Bisexual erasure (or invisibility) happens when people question or deny the legitimacy of bisexuality as an identity. A person or a society can perpetuate bisexual erasure or negative stigmas against bi+ people, including

• Downplaying bisexuality as a phase

• Assuming two women who are in a relationship together must be lesbians

• Assuming a man and a woman who are in a relationship together are both straight

• Asking a partner who is bisexual to label their sexual identity in a way that "reflects" your relationship

• Leaving out the bisexual community in LGBTQ+ advocacy

• Believing that bi+ people are inherently more promiscuous or incapable of monogamy or relationship fidelity

• Dismiss the fact that bi+ people are more likely to experience intimate partner violence than straight or gay people

Even with more than half of LGBTQIA+ Americans identifying as bisexual+, it is still incredibly common for people to continue to downplay, ignore, or deny people's sexuality. Learn more about bi+ erasure and its harmful effects from The Movement Advancement Project's 2016 report, "Invisible Majority: The Disparities Facing Bisexual People and How to Remedy Them".