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Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women in The Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women in the United States Gregory M. Herek University of California at Davis To appear in The Journal of Sex Research, 2002, 39(4). AUTHOR NOTE. The research described in this paper cultures (e.g., Carrier, 1985; Ford & Beach, was supported by grants from the National Institute of 1951; Fox, 1996; Herdt, 1990), bisexual men and Mental Health (R01 MH55468 and K02 MH01455). women in the United States have gained The author thanks Sari Dworkin for her helpful recognition as a distinct sexual minority only comments on an earlier draft of the paper, and the recently. Bisexuals began to form social and staff of the Survey Research Center, University of California at Berkeley, for their assistance throughout political groups in the 1970s (Donaldson, 1995; the project. Address correspondence to Gregory M. Weinberg, Williams, & Pryor, 1994), but it was Herek, Department of Psychology, University of not until the late 1980s that an organized California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616- bisexual movement began to achieve 8686. widespread visibility in the United States (Herdt, 2001; Paul, 1983; Rust, 1995; Udis-Kessler, Abstract 1995). Around the same time, the heterosexual This paper examines heterosexual adults’ public became more aware of bisexual men as a attitudes toward bisexual men and women group at heightened risk for HIV infection using data from a 1999 national RDD survey (Gelman, 1987). By the early 1990s, bisexuals (N = 1,335). Ratings on 101-point feeling were becoming an established presence in the thermometers were lower (less favorable) for organized gay movement, as reflected in bisexual men and bisexual women than for all discussions of bisexuality in the gay and lesbian other groups assessed – including religious, press and the addition of “bisexual” to the racial, ethnic, and political groups – except names of many gay and lesbian organizations injecting drug users. More negative attitudes and events (Rust, 1995). Throughout the 1990s, toward bisexuals were associated with higher the mass media frequently featured images of age, less education, lower annual income, bisexuals (Hutchins, 1996; Leland, 1995). residence in the South and rural areas, higher Given the culture’s relatively recent religiosity, political conservatism, traditional recognition of “the bisexual” as a category of values concerning gender and sexual behavior, sexual identity, it is not surprising that empirical authoritarianism, and lack of contact with gay research on heterosexuals’ attitudes toward men or lesbians. White heterosexual women bisexuality and bisexual persons is scant. Like expressed significantly more favorable attitudes lesbians and gay men, bisexual women and men than other women and all men. A gender experience hostility, discrimination, and difference was observed in attitudes toward violence because of their sexual orientation bisexuals and homosexuals: Heterosexual (Ochs, 1996; Paul & Nichols, 1988; Weinberg et women rated bisexuals significantly less al., 1994). Unfortunately, the prevalence of such favorably than they rated homosexuals, experiences is difficult to gauge because regardless of gender, whereas heterosexual empirical studies of sexual minorities generally men rated male targets less favorably than have not included bisexuals in their samples or femalePre-Publication targets, regardless of whether the target they have combined data Draftfrom bisexual and was bisexual or homosexual. homosexual respondents in their published reports. Although patterns of bisexual behavior have Some studies, however, have demonstrated been documented throughout history and across that bisexuals are the targets of prejudicial 1 actions and attitudes. In a community-based stigmatized (Herek, 2000a). Indeed, in the study of bias crime, for example, Herek, Gillis, Kaiser Family Foundation (2001) survey, and Cogan (1999) found that 15% of bisexual bisexuals were less likely than gay men and women (n = 190) and 27% of bisexual men (n = lesbians to report experiences with prejudice 191) had experienced a crime against their and discrimination. person or property because of their sexual Alternatively, bisexuals might be targets of orientation. Within genders, bisexual greater hostility than gay people for a variety of respondents’ prevalence of victimization was reasons. For example, many heterosexuals may fairly similar to that reported by lesbians (19%, equate bisexuality with sexual promiscuity or n = 980) and gay men (28%, n = 898). In a 2000 nonmonogamy. Bisexual men and women might telephone survey of 405 lesbians, gay men, and be regarded as vectors of HIV infection or other bisexuals in major U.S. cities conducted by the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). For some Kaiser Family Foundation, 60% of bisexual heterosexuals, bisexuals might be a source of respondents reported that they had experienced anxiety or discomfort because they are discrimination, 52% had been the target of perceived as challenging the widely accepted verbal abuse, and 26% had not been accepted heterosexual-homosexual dichotomy of by their families of origin because of their sexuality. (For discussion of these and other sexual orientation (Kaiser Family Foundation, reasons, see Ochs, 1996; Ochs & Deihl, 1992; 1 2001). Paul, 1996; Paul & Nichols, 1988; Rust, 1996.) To understand bisexuals’ experiences with Consistent with these speculations, prejudice and discrimination, hostility directed undergraduate students in at least one study specifically at bisexuality must be distinguished rated bisexual men and women somewhat more from antigay hostility. Activists have pointed negatively than gay men and lesbians (Eliason, out the many ways in which anti-bisexual and 1997). Another study found that undergraduates antigay prejudice overlap (e.g., Ochs, 1996), perceived bisexuals as more likely than either and bisexuals have commented that heterosexuals or homosexuals to give an STD to heterosexuals appear to regard them as a partner (Spalding & Peplau, 1997). Data from homosexuals, which suggests that expressions a 1997 national telephone survey suggested a of hostility toward bisexuals are often rooted in possible gender difference in the relative antigay attitudes (e.g., Rust, 2000; Weinberg et evaluation of bisexuals and gay people. In that al., 1994). It is not surprising, therefore, that the study, heterosexual women responded more few published studies in this area have found negatively to a man with AIDS when he was significant correlations between heterosexuals’ described as bisexual than when he was attitudes toward bisexuals and their attitudes described as homosexual; by contrast, toward lesbians and gay men (Eliason, 1997; heterosexual men responded more negatively Mohr & Rochlen, 1999). when the man with AIDS was characterized as However, there are also reasons to expect gay (Herek & Capitanio, 1999a). heterosexuals’ attitudes toward bisexuals to Given the fragmentary state of knowledge in differ from their attitudes toward homosexual this area, empirical research is needed that persons. On the one hand, bisexual men and specifically describes heterosexuals’ attitudes women might be less denigrated than toward bisexual men and women, distinct from exclusively homosexual persons because they their attitudes toward gay men and lesbians.2 form heterosexual as well as same-sex The present study reports such data from a relationships and it is the latter that are Pre-Publication2 Draft As noted below, bisexuals also experience 1 Of the 265 men in the sample, 10% reported they negative attitudes from lesbians and gay men; that were bisexual. Of the 140 women, 41% were bisexual aspect of attitudes toward bisexuality, however, is (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2001). beyond the scope of the present study. 2 national probability sample of English-speaking studies in this area, for example, Mohr and adults in the United States. Attitudes were Rochlen (1999) found that heterosexual college operationalized as the degree of positive or students’ negative attitudes toward male and negative feelings expressed toward bisexual female bisexuality were significantly correlated men and bisexual women. Because this is one of with frequent attendance at religious services, the first empirical studies to specifically examine adherence to a conservative political ideology, heterosexuals’ attitudes toward bisexuals – and and lack of prior contact with gay people (see apparently the only study to date based on a also Eliason, 1997). The same patterns have national probability sample3 – its four goals are been reliably observed in heterosexuals’ mainly descriptive. First, quantitative estimates attitudes toward gay men and lesbians (Herek, of attitudes toward bisexual men and women 1984, 1994). are presented. Second, to aid interpretation of Based on this rationale, hypotheses were those estimates, the same respondents’ attitude formulated about the relationship of attitudes ratings for a variety of other groups are toward bisexuals with other variables in four reported. areas: Third, heterosexuals’ attitudes toward 1. Demographic correlates: Heterosexuals bisexual men and women are compared to their will express more negative attitudes to the extent attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. It was that they are older, have less formal education, hypothesized that attitudes toward the two report a lower income, are married and have groups would be strongly correlated and would children, and reside in an area where culturally be
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