I see what you’re getting at with your question, and in an ideal world, your theory seems logical. However, I don’t think we’ll be seeing a time when homophobia is gone, and even if it does go away, we certainly won’t be seeing a time when heteronormativity is gone. In my opinion, the answer to your question doesn’t matter because it’s not going to happen.

If you want me to hypothetically try to answer your question, then yes. If prejudice against gays and lesbians was over, that would help biphobia a lot. Yes, we do get hate from the straight world for being “too gay” and from the lesbian/gay world for being “too straight”. You’re very right, we can’t switch the gay button on and off, and we can’t switch the straight button on and off (something a lot of people don’t get). Maybe prejudice from the gay/lesbian community does derive from some kind of envy- I don’t know, and I’m sure it’s different depending on the person.

However, biphobia includes more than just the hate from the straight community thinking that we’re “too gay” and the hate from the gay community thinking we’re “too straight”. There are other stereotypes that I think come from a place that is not just homophobic and not just envy of “the ability to pass”. For example, bisexual people are thought of as cheaters, greedy, and nonexistent. Even if all the straight people and gay/lesbian people were to hang out together happily, the problem of needing to place people on one side or the other would probably still be there (again, this is hypothetical so anything could happen, so it’s actually a really irrelevant example). The idea that bisexuality is just a phase is one of the biggest forms of biphobia that has affected me, personally. I have such a hard time seeing bisexuality as an actual identity, and I constantly question whether I’m actually straight or gay, depending on the gender of my significant other. I have to constantly reassure myself that I’m right, and even then the actual “sure” feeling is fleeting.

So, yes I do think homophobia has a lot to do with biphobia, but the reason we specify biphobia as different from homophobia is because of the way things are, not how they could be. Bisexual folks experience both homophobia and biphobia, which I think is an important distinction to make. I hope I answered your question. Feel free to ask more, and thanks for reading my blog :] 

holycheeseandcrackers:

I’m going to start responding to every ‘bisexuals are selfish/greedy’ comment with pictures of myself laughing and eating delicious food that you can’t have

buxombibliophile:

I suppose it’s because I’ve posted so many things about my bisexuality today that I’ve been receiving some asks about it. I seem to have some doubters among my followers as well as the tumblrverse in general. It saddens me that such doubt comes from the LGBT community as much as it comes from heterosexuals. Since I don’t have anon on, I’ve blocked the foul ones and answered those that were polite. In any case, I thought I would make a general post explaining how I feel.

I was incredibly repressed growing up. Sex was not discussed in my household and was barely allowed to date. Any lustful thoughts I had were shoved down inside and I didn’t even masturbate until college. Just because I’m 22 and “not as experienced” as I “should be” at this age does not mean I don’t know who and what I want. I still don’t think my parents would know how to handle it. Fortunately for me, my older brother is on my side and doesn’t think my sexuality is a big deal. I know I will have him on my side when I finally come out to everyone.

I am not confused or going through a phase. For a long time, I denied my sexuality. I remember in junior high and high school telling myself that I just had a “deep appreciation of the female form.” I also had a list of celebrity women for whom I might “switch teams.” I had to wait until college when I went abroad and got away from overbearing forces in my life and spent a significant amount of time alone in order to know who I truly am. 

I do not identify as bisexual because I’m “too fat for men” to want to fuck me. This is definitely not true, evidenced by both my followers and men who exist in real life. My attraction to women did not occur as a reaction to sexual assault, my attraction preceded that event. I do not identify as bi to “increase” my chances for a partner or because I’m greedy and want everyone to fall at my feet, consumed with lust. 

I am not “too femme” to be attracted/attractive to women. Trust me. The way in which I choose to express my femininity has nothing to do with my sexual orientation and I’ll never understand why people seem to think they are inexplicably linked. Saying things like that to me just indicate you are making an assumption about people based on a stereotype.

I am bisexual. I do not need your approval to validate my sexuality.