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In part, that sociopolitical phenomenon has to do with the feminist movement, which has created what one sociologist calls "the ideology of sisterly love." The subculture of feminist discussion groups and lectures on campuses and elsewhere has brought more and more women together, encouraging friendship and even affection between them. It is not only feminism, however, but also the emphasis by Masters and Johnson, among others, on the clitoral orgasm that has led to more sexual experimentation. In addition, according to Psychologist John Money, expert in gender identity at Johns Hopkins University, the single major cause of the new acceptance of bisexuality was the invention of mass birth control, which separates recreational sex from procreational sex and influences attitudes toward "every part of sexuality."
In this liberal atmosphere, some bisexuals are advocating their life-style as the best of both worlds. They stress the importance of sexual options and of not cutting themselves off from half of the population. Others admit to problems. They say that friends of both sexes shy away from them, fearful of being propositioned. Those bisexuals who turn to the homosexual community for support often find themselves shut out there too. Sociologists Philip Blumstein and Pepper Schwartz at the University of Washington in Seattle have made a study of 150 men and women who claim to be bisexuals. Says Blumstein: "Bisexual men are frequently seen as holding themselves up as better than homosexuals. Most homosexual men tend to doubt the truth of the label bisexual. They think it is just someone working his way to homosexual." Blumstein adds that lesbians often see bisexual women as "fence sitters." He says: "They think these women will easily leave a female lover for a man. They think you can't trust them."
In fact, researchers in the field of sexual identity have observed that bisexuals can indeed be capricious, jumping from one sex to the other with little emotional involvement. Money, for one, notes that the majority experience only fondness, not love. "Bisexuals," says he, "generally do not have the capacity to fall in love with one person."
Manhattan Psychoanalyst Natalie Shainess adds that bisexuality and homosexuality are symptoms of "developmental damages" during childhood. A homosexual, she notes, grows up distrusting the opposite sex; a bisexual is in a sense in a worse plight because he distrusts both sexes. Moreover, the constant ricocheting from one sex to the other, says Shainess, can create unstable friendships as well as a chaotic homelife. If there are children involved, this may confuse their sense of sexual identity. She asks: "Is this invitation for anything-goes sex helping human beings lead more satisfying lives?" Her answer: "It is not."