I Married a Man, But I’m Still Bisexual

Why it bothers me that my sexual identity has become invisible

Emma Austin
Human Parts

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Photo: Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

MyMy bisexuality is obvious to me. I just have to consult my fantasies, the way I look at women, and my standing opinion that sister wives are missing out by not getting romantic with each other. But to most of the people I encounter, my sexual identity is not at all obvious.

People have always tended to assume I’m straight. That’s just how heteronormativity works: We’re all straight until proven otherwise. But after marrying a man, and especially since having children with him, I feel like my sexual identity has become completely invisible.

At first, I didn’t think too much about it. I was settling into my new role as wife and then mother, and I didn’t have time to worry about the way others perceive me. Lately, however, I’ve been a lot more uncomfortable.

I’m not one of those people who had a clear and distinct understanding of my sexuality right from the jump. This isn’t a story about how I knew at a young age that my romantic and sexual interests transcend gender. Even getting horny and hormonal after hitting puberty didn’t clear things up for me.

In my defense, I came of age during sexually confusing times.

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