Sex, Relationships, Kinship, and Community

Abstract

How do bisexual people live their lives? How do they ‘do’ sex and relationships, parenting, and care for others? What networks and communities are important to bisexual people? This chapter focuses on the lived experiences of bisexual people and other non-LGH people in relation to these matters. It also provides some analyses of the social spaces that bisexual people may engage in, including not only the organised bisexual communities but also those relating to BDSM. Whilst the combination of these different aspects of lifestyle and community within one chapter might seem startling, it does enable the interrogation of some of the underlying values and processes that take place across these different spheres. The chapter also includes a discussion of the relationship between bisexual people and the lesbian and gay communities. This last section stands in contrast to the others, in that the cultural norms and values of the bisexual communities, and the lesbian and gay ‘scene’, diverge in some important ways.