mark Gatiss | 2004/2006 | Lucifer Box | |
While England Sleeps | David Leavitt | 1998 | ||
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West | Gregory Maguire | 1995 | ||
Women in Love | D. H. Lawrence | 1920 | ||
Woman on the Edge of Time | Marge Piercy | 1976 | Luciente, Jackrabbit, others | In the Utopian future of Mattapoisett, people freely pick partners based on interpersonal compatibility above all other factors. |
Young in One Another's Arms | Jane Rule | 1977 |
Non-fiction
Title | Author | Release Date | Bisexual Characters | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Baby Love: Choosing Motherhood After a Lifetime of Ambivalence | Rebecca Walker | 2007 | ||
Bi Men : Coming Out Every Which Way | Ron Suresha and Pete Chvany | 2006 | ||
Biː Notes for a Bisexual Revolution | Shiri Eisner | 2013 | ||
The Bisexual Option | Fritz Klein | 1978 | ||
Excluded: Making Feminism and Queer Movements More Inclusive | Julia Serano | 2013 | The author's bisexuality is frequently discussed to illustrate problematic exclusivity in feminist and queer movements. | |
Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World[2] | Robyn Ochs | 2005 | ||
The New Joy of Gay Sex | Dr. Charles Silverstein | 1993 | ||
Portrait of a Marriage[2] | Nigel Nicolson | 1973 | Vita Sackville-West, Harold Nicolson | Based on the true story of Vita and Harold Nicolson, a bisexual couple. |
Vice Versa: Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life | Marjorie Garber |
Comics
Comic books
Title | Bisexual Characters | Notes |
---|---|---|
Anima | ||
Avengers Academy | Lightspeed | |
The Authority | Swift, Jenny Sparks | Prominent gay superheroes Apollo and Midnighter also feature. |
Captain Marvel | Marlo Chandler, Moondragon | |
Catwoman[10] | Selina Kyle | Confirmed as bisexual by writer Genevieve Valentine, in a relationship with Eiko Hasigawa - the third woman to don the mask of Catwoman - who also appears to be queer (unconfirmed.) The second Catwoman, Holly Robinson, was a lesbian. |
Doom Patrol | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. | |
Gen¹³ | Sarah Rainmaker | Different writers portray her either as a lesbian or bisexual |
Hellblazer | John Constantine | Sexuality portrayed as trivial aspect of character. |
How Loathsome | Catherine | |
Justice League | Icemaiden | |
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Jekyll/Hyde | Hyde mentions that his weaker alter-ego began developing his personality-altering serum to expunge all "darker" impulses, including his attractions to men. |
Legion of Super-Heroes | Element Lad | Element Lad's relationship with Shvaughn Erin transcends gender. |
Lost Girls | Alice, Wendy Darling, Dorothy Gale, most minor characters | Sexuality portrayed as fluid |
Love and Rockets | Maggie Chascarillo, Hopey Glass etc. | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Madame Xanadu | Madame Xanadu/Nimue | An immortal, has had many relationships with both men and women over the centuries, including a doomed affair with a Spanish woman during the Spanish Inquisition |
Marvel 1602 | Werner | |
Outsiders | Grace Choi | Long list of sexual conquests. Claims to have relationships with women, but only 'sleep with' men. |
Painkiller Jane | Jane | |
Secret Six | Knockout, Catman | Violent supervillains; Catman's sexuality only confirmed extra-texually by writer Gail Simone. |
Spider-Man | Electro, Black Cat | Electro is a violent supervillain Black Cat is a one-time love interest of Spider-Man. |
Starman | Mikaal Tomas | Mikaal belongs to an alien race where sexuality is indiscriminate. |
Strangers in Paradise | Katchoo, Francine, Casey | Katchoo depicted as "mostly gay", Francine as "mostly straight". Katchoo becomes pregnant by a beloved male friend who is terminally ill; Francine marries, and later divorces, a man before finally committing to Katchoo. |
Supergirl | Blithe | Sexuality portrayed as fluid but socially problematic. |
Thunderbolts | Andreas von Strucker, Skein | Violent supervillains Outed during separate runs. |
Voodoo | Voodoo | |
X-Factor | Jamie Madrox, Rictor, Shatterstar | Jamie's duplications occasionally exhibit alternative sexual desires. Rictor kept his sexual orientation somewhat vague until he was reunited with Shatterstar, who greeted him with a passionate kiss. |
X-Men | Mystique, Destiny, Daken | As originally intended by Chris Claremont, Mystique and Destiny were a committed couple. Violent supervillains. |
X-Statix / X-Force | Doop | Doop is a sentient, nonhumanoid Cold War lab experiment. |
Y: The Last Man | Agent 355 | Displays attraction to both men and women; many straight-identified characters engage in same-sex relations, as all men on Earth but one have died |
Young Avengers vol. 2[11] | Prodigy (David Alleyne), Kid Loki | Prodigy expressly identifies as bi; Loki accepts it as a label though Asgardian culture does not attach identity to sexual behavior. Sexuality is portrayed as fluid, with other characters, both straight- and gay-identified, admitting to a variety of sexual experiences |
Webcomics
Title | Bisexual Characters | Notes |
---|---|---|
Homestuck[12] | various | fluid sexuality |
Ménage à 3[13] | various | fluid sexuality |
Film
Title | Release Year | Bisexual Characters | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2by4 | 1998 | Johnny Maher | |
9 Songs | 2004 | Lisa | |
54 | 1998 | Shane O'Shea, possibly Greg Randazzo | In the Director's Cut of the film, Shane has sexual encounters with women and men. He has feelings for both Anita and Greg, the latter whom he kisses and is rejected by. The film ends with Shane walking off with Greg and Anita underneath Anita's big fur coat. |
Alexander | 2004 | Alexander the Great | Bisexuality presented as a social norm. |
All Over Me | 1997 | Ellen | |
Alle tijd | 2011 | Arthur | Dutch movie. Arthur is portrayed to be confused and explicitly denies that he is gay. Starts a committed relationship with Maarten after having had experience with women (possibly also men). |
Anatomy of Hell | 2004 | "The Man" | Sexuality is fluid and symbolic |
Angels of Sex | 2012 | Bruno, Rai | Bruno falls in love with Rai while dating Carla |
Appropriate Behavior | 2014 | Shirin | Written and Directed by bisexual Desiree Akhavan |
Art School Confidential | 2006 | Audrey | |
Auto Focus | 2002 | John Carpenter | |
Basic Instinct | 1992 | Catherine Tramell | |
Bedrooms and Hallways | 1998 | ||
Bi the Way | 2008 | Various | Documentary on bisexuality in the US. |
Les Biches | 1968 | ||
Borstal Boy | 2000 | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. | |
Boy Meets Girl | 2014 | Ricky, Francesca | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. |
Brokeback Mountain | 2005 | Ennis Del Mar, Jack Twist | Sexuality of both characters portrayed as fluid. The film displays a love relationship between same-sex male partners in the American West who are simultaneously struggling with their opposite gender relationships. |
Butley | 1974 | Ben Butley | Butley portrayed as an uncommitted, emotional failure. |
Cabaret | 1972 | Brian Roberts, Maximillaim von Heune | |
Chasing Amy | 1997 | Alyssa Jones | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. |
Crash (1996 film) | 1996 | James Ballard, Helen Remington, Vaughan | |
Cloud Atlas | 2012 | Robert Frobisher | |
The Color Purple | 1985 | Celie Johnson, Shug Avery | Bisexuality portrayed as a simple fact with no value judgments. |
Confusion of Genders | 2000 | Alain Bauman | |
C.R.A.Z.Y. | 2005 | Zachary Beaulieu | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Dark Blue Almost Black | 2007 | Israel | |
Death in Venice | 1971 | Gustav von Aschenbach | Aschenbach is portrayed as a homosexual cripple and failure. |
De-Lovely | 2004 | Cole Porter | Sexuality portrayed as fluid |
The Disappearance of Alice Creed | 2009 | Daniel | |
Dodgeball | 2004 | Kate Veatch | While some male characters try to date her, others believe that she is a lesbian. Turns out to be bisexual, and gets together with main male character. |
The Dying Gaul | 2005 | Jeffrey Tishop | |
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds | 2006 | Troy | The prevalent attitude that one has to choose between gay and straight is portrayed as the cause of confusion for bisexuals. Self-acceptance itself is praised, and denial of queerness is mocked. |
El sexo de los ángeles | 2012 | Bruno, Rai | |
Face to Face | 1976 | Bisexuality is portrayed as a symbol. | |
Femme Fatale | 2002 | Laurie Ash | |
The Fox | 1967 | Ellen March | |
French Twist | 1995 | Loli | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Frida | 2002 | Frida Kahlo | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Cazuza – O Tempo Não Pára | 2004 | Cazuza | |
Gia | 1998 | Gia Marie Carangi | |
The Girl | 2000 | The Girl | |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | 2009 | Lisbeth Salander | |
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | 2011 | Lisbeth Salander | |
Glue | 2006 | Lucas, Nacho | |
Go Fish | 1994 | Daria | Daria has sex with a man and on her way home is challenged by a "jury," who question whether a woman who has sex with a man can call herself a lesbian. She contrasts how a gay man who has sex with a woman is characterized as being "bored, drunk [or] lonely" but if a lesbian has sex with a man "her whole life choice becomes suspect." |
Goldfinger | 1964 | Pussy Galore | See notes under her character in literature. |
Goldfish Memory | 2003 | Various | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Grande École | 2004 | Paul, Mécir | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Grindhouse | 2007 | Dr. Dakota Block | |
Henry & June | 1990 | Anaïs Nin, June Miller | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Horsey | 1997 | Delilah Miller | |
High Art | 1998 | Syd | |
The History Boys | 2006 | Stuart Dakis | Portrayed as aware and unconfused, in opposition to his homosexual contemporaries. |
Horrible Bosses 2 | 2014 | Dr. Julia Harris | A problematic portrayal of bisexuality. Dr. Harris is obsessed with sex and is very predatorial. |
The Hunger | 1983 | Miriam Blaylock, Sarah Roberts | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Jennifer's Body | 2009 | Jennifer Check, Needy Lesnicki | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. |
I Dreamt Under the Water | 2008 | Antonin | |
Imagine Me & You | 2005 | Rachel | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
In extremis | 2000 | Thomas, Vincent | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
In the Realm of the Senses | 1976 | ||
Itty Bitty Titty Committee | 2007 | Shulie | Thought to be straight, revealed as more fluid. |
Kinsey | 2004 | Alfred Kinsey | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Kissing Jessica Stein | 2001 | Jessica Stein, Helen Cooper | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Les temps qui changent | 2004 | Sami | |
The Libertine | 2005 | John Wilmot | |
Liquid Sky | 1982 | Margaret | |
Love Songs | 2007 | Ismaël Bénolie, Julie Pommerraye, Alice | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Loving Annabelle | 2006 | Cat Pegrum | Cat says she's not gay because she "like[s] guys too" |
May | 2002 | May Dove Canady | |
Midnight Express | 1978 | Billy Hayes | Controversial, film replaces consensual affair between prisoners with a fictionalized rape. |
My Own Private Idaho | 1991 | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. | |
My Summer of Love | 2004 | Mona | Tasmin seems to be inexperienced; Mona has been with men before. |
Manhattan | 1979 | Jill | Went from bisexual to lesbian after being married to Isaac. |
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh | 2008 | Cleveland Arning, Art Bechstein | |
Nowhere | 1997 | Dark Smith, Mel | |
The Pillow Book (film) | 1996 | Jerome | |
Portrait of a Marriage | 1990 | Vita Sackville-West, Harold Nicolson | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Possession | 2002 | ||
Puccini for Beginners | 2006 | Grace, Allegra, Samantha | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
The Raspberry Reich | 2004 | Various | Bisexuality is believed to be a necessary part of the 'revolution'. |
The Rocky Horror Picture Show | 1975 | Dr. Frank N. Furter, Rocky Horror, Magenta Raff, Brad Majors, Janet Weiss, Columbia, Eddie | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
The Royal Tenenbaums | 2002 | Margot Tenebaum | Had a female lover in Paris. |
Rent | 2005 | Maureen Johnson | Maureen fits many negative stereotypes of bisexuality, as she is bad with commitment and has a talent for driving her lovers insane. It's worth noting, however, that her behavior is never attributed to her sexuality in any way, being portrayed as a personal flaw instead. |
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom | 1975 | ||
Savage Grace | 2007 | ||
Savage Nights | 1992 | ||
The Sex Monster | 1999 | Laura Barnes | |
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills | 1989 | ||
School of Flesh | 1998 | Quentin | |
Score | 1972 | All characters | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
She Hate Me | 2004 | Fatima Goodrich, several portrayals | Sexuality probably portrayed as fluid. Fatima fits many negative stereotypes of bisexuality, including being evil, greedy, cheating, and having no morals. However, many characters in this movie have a similar personality. Ends up in a polyamorous relationship with her ex-boyfriend Jack (main character) and lesbian girlfriend Alex. Although the portrays of lesbianism and bisexuality can be offensive, it also shows some debunking of stereotypes, including Jack's reaction to Fatima's infidility (heartbroken and not at all aroused by girl-on-girl action). |
Shortbus | 2006 | Sofia, Justin Bond | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
The Skeleton Twins | 2014 | Rich | Rich has a sexual relationship with Milo while dating a woman. |
Skyfall | 2012 | Raoul Silva, James Bond? | Somewhat problematic, invoking the "predatory bisexual" trope, but then subverts it. Silva, the villain, caresses the captive Bond while inquiring, "First time for everything, yes?" Bond responds, "What makes you think this is my first time?". Silva also refers to himself as the lover of the woman Bond seduced to find him. |
Sobreviviré (I Will Survive) | 1999 | Iñaqui | |
Something for Everyone | 1970 | ||
Stage Beauty | 2004 | Ned Kynaston, George Villiers | |
Sunday Bloody Sunday | 1971 | Bob Elkin | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Swimming | 2002 | Frankie Wheeler, Josee | |
Relax...It's Just Sex | 1997 | ||
Teorema | 1968 | The Visitor, Paolo | Symbol, sexuality portrayed as fluid with no value judgments. |
Three | 2010 | Simon, Adam | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Three of Hearts | 1993 | Ellen | |
Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family | 2004 | Sam, Steven | Documentary about a bigamous marriage. |
Torch Song Trilogy | 1988 | Ed Reese | |
Transamerica | 2005 | Toby Wilkins | Sexuality portrayed as fluid;, bisexuality suggested. |
Velvet Goldmine | 1998 | Brian & Mandy Slade | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
The War Widow | 1976 | Amy | Portrayed as bisexual, but seen as a lesbian. |
Water Drops on Burning Rocks | 2000 | Leopold, Franz | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Women in Love | 1969 | ||
Wild Side | 2004 | Djamel | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Wild Things | 1998 | Kelly Lanier von Ryan and Suzie Marie Toller | |
Ya lyublyu tebya (You I Love) | 2004 | Timofei | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Y tu mamá también | 2001 | Tenoch Iturbide, Julio Zapata | Sexuality portrayed as fluid but sometimes socially problematic. Teenage male characters do not act on their attraction until end of film, under influence of alcohol and while having sex with the same woman. The next morning they are repulsed and regretful, and apparently never discuss what happened. |
Television
Title | Bisexual characters | Notes |
---|---|---|
24 | Mandy | A terrorist. |
The 100 | Clarke Griffin | At the beginning of the show she sleeps with a male character. In the second season, she kisses a female character. In the third season she has relations with a female character. Also confirmed by Producer and Writer.[14] |
American Dad! | Roger, Avery Bullock, Principal Lewis | A bisexual alien, Stan's bisexual boss at the CIA, and Steve's Principal who has a "prison wife" whom he's seen outside of prison with a few times as well as being known as a lady's man. |
Agent Carter | Peggy Carter | Confirmed by Hayley Atwell[15] |
All My Children | Lena Kundera | Lena was the first recurring bisexual character in daytime television. Maggie was sexually confused throughout most of her time on the show. Dated and had sex with several men before committing herself to Bianca Montgomery that make her bisexuality. |
Archer | Pam Poovey, Spirodon Skorpio, possibly Ray Gillette | Pam regularly expresses interest in both genders. Skorpio is the main antagonist in the episode Skorpio, he has a threesome involving chocolate with Lana Kane and Sterling Archer. Ray identifies as gay, but given the opportunity to have sex with co-worker Lana he says, "Nobody's that gay."; was once married to a lesbian as part of a "pray away the gay" program. |
Arrested Development | GOB Bluth | GOB has hinted at having sex with both men and women throughout the course of the show. Two of his most significant romantic relationships in the show thus far have been with Lucille 2 (Liza Minnelli) and, in Season 4, Tony Wonder (Ben Stiller). |
Arrow | Sara Lance | Was in relationship with Oliver Queen (male) and Nyssa al Ghul (female) at separate points in time |
American Horror Story: Hotel[16] | Countess Elizabeth, Ramona Royale, Natacha Rambova, Will Drake(?) | |
Babylon 5 | Susan Ivanova | Had romantic relationships with Marcus (male) and Talia (female; more implied than explicit on screen but later confirmed). |
Banana[17] | Freddie Baxter | Described by roommate Dean Monroe as being "kind of anything" in reference to his sexuality.[18] He is confirmed as being bisexual by actor Freddie Fox.[19] |
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)[20] | Number Six, D'Anna Biers (also known as Number Three), Felix Gaeta | Number Three, Number Six and Gaius Baltar have a triangle relationship in Season 3. Felix Gaeta's sexuality was addressed in online "webisodes", where is dating Lt. Hoshi (male) and had a past relationship with a female Cylon. |
Being Erica | Ivan(, Erica, Julianne) | Ivan identifies as gay, but then says he feels "put in a box" and comments that he thinks gay people also, sometimes, can be 10% straight, and while he is attracted to big, hairy dudes most of the time, he also sometimes finds himself attracted to slender, blonde women. He marries a man on the series but also has always wondered what breasts feel like to touch and Julianne lets him touch hers. Erica experiments with bisexuality briefly in one episode, attempting a sexual relationship with her lesbian roommate, Cassidy, but ultimately Erica decides she is straight and her feelings for Cassidy are just feelings of friendship. Julianne mentions that she kissed a girl once, but seems to identify as straight. |
The Bill | Juliet Becker, Debbie McAllister | Detective Constable Juliet Becker sets a precedence with the rest of the force after she reveals that she is openly bisexual. She reveals that she recently had an affair with a married woman, whose husband reacted violently upon finding out. Juliet eventually begins a relationship with fellow officer Detective Sergeant Debbie McAllister, following the events of McAllister's marriage to the cold Superintendent Tom Chandler. |
Bob and Rose | Bob | Identifies as gay, though finds the only female he's attracted to is Rose. |
Bob's Burgers | Bob Belcher | Although married to Linda, he is prone to homoerotic situations and has expressed interest in males had he not been married. In the episode Turkey in a Can, Bob tells the cashier: "I'm straight. I mean, I'm mostly straight." |
Bones | Angela Montenegro | Married to a man, but had at least one serious relationship with a woman that was rekindled during the course of the show. |
Broad City | Ilana | |
Brookside | Lindsey Corkhill | Has three marriages on the show, but has a long-term affair with friend Shelley Bower. |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Willow Rosenberg | Has a long unrequited love for her best friend Xander Harris and later a serious relationship with Oz Osbourne. After the relationship breaks, she falls in love with Tara Maclay. She still states she finds Dracula attractive at that time. Since the relationship with Tara she only dated women. |
Caprica | Clarice Willow | Clarice is a member of a group marriage involving two husbands and several wives. |
Casanova | Giacomo Casanova | Tries to sleep with a man, only to discover she's a woman and sleep with her anyway. |
Chasing Life | Brenna Carver | A 16-year-old girl who develops feelings for both Kieran, a boy she met in the aftermath of a party, and Greer, a classmate who is an out lesbian. After quickly coming to terms with her simultaneous feelings for both, she attempts to maintain romantic relationships with the two. Although initially reluctant to assign labels to herself, she eventually comes to self-identify as bisexual. |
Coupling | Jane | Claims to have slept with fifteen women, but seems to be pretending for the attention. |
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend[21] | Darryl Whitefeather | Previously divorced from a woman. Upon hanging out with Rebecca and her friends, he starts developing a crush on White Josh. After White Josh kisses him on the cheek, Darryl begins to questioning his sexuality, eventually realizing during a cardio class that he is attracted to both genders. He proudly exclaims to White Josh that he is a "both-sexual", and the two of them begin dating.[22] |
Cucumber[23] | Freddie Baxter | Described by roommate Dean Monroe as being "kind of anything" in reference to his sexuality.[18] He is confirmed as being bisexual by actor Freddie Fox.[19] |
Degrassi: The Next Generation[17] | Paige Michalchuk, Miles Hollingsworth, Zoë Rivas | Paige has dated many guys, and one lesbian. She started to question her sexuality when she became attracted to her female friend Alex. Miles has dated many girls, and shows interest in one guy. He started to question his sexuality when he realized he was attracted to Tristan. Zoë has dated various boys, including Miles, and has shown attraction to a girl. After becoming close friends with Grace, Zoë forms romantic feelings for her. |
Desperate Housewives | Katherine Mayfair | Katherine has a sexual attraction to men, and later for a woman. |
Dirt | Leo Spiller, Julia Mallory, | Leo possibly in denial of homosexuality; Julia "only when stoned". |
Doctor Who[24] | Captain Jack Harkness, River Song, Clara Oswin Oswald | First two from the 51st century when pansexuality is the norm. Clara has been relationship with a man and talks about having kissed women. |
Drawn Together[24] | Foxxy Love, Captain Hero | Foxxy is openly bisexual with a preference for men; Captain Hero comically displays sexual attraction to most things, but is secretive about his romantic attraction to men |
Dynasty | Steven Carrington | Over the course of the series, Steven has relationships with men and women, but he eventually identifies as gay. |
EastEnders | Sonia Fowler, Tony Hills, Danny Pennant, Steven Beale, Diane Butcher | Sonia leaves the show in a happy relationship with a man (with whom she has a daughter), but had sexual relations with a woman beforehand. Tony has an ongoing relationship with Simon Raymond but has a number of affairs with women during that time. Danny has sexual relationships with both men and women. The buildup to Steven's exit involved in a bisexual love triangle storyline among him, Stacey, and Christian Clarke (John Partridge), who is Jane's gay brother.[25][26] Diane has had relationships with men and women. |
Emmerdale | Charity Tate, Debbie Dingle | Charity marries Chris Tate and later has an affair with his sister, Zoe. Charity's daughter Debbie has had many relationships with men but becomes serious involved with friend Jasmine Thomas |
Ellen | Ellen Morgan | In terms of behavior only. Closeted lesbian for first three seasons. |
The Fall | Stella Gibson | Initiates sexual relations with both women and men; doesn't identify her sexual orientation. |
Farscape | Chiana | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. |
Family Affairs | Adam Sheldrake, Karen Ellis, Brendan Boulter | Adam Sheldrake is engaged to Gabby Johnson but later has a fling with friend Clive Starr. Karen is engaged to long-time boyfriend Matt who she marries but later leaves him to have a relationship with Kelly Hurst. After Kelly dies, Karen reconciles with Matt. Brendan Boulter dates Becky Scott and Melanie Costello, who he eventually marries but has affairs with Sean Steel and a man named Jason. |
Family Guy | Lois Griffin, possibly Stewie Griffin | Lois at one point reveals she had same-sex relations when she was younger, but eventually lost interest. Stewie's orientation is left ambiguous, with many hints indicating he is either bi or gay. |
Firefly | Inara | Takes a female client in the episode "War Stories" and mentions having done so in the past occasionally. |
Footballers' Wives | Conrad Gates | Discreetly bisexual, Conrad had many female partners but had an affair with struggling gay character, Noah. |
Friends | Phoebe Buffay | Though she does not identify as bi, it is implied that Phoebe's enganged in sexual acts with both men and women. At one point, she is blatantly sexually aroused by Ross and Monicas' attractive cousin, and tries to talk herself into asking her on a date. |
Game of Thrones | Oberyn Martell, Ellaria Sand | |
General Hospital | Kristina Davis | Kristina is exploring different labels and has not yet decided which applies to her. Previously having only been attracted to men, she is now attracted to a woman. She wonders aloud how her father will react to learning that "one daughter is bisexual" and later refers to her sexuality as "fluid".[27][28] |
Glee[29] | Brittany S. Pierce | Brittany has been described on the show as "fluid" and "bicurious," and in season 5 Santana describes Brittany as "bisexual". The fall 2011 GLAAD report listed her as bisexual.[30] Brittany has had sex with most of the boys in school and her best friend Santana Lopez, and has had serious romantic relationships with Sam Evans, Artie Abrams and Santana. By season four, she is comfortable saying she would date men or women. |
The Good Wife | Kalinda Sharma | She describes herself as "flexible", the actress who portrays her calls her bisexual, and Cary, a man she is sexually involved with in season 5, calls her bisexual to correct Alicia's confusion when Alicia says "I thought she was a lesbian". Alicia asks Kalinda back at the end of season 1 if she's gay, and Kalinda answers "I'm private". Kalinda has had sex with multiple men and women on the series as well as flirtations and discusses how the difference between sex with men and sex with women is like choosing Thai or Italian food; they're both good, just different. |
Gossip Girl | Chuck Bass, Elliot, Olivia Burke | Chuck, while primarily portrayed as a promiscuous womanizer, has admitted to kissing guys before. Elliot states explicitly that he likes boys and girls, and begins a relationship with Eric, who is gay. Olivia Burke kisses Vanessa more than once during their threesome with Dan Humphrey. |
Gotham | Barbara Kean | Has a bisexual relationship with Major Crimes Division Officer Renee Montoya and fiance Jim Gordon. |
Grey's Anatomy | Calliope Torres | Married to George O'Malley for a brief time. Has a sexual relationship with a male doctor before embarking on two consecutive relationships with women. Identified openly as bisexual in season 11, episode 5. |
Halt and Catch Fire | Joe MacMillan | Initiates a season-long sexual relationship with female programmer Cameron Howe in episode 1. In episode 3, seduces the trophy boyfriend of wealthy widow in order to avoid a business deal with her. In episode 7, his ex-boyfriend Simon re-enters his life briefly to inform Joe he has AIDS. |
Hannibal | Alana Bloom, Hannibal Lecter, possibly Will Graham (biromantic) | Alana is in a relationship with a man in the second season, but marries a woman in the third. Hannibal is shown having relationships with women as well as being in love with a man, and is described by show runner Bryan Fuller as omnisexual.[31] Bryan Fuller has described Will as heterosexual, but has repeatedly referred to Will's relationship with a man as a romance and says he is "in love with" that man,[32] suggesting that Will's romantic orientation is separate from his sexual orientation. Furthermore, there is reason to suspect that Will is at least questioning his heterosexuality at the end of season three. Fuller explains how a certain level of intimacy can make you question the lines of your own sexuality, and that while the show "didn't quite broach" that, "it was certainly suggested."[33] |
Happy Endings | Jane Kerkovich-Williams | Dated both men and women. |
Heroes | Claire Bennet, Gretchen Berg | Is portrayed as straight, kissing three guys over the course of the first three seasons of the show and having one serious boyfriend, but then in season 4, after being kissed by her female roommate (Gretchen), begins to consider that her sexuality might be more fluid than she once thought. She accepts holding Gretchen's hand and starts to do it herself willingly before season 4 ends. The show was canceled before Claire's sexuality was fully explored, though. |
Him & Her | Paul | Nearly leaves his wife, Laura, for his lover, Graham. |
Hollyoaks | Craig Dean, Kris Fisher, Ravi Roy, Sarah Barnes | Craig is depicted as straight until he starts an affair with best friend John Paul McQueen, who is gay. Kris is a self-identified bisexual cross-dresser and has had affairs with both genders, through primarily females. Ravi begins a relationship with Nancy but then sleeps with Kris, both of whom were having an affair themselves, causing the three of them to form a short-lived 'love triangle'. When asked about her character's sexuality, Loui Batley discussed Sarah possibly being bisexual.[34] |
Home and Away | Charlie Buckton | Has a relationship with Joey Collins and later with Angelo Rosetta. |
Homicide: Life on the Street | Tim Bayliss | Explores bisexuality in later seasons of the show. In the first episode concerning his bisexuality, Bayliss flatly stated he was "not gay" and did not formally come out until season 7, but even then he did not want to be deemed "a crusader" on the matter. |
House | Dr. Remy 'Thirteen' Hadley | Openly bisexual, she was seen having casual sex with women and having a serious romantic relationship with main character Eric Foreman, and after they broke up, she then entered into a serious romantic relationship with a woman at one point. |
House of Cards | Frank Underwood | In Season 1, it is revealed that as a young man, Frank had a romantic relationship with a male classmate at his military college. Though Frank is married to a woman, Claire Underwood, their relationship is depicted as a political and emotional alliance to which sex is essentially peripheral. It isn't until Season 2, when a male third party is involved, that any intercourse is implied. Frank's relationship with reporter Zoe Barnes in Season 1 is physical but highly calculated, and he is open with his wife about the dalliance and its value to their long-term political objectives. |
How I Met Your Mother | Lily Aldrin | Displays several erotic dreams involving her friend Robin. |
How to Get Away with Murder | Annalise Keating | Annalise kisses her ex-girlfriend Eve Rothlow in Season 2. It is later revealed that they were in a serious relationship during law school. They briefly rekindle their relationship, until Eve finishes her case in Philadelphia and needs to return home. |
The L Word[35] | Alice Pieszecki, Jenny Schecter, Phyllis Kroll, Tina Kennard | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. Often shown as a phase. |
L.A. Law | C.J. Lamb | First kiss between women on a prime time television series and first regular bisexual character on a prime time TV. |
Law & Order | Episodes "Castoff" and "Obsession" both feature psychotic bisexuals | |
Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Nicole Wallace | Arch-nemesis of Detective Robert Goren. Appears in episodes "Anti-Thesis", "A Person of Interest", "Great Barrier", and "Grow". Referred to in episodes "Pas de Deux", "Slither", and "Renewal". |
Legends of Tomorrow | Leonard Snart | While never portrayed in a romantic relationship with either gender, Wentworth Miller confirmed that he "instinctively feels" like Snart is pansexual, and is only attracted to a person's soul.[36] |
Lip Service | Frankie Alan | |
Lost Girl[37] | Bo and Tamsin | Because she feeds off of sexual energy, Bo is involved with many human and Fae characters throughout the show. Her 3 long-term relationships are with 2 Fae men and a human woman, though in each season she has many sexual partners both female and male. In her character description, Tamsin is described as bisexual. Also seen throughout the series as being attracted to both males and females, including her male police partner and the lead, Bo. |
The Legend of Korra | Korra, Asami Sato | Both Korra and Asami are two women portrayed as being in relationships with male characters throughout the series but by season 4 it becomes evident that the duo feel more than just platonic attraction to one another. The last scene of the show implies heavily that the two are in a relationship together. The creators of the show have both confirmed that the last scene of the show does in fact mean that the two have romantic feelings for each other.[38][39][40] |
Make It or Break It | Max Spencer | In episode "What Lies Beneath," Max reveals his bisexuality to Austin and worries about how his female love interest, Payson, would respond. |
Melrose Place (2009 TV series) | Ella Simms | Ella has both sexual relations with both men and women throughout the series. |
The Midnight Caller | episode "After it Happened"/1988 – spreading AIDS from the Gay community to straight women. | |
Mr. Robot | Possibly Tyrell Wellick | Although married to Joanna, Tyrell seduces his boss' male secretary in order to find out who the new CTO candidate is. Sexuality is at least flexible. |
Murdoch Mysteries | Dr Emily. Grace | Became lover of fellow suffragette Lillian Moss, whom she planned to move to london with to join the women's suffrage movement there. In previous seasons was in romantic relationship with two other men, plus one other prior to her first appearance on the show. Confirmed by showrunner. |
My Name Is Earl | Stuart Daniels | Became long-term lover of Kenny James, but demonstrated strong attraction to women as well several times throughout the series. |
Neon Genesis Evangelion | Shinji Ikari | |
Nip/Tuck | Quentin Costa, probably Julia McNamara and Kimber Henry, possibly Christian Troy and Matt McNamara | |
The O.C. | Alex Kelly, Marissa Cooper | Had a casual romance during a part of the series second season |
One Tree Hill | Anna Taggaro | First recurring bisexual character of color on television. |
Orange Is the New Black | Piper Chapman, Lorna Morello, possibly Brook Soso | Sexuality portrayed as fluid. Piper mentions the Kinsey scale but the word "bisexual" is never used. In the second season, Vee warns Taystee not to be "gay-for-the-stay." |
Orphan Black | Delphine Cormier, Cosima Niehaus | Acknowledges that sexuality is a spectrum and that she's never been with a woman before. Enters a relationship with Cosima. Although never explicitly stated in the show, showrunners Graeme Manson and John Fawcett have confirmed that Cosima identifies as bisexual.[41] |
Oz | Chris Keller, Tobias Beecher | Keller homicidal sociopath; Beecher previously married but falls in love and engages in sexual relationship with Keller. |
Parenthood | Haddie Braverman | Has two serious boyfriends over the first three seasons of the show, and is sexually active with the second of them starting at the end of season 2. She clearly feels strong feelings for both of her boyfriends. She isn't on the show for most of seasons 4 or 5 because she's moved across the country to attend college, but when she returns in the season 5 finale, she brings her "super awesome best friend" with her, whom she actually is kissing and dating. Her younger brother wonders if kissing a girl makes her a lesbian. She "comes out" to her mother as having fallen for this girl, Lauren, but her specific sexual orientation is never mentioned. |
Pretty Little Liars | Maya St. Germain, Alison DiLaurentis | Maya believed to be a lesbian, until she admitted dating a boy at the camp 'True North'. Alison is shown to have had many brief romantic trysts with various men, but was revealed to have kissed her friend Emily several times in the past, as well as saying to Emily in season 5 "I always made you think your feelings for me were totally one-sided, that wasn't true." |
Prison Break | Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell | "An open bisexual, he has no qualms about seeking sexual gratification from other inmates, often preying upon younger men."[42] |
Penny Dreadful | Dorian Gray, Ethan Chandler | Sexuality in Victorian era portrayed as having more freedom. Showrunner John Logan perceives sexuality as fluid and has implied that all characters could potentially be depicted as such.[43] |
Polyamory: Married & Dating | Kamala Devi, Jen, Tahl, Lindsey, Vanessa, Leigh Ann, Megan | Reality show about polyamorous families, primarily portrays bisexual women |
Queer as Folk (US) | Hunter, Lindsay | Sexuality portrayed as fluid, but can be socially problematic. |
The Real World: Sydney | Shauvon Torres | Bisexual woman in reality TV show. |
Revenge | Nolan Ross, Tyler Barrol | Claims to be "about a three on the Kinsey scale." Tyler dates Ashley Davenport but later seduces a male character. |
This Life | Ferdy | |
Rizzoli & Isles | Maura Isles | Said she has never been with a Frenchwoman, implying she's been with other women. |
Roseanne | Nancy Bartlett, Beverly Harris | |
Saul of the Mole Men | Nathaniel Baltimore | |
Scream | Audrey Jensen | Had a relationship with Rachael Murray and describes herself as bi-curious. |
Scrubs | The Todd, Elliot Reid, Bob Kelso | In "My Lucky Charm" he begins to hit on men, stating 'The Todd appreciates hot, regardless of gender'. Through the series, Elliot shows strong signs of being bisexual. Kelso often speaks of times in his past and hints he may have been with another man. |
Secret Diary of a Call Girl | Belle/Hannah | |
Sex and the City | Samantha Jones | |
Shameless (U.S. TV series) | Monica Gallagher | Interested in men like Frank and Walter, and also had sex with Clayton Gallagher, another man (Frank's brother), resulting in Ian's paternity test's results. However, she also has been in a committed relationship with Roberta, a woman, and had a fling with another woman while committed to the hospital after her suicide attempt. Monica is bipolar and her bisexuality may be a problematic example of representation because of how it is treated as sort of a symptom of her mental illness. |
The Shannara Chronicles | Eretria | |
Sherlock | Irene Adler | Identifies as a lesbian but becomes attracted to the male main character. |
Shortland Street | Caroline Buxton | Caroline has had a long running romance with badboy Greg Feeney. She also had a relationship with Laura Hall. |
Smash | Ellis Boyd | |
The Staircase Murders | Michael Peterson | |
A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila | Tila Tequila | Bisexual themed reality dating show. |
Six Feet Under | Russel, Keith Charles, Billy Chenowith | Russel is confused; Keith is primarily gay; Billy is primarily straight. |
Skins | Tony Stonem, Cassie Ainsworth, Naomi Campbell, Mini McGuinness | Tony's sexual behavior is primarily towards women, but he has a one-night stand with Maxxie; it is later revealed through his subconscious that Tony is polysexual. Cassie begins sexual relations with both men and women to spite her boyfriend. In series 3 and 4, Naomi displays attraction to men and women, though her primary relationships are with women. In the later half of series 5, Mini's attraction towards Franky implies she is bisexual, though this attraction is short-lived and has no relevance in series 6. |
South of Nowhere | Ashley Davies | Displayed a romantic/sexual attraction to ex-boyfriend Aiden Dennison on more than one occasion, but often identifies as a lesbian. |
Spartacus | Lucretia, Saxa | Depicts the Ancient Roman approach to sexual orientation; people have certain social obligations depending on class (e.g. free citizens expected to marry and have children), but the gender of a person's sexual partners is not seen as particularly notable. |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys in alternate universe, Ezri Dax and Elim Garak. | Jadzia and Ezri Dax's relationships with females portrayed as related to previous existence as a male, alternate-universe Kira portrayed as a hedonistic tyrant. Garak was originally intended as omnisexual by the actor, and many fans still consider him as such, although he never engages in an 'official' relationship throughout the seasons. |
Suburgatory | Dalia Royce | She is shown to have dated guys and at least one girl |
Sugar Rush | Sugar, Saint | |
Supernatural | Chuck Shurley/Carver Edlund/God | He explicitly states that he has had some girlfriends and a few boyfriends |
Survivors | Anya | |
Teen Wolf | Caitlin | Caitlin is a young woman who is first introduced as having been in a relationship with Emily. Caitlin is later seen at Danny's black light party where she kisses Stiles and reveals she is bisexual. |
The Tudors | George Boleyn, Thomas Tallis | |
Torchwood[24] | Captain Jack, Toshiko, Ianto, Captain John. | All main characters sexualities intended to remain fluid. Other characters Gwen and Owen's sexualities remain ambiguous. Jack and John embody pansexuality to varying degrees, whereas Ianto and Tosh more realistically depict 21st century bisexuals. Ianto explicitly acknowledges that he identifies as bisexual in the Torchwood novel Twilight Streets. Also, the actor who played Ianto, Gareth David-Lloyd, stated, "He doesn’t quite strike me as a labelist anyway, but if he were a labelist, he’d probably be bisexual."[44] |
Transparent | Sarah, Syd | |
Warehouse 13 | Helena "H.G." Wells | The character explicitly states, "Many of my lovers were men." Another character mentions that H.G.'s relationship with a man ended and that she is dating a woman. |
Whitney | Neal | He starts the series dating Lily and they later get engaged. After they break up he begins a relationship with a man. His sexuality is described as fluid. |
Wild West | Mary Trewednack, Angela Phillips | They are a lesbian couple and then decide that the romance has left the relationship and start to date men. |
Will & Grace | Karen Walker | |
Witches of East End | Joanna Beauchamp | Has had a husband, Victor; in the 1970s was in a relationship with a woman named Alex. |
Victorious | Andre Harris (possibly) | He told Robbie to come near him so they could kiss. |
Xena: Warrior Princess | Xena, Gabrielle, Athena | Xena and Gabrielle are possibly lovers; implied from middle of the series to its end. Hints that Xena may have been sexually intimate with two women before Gabrielle are also present. |
Joey | Gina Tribbiani | In the Season 2 episode "Joey and the Holding Hands", it is implied that Gina may be bisexual. |
Web series
Title | Character | Notes |
---|---|---|
The Adventures of Jaime Watson (And Sherlock Holmes) | Jaime Watson | Implied in episode 3, confirmed in episode 30 |
Nothing Much to Do/Lovely Little Losers | Peter "Pedro" Donaldson | Identified as bisexual in episode 75. |
The Grey Tarmac Road | Lin Thropupland | Confirmed on first appearance |
Couple-ish | Dee Warson | Attraction to more than one gender shown in episode 8, specifically identified as bisexual on the show's kickstarter |
Rose by Any Other Name... | Rose | |
Theatre
Title | Character | Notes |
---|---|---|
Butley | Butley | |
Cloud Nine | Victoria, Edward | |
The Flick | Rose | |
Gemini | Francis | Treated sympathetically, seen in positive light. |
Hair[45] | Claude, Berger, Woof, various | |
The History Boys | Dakin | Self-aware, complacent, unconfused |
If/Then | Lucas | |
Melancholy Play | Tilly | |
Rent | Maureen | |
Rocky Horror Show | Various portrayals | |
The Shadow Box | Brian | Bisexuality simple fact. |
Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery (1684) | King Bolloxinion; most other characters | An obscene Restoration closet drama thought to be by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. Bolloxinion, King of Sodom, commands universal same-sex sodomy.[46] |
Spring Awakening | Ernst, Hanschen | Seduced by male classmate. |
Stop Kiss | Callie, Sara | |
Torch Song Trilogy | Ed | |
The Vagina Monologues | "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy" | |
Hamilton | Alexander Hamilton | Confirmed by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda as having been in a relationship with fellow soldier John Laurens before marrying Eliza Schuyler |
Video games
Title | Character | Notes |
---|---|---|
Bully | Jimmy Hopkins, Several Male Students. | Kissing various characters, male or female, regains health; homosexual content is optional. |
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair | Nagito Komaeda, Ibuki Mioda, Mikan Tsumiki, Teruteru Hanamura | Komaeda has feelings for the protagonist, Hajime (male), and in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls says that the series' main antagonist, Junko (female) is a person he "both loves and hates more than anyone else". Ibuki is stated in the official artbook to adore cute girls, and has an implied crush on the impostor disguising himself as Byakuya Togami. Mikan is implied to have been in love with Junko, and will display romantic affection towards Hajime in her Island Mode ending. Teruteru is known to flirt with almost all of his female classmates and some of the males (mainly Hajime). |
Dragon Age Origins | The Player Character, Leliana, Zevran | The player (if female) can engage their character in a romantic relationship with either (or on occasion, all) Alistair (male), Leliana (female) or Zevran (male). A male character can pair with Morrigan (female), Leliana or Zevran. |
Dragon Age 2 | The Player Character, Anders, Fenris, Isabela, Merrill | Regardless of gender, the player can romance all four of the love interests in the base version of the game. |
Dragon Age: Inquisition | The Player Character, Iron Bull, Josephine Montilyet | The player character (if female) can enter into a romantic relationship with Cullen, Solas, Blackwall, Sera, Iron Bull, or Josephine. A male character can pair with Cassandra, Dorian, Iron Bull, or Josephine. |
Darkstalkers | Lilith Aensland and Morrigan Aensland | Both succubi |
Morrowind | Crassius Curio | Non player character, attempts to seduce players of either sex. |
Fable | Potentially any | If the player does not marry and have sex with female characters, the personality status screen will label the character as gay. Otherwise, the player will be labeled as bisexual. |
Fallout 2 | Miria and Davin | A player character can marry either of them, regardless of sex. |
Fallout: New Vegas | The Player Character | The "Black Widow" and "Lady Killer" Perks give you a boost to the damage against and additional dialog options with (some NPCs of) the opposite sex, while the "Confirmed Bachelor" and "Cherchez La Femme" perks does it for the same gender. It is possible to select both categories of perks. |
Life is Strange | Chloe Price, Max Caulfield | |
Mass Effect | Commander Shepard (Female), Liara T'Soni, Sha'ira | If the player creates a female character, they can pursue a romantic relationship with either a human male, Kaiden Alenko, or asari female, Liara T'Soni. The asari are a mono-gendered species, all members of whom are sexually female, and are capable of reproducing with a male or female of any species (including their own.) A character of either gender can also have a sexual encounter with an asari consort, Sha'ira. |
Mass Effect 2 | Commander Shepard (Female), Kelly Chambers, Liara T'Soni, Samara, Morinth | A male or female character can enter into a romantic liaison with Kelly Chambers, the ship's yeoman, or the asari characters Samara or Morinth, two of the player character's possible henchmen. If a relationship with Liara T'Soni was pursued in the previous game, it can be continued in Mass Effect 2, specifically in the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC. |
Mass Effect 3 | Commander Shepard, Liara T'Soni, Kaidan Alenko, Diana Allers, Kelly Chambers | If a relationship was pursued with Liara T'Soni, Kaidan Alenko or Kelly Chambers in previous games, it can be continued in Mass Effect 3. Additionally, Kaidan Alenko becomes available as a romantic option for both a male and female Commander Shepard (provided he survived the events of Mass Effect.) Furthermore, a character of either gender can engage in a sexual encounter with Diana Allers, a reporter stationed aboard the ship. |
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Vamp | A villain; according to dialogue within the game, "Vamp" is considered slang for bisexual. |
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Colonel Volgin | A villain, is in a relationship with Tatyana and his top officer, Major Raidenovich. |
Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh | Curtis Craig | First game to establish playable character as bisexual. |
The Sims | All | All characters can potentially fall in love with either gender, however Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and DS versions appear to have removed any same-sex 'romance' interactions. |
Fire Emblem: Fates | Rhajat, Niles, Corrin | |
Saints Row IV | The Boss, Johnny Gat, Shaundi, Pierce Washington, Asha Odekar, Kinzie Kensington, Matt Miller | The parody romance system in Saints Row IV allows the player to "romance" potentially any or all characters on the ship, excluding Keith David and Ben King (who merely gives the player an autographed copy of his book). |
Undertale | Player Character, Alphys | The player has the option to flirt with various characters, regardless of gender. Alphys enters a romantic relationship with Undyne in one ending, and is revealed to be somewhat attracted to Asgore and Mettaton. |
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines | Therese and Jeanette Voerman; various | The player can choose the sex of his character and seduce characters regardless of the sex chosen. The character Jeanette/Therese Voerman (the characters have a split personality and are therefore actually the same character) is apparently explicitly bisexual. |
Music
Title | Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|
"Not Myself Tonight" | Christina Aguilera | "I'm kissing all the boys and the girls." |
"Bicoastal" | Peter Allen | |
"Secretly" | Skunk Anansie | |
"My Wife Left Me for My Girlfriend" | The Bellamy Brothers | |
"Girls & Boys" | Blur | "Girls who are boys / Who like boys to be girls / Who do boys like they're girls / Who do girls like they're boys -- / Always should be someone you really love" |
"Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls | Book of Love | "Your warm body is what I'm without. / I just close my eyes and I dream about / Pretty boys and pretty girls." |
"John, I'm Only Dancing" | David Bowie | |
"Suffragette City" | David Bowie | |
"The Jean Genie" | David Bowie | |
"Rebel Rebel" | David Bowie | |
"Carmen" | Lana Del Rey | "The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen / She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes" |
"Sexuality" | Billy Bragg | |
"Lover I Don't Have to Love" | Bright Eyes | |
"Bisexual Girl" | Coyote Shivers | |
"Bye Bisexual Boy" | Das Pop | |
"If It Isn't Her" | Ani DiFranco | "I have been playing/too many of those boy girl games/she says honey you are safe here/this is a girl girl thing" |
"In or Out" | Ani DiFranco | Ani sings about her bisexuality being questioned by both men and women. |
"Shameless" | Ani DiFranco | "I gotta cover my butt 'cause I covet/another man's wife" |
"Light of Some Kind" | Ani DiFranco | "I still think of you as my boyfriend/I don't think this is the end of the world/But i think maybe you should follow my example/And go meet yourself a really nice girl" |
"Michael" | Franz Ferdinand | Although never completely validated or invalidated by the band, the lyrics and video suggest a homoerotic encounter on the dancefloor. The band claims that one of the band members got drunk one time and started to dance with a boy on the dancefloor, although they also claim that the song is about two friends of them getting together on the dancefloor. Franz Ferdinand normally plays a slightly more edgy, sexual version of the studio version, often changing come and dance with me into come over all over me and stubble on my sticky lips to stubble on my sticky hips. In 2004, an alternative version of this song suggested a male love interest and female love interest fighting over Michael. |
"Coming Clean" | Green Day | About Billie Joe's own sexuality.[47] |
"Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now" | Ben Harper | |
"This Door Swings Both Ways" | Herman's Hermits | |
"Bisexual Military" | Hypnotic Clambake | |
"Sailor" | IAMX | "A three-way freeway, take me like a sailor" and "A quick step, boy girl love me like you love her". Chris has also introduced the song during concerts by saying, "This is for all you bi-curious people out there". |
"Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" | Janet Jackson | A cover of the Rod Stewart song. In this version, the lyrics are changed to be about a threesome. |
"Baby Blue" | Joan Jett | "Switch hitter, you know she plays the field \ She ain’t concerned, oh, as long as it’s real" |
"Human's Lib" | Howard Jones | |
"Hey Mister, She Was My Baby Last Night" | Candye Kane | |
"So Happy I Could Die" | Lady Gaga | According to Lady Gaga, this song represents her fear of alcohol. The song also seems to suggest Gaga being in love with her best friend but not expressing her romantic feelings towards her. |
"Poker Face" | Lady Gaga | Lady Gaga has said the song is about fantasizing of a woman while sleeping with a man. |
"Americano" | Lady Gaga | "Americano" is about a same-sex relationship. The openly bisexual singer wrote this song in direct response to California's Proposition 8. |
"Bi" | Living Colour | |
"3-Way (The Golden Rule)" | The Lonely Island, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga | "it's not gay, when it's in a three-way," parody |
"Cool for the Summer" | Demi Lovato | Thematically, the song is about sexually experimenting with a female lover during summertime. |
"Billy Brown" | Mika | |
"Scar" | Missy Higgins | Song about failed relationships. One verse about a man and one verse about a woman. Missy Higgins has said that she could probably be described as bisexual. |
"Q.U.E.E.N." | Janelle Monáe, Erykah Badu | "Hey brother, can you save my soul from the devil? / Say is it weird to like the way she wear her tights? (but I like it) / And is it rude to wear my shades? / Am I a freak because I love watching Mary? (maybe) |
"Softcore" | of Montreal | |
"Girls/Girls/Boys" | Panic! At the Disco | From the viewpoint of a man in love with a bisexual woman with a girlfriend. |
"I U She" | Peaches | |
"Two boys for every girl" | Peaches | |
"Nancy Boy" | Placebo | |
"I Kissed A Girl" | Katy Perry | Often considered exploitative;[48] Perry has admitted to being heterosexual. |
"Can You Forgive Her?" | Pet Shop Boys | The lyrics describe in the second person a young man's humiliation when his girlfriend accuses him of still being in love with a childhood friend (implicitly male); the woman is "not prepared to share you with a memory", and is "going to go and get herself a real man instead". |
"Sissy Blues" | Ma Rainey | |
"Zwitter" | Rammstein | |
"Te Amo" | Rihanna | The song is about a woman falling in love with Rihanna. |
"The Last Word" | Tom Robinson | |
"More Lives Than One" | Tom Robinson | |
"I Kissed A Girl" | Jill Sobule | |
"I Can't Help It" | Esperanza Spalding | "Was looking in my mirror, / Took me by surprise. / I can't help but see you, / Running often through my mind" |
"3" | Britney Spears | Song about a threesome. |
"If U Seek Amy" | Britney Spears | The title, "If U Seek Amy", is a mondegreen, meaning to sound like "F-U-C-K me" when heard in the chorus, "All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy." |
"I Like It Both Ways" | Supernaut | |
"ACDC" | Sweet | |
"Boyfriend" | Tegan and Sara | "You treat me like your boyfriend / And trust me like a... like a very best friend / You kiss me like your boyfriend / You call me up like you want your best friend / You turn me on like you want your boyfriend / But I don't want to be your secret anymore" |
"Rough Boys" | Pete Townshend | Rough boys don't walk away, / I very nearly missed you. / Tough boys come over here, / I wanna bite and kiss you." |
"I Spent My Last $10 on Birth Control and Beer" | Two Nice Girls | |
"Stockings" | Suzanne Vega | "Do you know where friendship ends / and passion does begin? / It's between the binding of / her stockings and her skin." |
"Take Me on the Floor" | The Veronicas | |
"Black Girls" | Violent Femmes | |
"Pink Triangle" | Weezer | "everyone's a little queer" |
"Sissy Man Blues" | Josh White | |
Music Videos
Title | Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|
"LoveGame" | Lady Gaga | In the video, Lady Gaga kisses a male and female officer. |
"Don't Look Back" | Matrix & Futurebound featuring Tanya Lacey | A woman is in a relationship with a man but falls in love and runs away with another woman. |
"Románticos" | Nicole | The video shows a woman who is engaged to a man but falls in love with another woman. |
"I Can't Help It" | Esperanza Spalding | Spalding's character is in a relationship with a man, but reminisces about a relationship with a woman. |
"Tous les mêmes" | Stromae | Stromae plays a character who alternates between appearing male and female, being with a woman and a man. |
"Habits" | Tove Lo | Tove Lo kisses both men and women in the video. |
"Let's Not Pretend" | Lilly Wood and the Prick | The actors in the video kiss each other regardless of their genders. |
"Sacrilege" | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Lily Cole plays has various sexual encounters with men and one woman from the same village, who punish her for witchcraft. |
"Desire" | Years & Years | The video features a bisexual orgy. |
See also
- 1974 in film
- Bisexuality
- Biphobia
- List of American television episodes with LGBT themes
- Lists of Media Portrayals of Transgender People
- List of television shows with LGBT characters
- Media and sexual orientation
- Media portrayals of bisexuality
- Media portrayal of lesbianism
References
- ↑ Bell de Jour's Blog
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ochs, Robyn. "Bisexual Stories: An Annotated Bi-Bliography". Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 Kushner, Ellen. Ellen Kushner's Tumblr http://ellenkushner.tumblr.com/post/72725002622/swordspoint-and-the-privilege-of-the-sword-by. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ Ostry, Bernard; Yalden, Janice (2004). Visions of Canada: the Alan B. Plaunt memorial lectures, 1958-1992. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. pp. 310–311. ISBN 0-7735-2662-5.
- ↑ Sutherland, Fraser (1983). "Sylvia Bayer and the Search for Rubber". Canadian Poetry 13: 86–91.
- ↑ Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D. "The World's -- and My -- Love Affair with Lisbeth Salander. Lisbeth Salander -- a misfit -- may be the most beloved figure in the world." Psychology Today, Published on December 16, 2011 in Addiction in Society
- ↑ http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-31571-9. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ Dotterer, Ronald L. (1992). My library My History Books on Google Play Sexuality, the Female Gaze, and the Arts: Women, the Arts, and Society. p. 15.
- ↑ Marcus, Steven. The Other Victorians: A Study of Sexuality and Pornography in Mid-Nineteenth-Century England. New York: Basic Books, (1966)
- ↑ http://www.themarysue.com/selina-kyle-is-bisexual/. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ http://dot429.com/articles/3827-the-young-avengers-the-first-ever-mainstream-all-queer-superhero-team. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ "Homestuck".
- ↑ "Ménage à 3".
- ↑ Rothenberg, Jason. Twitter.com https://twitter.com/JRothenbergTV/status/570775409643532288. Retrieved 2015-02-25. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ http://bimagazine.org/peggy-goes-bi-on-marvels-agent-carter/. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/12/17/american_horror_story_hotel_gets_bisexuality_right.html. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - 1 2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11351180/Freddie-Fox-I-am-very-ambitious.-I-have-a-voracious-appetite.html. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - 1 2 "Episode 1". Cucumber. Season 1. Episode 1. 22 January 2015. Channel 4.
- 1 2 Kinsella, Felicity (19 January 2015). "cucumber, banana, tofu’s freddie fox on gay shame, gay pride and avoiding labelling". i-D. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
- ↑ http://io9.gizmodo.com/5108859/battlestar-webisodes-start-today-with-a-bang---and-a-kiss. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ http://www.themarysue.com/crazy-ex-girlfriend-gettin-bi/. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ↑ "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Darryl Is TV’s Most Darling Bisexual". Vulture. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11351180/Freddie-Fox-I-am-very-ambitious.-I-have-a-voracious-appetite.html. Missing or empty
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(help) - 1 2 3 http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/news/a100770/davies-hails-captain-jacks-sexuality/. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ "EastEnders – Aaron Sidwell has been axed". My Park. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
- ↑ "EastEnders bisexual story in pictures". Pink News'. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
- ↑ General Hospital. Season 1. Episode 13517. 18 March 2016. ABC.
- ↑ http://community.ew.com/2016/03/19/general-hospital-helena-will-reading/
- ↑ http://www.afterellen.com/tv/91217-if-glee-writers-explore-brittanys-bisexuality-should-we-bitch. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ http://www.glaad.org/publications/whereweareontv11/characters
- ↑ http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/hannibal-creator-i-wanted-to-be-sure-we-had-an-ending-for-the-story
- ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/08/30/hannibal-bryan-fuller-on-the-huge-events-in-the-season-3-finale-and-continued-hopes-for-the-future?page=2
- ↑ http://tvline.com/2015/08/29/hannibal-series-finale-will-lecter-cliff-bryan-fuller-interview-season-4/
- ↑ Green, Kris (1 October 2009). "Loui Batley and Zoë Lister ('Hollyoaks Later')". Digital Spy (Hachette Filipacchi UK). Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ↑ http://www.afterellen.com/tv/29823-the-l-word-reinforces-negative-bisexual-stereotypes. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ↑ "Wentworth Miller On Legends Of Tomorrow's Captain Cold: "I Instinctively Feel Like He’s Pansexual"". LOGO News. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
- ↑ http://www.afterellen.com/tv/80898-an-interview-with-anna-silk-of-lost-girl. Retrieved 14 March 2016. Missing or empty
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(help) - ↑ Konietzko, Bryan (22 December 2014). "Korrasami is canon.". Tumblr. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ↑ DiMartino, Michael (22 December 2014). "Korrasami Confirmed". Tumblr. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ↑ DiMartino, Michael (22 December 2014). "Korrasami Confirmed". WordPress. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ↑ Anne, Valerie. "Tatiana Maslany gives us the scoop on the "Orphan Black" clones and Cosima’s bisexuality". AfterEllen. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ Theodore Bagwell, Character Bio - IMBD
- ↑ Diaz, Eric. "Penny Dreadful Comic-Con 2014 Panel Report". Nerdist. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ http://www.afterelton.com/people/2008/2/garethdavidlloyd
- ↑ The Advocate Interview with James Rado
- ↑ Johnson, J.W. (1987). "Did Lord Rochester write Sodom?". Publications of the Bibliographical Society 81: 119–153.
- ↑ "Coming Clean", The Advocate interview with Billie Joe Armstrong (January 24, 1995)
- ↑ "The original riot grrrl on Katy Perry, '90s revival", CNN interview with Kathleen Hanna (June, 2011)
- GLAAD: Bisexuality in Movies, Television and Music
- Bryant, Wayne M.. Bisexual Characters in Film: From Anais to Zee. Haworth Gay & Lesbian Studies, 1997. ISBN 1-56023-894-1
- Thomas Geller's Bisexuality: A Reader and Sourcebook (1990)
- The Bisexual Option – Fritz Klein's psychological exploration of the bisexual.
- Out Films: Top 10 bisexual films
- Bisexual Songs
- Bisexual Literature
- AfterElton.com about gay and bisexual men in entertainment
- AfterEllen.com about lesbian and bisexual women in entertainment
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