Bisexual Books

Welcome to Bisexual Books. Here you'll find views and reviews on books from multiple genres and for all ages from the bisexual perspective. Be warned this site contains spoilers and reviews of erotica and other sexual material. Questions or comments?...

[juliaserano]

Anti-Trans “Grooming” and “Social Contagion” Claims Explained

I have a brand new essay out on Medium! It not only debunks anti-trans claims of "social contagion" and "grooming," but also shows how they're linked by a "stigma-contamination" mindset. In addition to explaining anti-trans campaigners' irrational obsession with us, it more generally explains the so-called "TERF-to-fascist" pipeline: when someone who has a history of being politically left or liberal gradually begins to associate or sympathize with far-right political actors and viewpoints after a period of being swept up into anti-trans propaganda and disinformation.

Here's the no paywall link, please share & give it lots of "claps" (up to 50) so other people see it!

[bipositive]

I don't know if you deal with fandom (in general) a lot, but if I perceive a character as bisexual and I want them to be with someone of the opposite / another gender, is that promoting heteronormativity? And how do you handle people accusing you of heteronormativity for being bi?

I don’t really do anything with any “fandom” things.. I don’t really understand them to be honest ^^I don’t think you’re ‘promoting’ anything, bisexuals can be in a relationship with someone of another gender than their own, it happens so it’s not like you’re distorting reality to make it fit with anything ^^If you’re bisexual you’re not “heteronormative”, you can’t be. You have sexual attractions to more than one gender, you’re not “hetero”.. I don’t understand why anyone would accuse you of that just for being bi.With love,               Bi-Positive.

[bisexual-books]

As someone who deals a lot with fandoms, you’re not doing anything wrong and anyone who accuses you of promoting heteronormativity for a bi character is an asshole.

- Sarah

[bisexual-books]

Review - Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele

So fun fact, this is not a book about the word queer or queer community.   It’s a graphic novel explanation of academic Queer Theory.  

Which I didn’t know when I picked it up, so I wanted to make that super clear.  I just think the cover is a bit misleading.  It had me thinking this was more of a generalist work when really its highly academic.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it though!   Its a good introduction to Queer Theory.  I just didn’t know beforehand.  

I think Queer Theory works about as well as a graphic novel as it works as anything else.  Queer Theory is DENSE and difficult to understand (at least for me) and the graphic format allowed for some visual representation of complex ideas.  But there were also a lot of talking heads.   Quite literally.  Most queer theorists are shown with their most famous words in word bubbles above their heads.  

In my opinion, some of the best parts are when we see real queer people either illustrating or repudiating some of this theory, particularly the parts where cis gay men love to speak for all of us in deliberately confusing language (*coughcoughLeeEdelmancough*).  Barker and Scheele don’t let them skate on this, providing differing viewpoints and outright critiques.   I liked that.  

I also loved the way bisexuals are wholly and completely integrated into this book in a way I’ve never seen from a Queer Theory text.   Even when the examples are not strictly about bisexuality, we are still included.  There is a example that has nothing to do with bisexuality persay, but showed a researcher talking to bi communities, reading bi books, going to bi conferences, and HELPING BI PEOPLE.  Seriously this panel almost made me cry.   We never get this kind of consideration.  Usually the best I hope for in general queer/LGBTQ nonfiction is to not have any blatant biphobia.  I never hope for holistic inclusion.  Meg-John Barker is bisexual and perhaps that is why this book lacks the usual unchallenged monosexism.  

So if you’re looking for an introduction to Queer Theory that is bi-friendly, visually inclined, and about as accessible as this subject is ever going to get, I say pick this one up.  

- Sarah 

[bisexual-books]

Dustin’ off the ole blog (or why I don’t feel bad for Becky Albertali)

Hey guys.  Wow.  Its been like two years since anybody posted here and three since I wrote anything of substance?  In my defense I adopted a teen so life got super duper busy around that time, but now that I’ve (mostly) sorted out the day to day parenting stuff, I’m back.  At least for today.  Because whooo boy do I have A LOT thoughts and feelings about the situation with Becky Albertali.  

So let’s jump right in : I don’t feel bad for Becky Albertali .  Not at all.  I think she is wrong and am not moved by her medium post.  I think Gabby Dunn is on the right track to criticize her and I would like do so as well because I think she is wrong.  

What Albertali (and her twitter fans) seem to willfully ignore in her medium piece is that readers don’t side-eye straight authors without good reason.  We do it because over and over and over again, straight authors do a shit job of writing about queer issues, creating realistic queer characters, and discussing queer issues.  How does an author earn the ability to avoid that side-eye? How do they avoid questions, comments, and concerns about their ability to do those things in their writing?  By being an open and proud member of the queer community ie coming out.  Coming out is important and difficult work in a fundamentally heterosexist society, and hence is rewarded as such by our community.   If you don’t do that work, why exactly should I or any other queer person give you that cachet?  

Fundamentally I see Becky Albertali wanting the socio-emotional bennies of queer author status, without doing the work of coming out.  And I’m just not finding much sympathy for that. She is not owed the benefit of the doubt by readers, particularly queer readers.  She has to earn it.  Yes, it probably was difficult for her to be questioned about her orientation while questioning, but those questions are reasonable and legitimate.  

Queer readers don’t just sit around like a dragon hording legitimacy and saying ‘mwhahaha’ to poor little straight authors.  We do this as a self-protection mechanism with good reason. We’ve experienced characters that are just a grab bag of stereotypes.  We’ve been gutted when straight authors we trusted as allies say horribly offensive things.  We’ve read arguments about queer people that bear no resemblance to our real lives and we’ve literally cried ourselves to sleep over disappointing, nasty, rude, offensive, and heartbreaking books (at least I have).  

If Becky Albertali and her defenders want to make life easier on queer authors, then instead of blaming queer readers for asking those questions, they need to interrogate why those questions need to be asked and how to reduce that need.

Instead I see Albertali in her medium piece blaming queer readers for needing to protect themselves, for needing to side-eye, for needing the explicit power of #ownvoices and support of out authors.  I don’t see her piece putting rightful, blame on straight people and straight culture that created these situations in the first place.  Blaming queer readers for daring to question her is a pernicious type of victim blaming, and I have no time or patience for that.  We erect these walls to protect our own hearts and souls, not because we’re big meanies.  If you don’t want to be on the wrong side of the wall, then help dismantle the need for it.  Don’t blame us for its existence. 

I’ve seen some people on twitter say this is somehow gatekeeping or cutting people off from exploring/discovering their queerness in art.  And I think that argument is off base.  No one was preventing Alberteli from making her art.  She could have written in a notebook or on Smashwords for all the days of her life.  People can make a dozen deviantart accounts or twitter accounts or AO3 accounts or tumblr accounts or discord servers and post their queer art creations all over the internet while they work out their queer feelings.  It is easy and free and no one is stopping anyone else from doing so. 

However I think when you cross the line from creating your queer art to profiting off your queer art, something fundamentally changes.  The stakes go up.  Queer readers need to know so they can decide who to trust with their hard earned cash.  We live in capitalism, man.  If you think that sucks, help dismantle that too. 

Albertali looked back in her piece, so I also want to cast back to early 2015, when Albertali first published Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.  Bi YA author Corrine Duyvis woudn’t coin the term/hastag #ownvoices until September of that year.  And it was A LOT easier to get a YA book with LGBTQ characters published if you were straight.  How do I know that?  Because it was like pulling teeth to find queer authors writing queer characters outside of small queer presses.  I was hardcore book blogging at that time.  The mainstream publishing industry side-eyed YA/kidlit queer authors, especially those who were less polished due to poverty/educational attainment/systemic racism/disability, to favor straight white authors with post-graduate degrees along with a handful of token queer authors that were already a part of the publishing industry.  This was slowly changing but it hadn’t changed that much.  It was still easier to get a queer YA published as a straight person.

And Albertali knowingly entered into and profited off that system.   

She literally has cash in the bank off the publication of the book Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the subsequent film that became Love Simon, the subsequent book reprints and merchandise under the name Love Simon and the subsequent Love Victor show on Hulu.  They sold Love Simon shirts at Hot Topic for $20 for crying out loud.  She was able to obtain that money, prominence, and influence because she presented herself as a straight woman.

There is no comparable story in queer authorland because queer authors are simply not given the opportunity to turn their queer novels into multimedia cash cow franchises.  The closest thing I can think of is Armistand Maupin’s ‘Tales of the City‘ and that took 20 years to be made into a tv miniseries with subsequent books.  That was 27 years ago and to my knowledge, no one sold shirts.  So for most of my/ Albertali’s lifetime, there has been no viable path to create a queer media empire as a queer author.  None. 

Until Albertali did it while pretending to be a straight girl.  

She says that she legitimately did not know she was queer when Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda was published or when Leah on the Offbeat was written.  It does suck that she had to figure that out while living such a public life and I feel bad that it was hard.  But honestly it sucks for everyone to figure that out.  It sucks to figure that out as an isolated teen or a professional adult.  Its just an emotionally grueling process.  Wanna make it better for future people?  Again work to disable heterosexism and heterocentrism in wider society.  Blaming queer people for that heterosexism and heterocentrism, and chiding them for not giving you unearned benefits of the doubt doesn’t do anything to disable those systems.  No one forced you to sign a movie deal or do a ton of interviews, you did that all on your own.  Ignorance of the consequences of your own actions doesn’t exempt you from having to deal with them.  

Only very very recently has the publishing landscape shifted so #ownvoices is a selling point instead of a liability.  Only very very recently (and I would argue very minimally) has the publishing industry valued #ownvoices authors enough to nurture and polish their skills with open submissions and contests for people who don’t have grad degree levels of writing skills.  And Albertali is upset at being excluded from this?  When she literally has the educational privileges of a doctorate and significantly more money than the average queer author has made in my lifetime?  

The closet sucks but no one forced Albertali to stay in it and queer people didn’t create it.  She chose to publish and license her work to reap the benefits, and as such also reaps the consequences.  Apparently one such consequence was that it was personally difficult for her to understand her sexuality and her mental health was poor.  Well.... until we can disassemble heteropatriarchy that is the world we live in.  Get your queer house in order before you go pro and open yourself up to real reactions from queer readers.  But if like Albertali, you don’t do that while choosing more and more publicity and raking in wheelbarrows full of cash, well, don’t expect much sympathy from me.  

- Sarah 

[bisexual-books]

I know I’m late.

Every so often, a tweet or meme will go around asking people to respond with all the screamingly queer things they did before they knew…

[eschergirls]

This isn’t totally on the topic of this blog, but it is important to the issue of marginalization and representation in the comics industry and it’s also super important in general, so I want to share it.  This is my friend, Jay Edidin (of Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men fame) who was an assistant editor at Dark Horse Comics on the hypocrisy of Dark Horse promoting itself as LGBT-Friendly when it treats queer and trans employees so poorly. (shared with permission)

(and as for the concern that covering trans healthcare is too expensive for a “small” company like Dark Horse: Barry Deutsch offered a rebuttal with evidence here: https://twitter.com/barrydeutsch/status/1005941450264068096, but beyond that, what Jay is alleging is more than just coverage but that it is part of a systemic culture from management that is hostile to queer and trans people (& to criticism) )

Dark Horse has since issued a statement here: https://twitter.com/DarkHorseComics/status/1006633440110829568

And Jay’s response to that statement is here: https://twitter.com/RaeBeta/status/1006651984441757696

As well, for those wondering how to help regarding the situation, he has listed suggestions in this thread: https://twitter.com/RaeBeta/status/1006723157464580097

[bi-trans-alliance]

(source)

[bisexual-books]

A Graphic Novel Considers How to Raise a Feminist

Even before her daughter was born, artist Tyler Cohen was determined to raise a feminist.

[bisexual-books]

Elgin Charles Is Ready to 'Hold His Head up High' as a Bisexual Man

The celebrity hairstylist opens up about his sexual orientation for the first time in his memoir, By the Way.

[rustandruin]

Top 5 bisexual characters in anything? 😘😘

LOUISE. I nearly died laughing when I saw this hours ago, and now I’m laughing in delight all over again. What a perfect ask. (I recently made a list of shows with great bi rep for someone else, who didn’t really ask for it but I am that extra.) But I’m always game to celebrate all the wonderful bisexuals who exist in fiction. (BTW, limiting this list to only 5 proved harder than expected, because we’ve had such a wealth of representation in recent years, even if it’s not all perfect, or some characters may not quite use that label for themselves.)

In any case, here are my current faves:

5. Korra (Legend of Korra)

I loved Korra from the moment I met her and her tiny self confidently declared that she was the Avatar. But while I thought it would be nice for her to end up with Asami, because why would the Avatar, a soul that is not constrained by the bounds of gender, be limited in their sexual orientation, I didn’t actually expect it to happen. Because years of TV watching had taught me otherwise. But then something magical happened, and it actually became canon. Korra and Asami did have feelings for each other after all. And now I get to read a graphic novel trilogy where my favourite Avatar works out her sexual identity while I slowly figure out my own. 

4. Ianto Jones (Torchwood) 

Ianto was always my favourite character when I first watched this series when it first premiered all those many years ago, but it’s only upon a recent rewatch that I realised just how sexually fluid that entire cast of characters was. (Not that I’d expect anything less from a show where Jack Harkness is the lead. But still, this is insane for a show that premiered in the early 00′s.) Nevertheless, there’s something about Ianto Jones in particular that made him my firm favourite early on. I think it has something to do, with the reason why I love him so much now: he has a clear emotional journey from when he loses his girlfriend at the beginning of the series, to being attracted to, and later falling for, Jack. There’s something simple and quite nuanced about the way he explains to his sister that it isn’t all men he’s attracted to (or rather, loves), but rather, just Jack. 

3. Henry “Monty” Montague (Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue)

Monty is the teenage personification of a walking bisexual disaster, and I couldn’t love him more. He’s smart, but selfish, sensitive, but quite rude. Not to mention, privileged, entitled, and utterly insensitive to the plight of anyone else but himself. He’s a complete flirt, but also in love with his best friend. All of this combines to a fantastic journey of growth and self-discovery that sees him transcend his previous tendencies and grow to be a better person who is worthy of the boy he loves. Oh, and the most impressive part? He’s the bisexual protagonist of a historical YA novel, written by a bisexual author who took pains to ensure that everything was guided by modern sensibilities even though it is set at a time when attitudes toward the LGBTQIA community were less than friendly. (Also the sequel features Monty’s most likely asexual sister who might be romanced by a lady pirate captain, as she attempts to attend medical school like she so deserves. I don’t know how I’m supposed to just sit around and wait.)  

2. b) John Constantine (Legends of Tomorrow, Hellblazer) 

John is technically my first favourite bisexual character ever, because I loved him before I even knew what that label was, or that I identify as it. Instead, I just read the Hellblazer comics as they followed the adventures of my favourite smart-talking, hard-smoking, trenchcoat-wearing occult detective. (The only thing I love more than a detective is one that uses magic. See also: Harry Dresden, and Skulduggery Pleasant. I have a type.) But then as talk of the TV series came about, I saw somewhere that he was bi and lost my shit a little (In retrospect, it feels silly that it took me as long as I did to figure myself out). Of course, the NBC show did not honour that aspect of his identity, which makes me only gladder that he’s going to be a regular on Legends of Tomorrow next season because Matt Ryan was born to play him. 

2. a) Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

How do I love Rosa Diaz? Let me count the ways. She’s a fantastic friend and amazing co-worker who has her colleagues’ backs even when they’re at their most stubborn and uncooperative. Stephanie Beatriz’s performance over these last five seasons has imbued her with a growing sense of warmth under that tough demeanour that only emphasises how much she’s grown as a character. (And the journey we’ve gotten to see her go on.) But beyond being a hilarious character with many levels who constantly kicks ass and is also the most relatable, she got to have a coming out arc that has been sensitively crafted, after Beatriz herself requested her own real-life orientation be reflected on screen. It’s a perfect example of how a character’s sexual identity can inform and enrichen their relationships without detracting from who they are. And I couldn’t be more grateful for it.

1. Robert Sugden (Emmerdale)

Look, I love Robert, but I never actually expected him to top this list. But then I gave it some more thought watched Aaron’s reunion speech, and I realised that it actually makes sense that he would. He’s a smart, funny, at times self-serving and flawed character who’s been through a lot. But somewhere along the way, he’s managed to grow and go on a journey of self-acceptance and find love and happiness and a family. (In some ways he’s a grown up Monty.) Like many of the characters on this list, he’s also got layers. He’s schemed and lied and cheated his way in and out of trouble several times over, but that’s only made him a more fun character to watch. (At least for me.) This is of course in part to Ryan Hawley’s performances, which has had to sell various facets of Robert’s personality, while retaining all the things it is that we love about him. 

Also, for me personally, as someone who regularly writes fic about this character, and from this character’s point of view, I feel a bit more of a personal connection to him. I’ve used his feelings and in-show experiences as a launching pad for my own writing and as an outlet to explore whatever it is I might be feeling or headcanoning in the moment. It’s helped me grow as a writer and a person, and sometimes what’s what you need your favourite characters to do for you. No matter which stage of your life you may be in. 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Loki (Marvel), River Song (Doctor Who), Waverly Earp (Wynonna Earp), Petra Solano (Jane the Virgin), Dutch (Killjoys), Darryl Whitefeather (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Margo Hansen (The Magicians), Charity Dingle (Emmerdale), Clara Oswald (Doctor Who), Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy), H.G. Wells (Warehouse 13), Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers, not confirmed, but would be amazing), Gomez and Morticia Addams (The Addams Family - not confirmed, but come on), Salem Saberhagen (Sabrina the Teenage Witch - again, not confirmed, but come on) 

[bisexual-books]

YA author Julie Murphy’s Quest to Humanize Fat Girls

“Puddin’” takes readers back to the small town made famous in “Dumplin’”.

[rachandroll]

I saw a sad facebook post from the gay bookstore back in Ann Arbor where I used to live about how they hadn’t sold any books that day so I went on their online store and bought a couple, and while you don’t get #deals like elsewhere online, I’d love it if y’all would consider buying your next gay book from them instead of like, Amazon.

[glumshoe]

Common Language is a great bookstore and while I’ve only been there once, I follow it on Instagram and really want to see it succeed!

[glumshoe]

[glumshoe]

Their most recent Facebook post (~9:30 PM, April 18):

A little update:

At last count we had 211 online orders over the last couple of days. We generally have a handful of online orders PER MONTH. And many days our in store sales are 3-5 books. In other words, this deluge is significantly more than we sell in a month. We are literally brought to tears by this outpouring.

About 80% of them have already been fulfilled and are on their way to you.

The other 20% require special attention (out of print book, book temporarily out of stock, etc.) or we need to pull together books from various sources. Some of you will be getting emails from me!

Our staff is three people and one dog. And while the dog is, perhaps, the world’s sweetest dog, he’s not much help in this task. The lack of opposable thumbs is a big hindrance to many bookstore tasks.

Mind you, we are not complaining. Having a surge which overwhelms our current resources is a great problem to have. Heartfelt thanks.

As I take a short break from fulfilling orders I wanted to share a few thoughts.

This is transformative.

We will be able to pay some bills which will steady the ship for a longer voyage. In our wildest dreams this surge would continue, we’d hire more people to handle the load, and the world would have a thriving honest-to-god queer bookstore.

But even if it doesn’t continue at this truly astonishing rate, having a regular flow on online orders would give the store a level of security we haven’t seen in a long time.

All of you did this. You made it happen. And you can be a part of making that dream come true. In fact, you can be the most important part of making that dream come true. You can be an ambassador.

It was, after all, an ambassador who made this happen.

When a friend talks about getting a book, steer them to us. Our mission is to create a safe space for LGBT people, a resource for a community, a place of equality for women, a place where black lives truly matter, a place where your gender is what you say it is, not what anyone else says it is.

If this is your mission as well, join us.

[gaywrites]

I kind of go both ways; I date men and women. They have to be funny, doing something they love. I don’t know—I’ve never really been interviewed about this before.

Abbi Jacobson talks about being bi/queer/“going both ways” in an interview with Vanity Fair! Yaaaaay.  (via gaywrites)

[genderfluid-loki]

marvel is biphobic both in the sense that they wont let characters express their bisexuality on screen and in the sense that theyre inconveniencing me

[violetdanger]

Now I hear people say they don’t like the word bisexual. They feel is has a negative and limiting connotation. But for me it will always be a cherished doorway to a new world. It represents freedom, honesty, and self-realization as no other word ever has.“

Marcella Bucknam, former national coordinator for BiNet USA, from Bisexual Resource Guide: 4th Edition

[shiraglassman]

Brand new today: a fluffy lesbian/bi girl contemporary romance starring two Jewish cuties in South Florida!

Small-batch independent yarn dyer Clara Ziegler is eager to brainstorm new color combinations–if only she could come up with ideas she likes as much as last time! When she sees Danielle Solomon’s paintings of Florida wildlife by chance at a neighborhood gallery, she finds her source of inspiration. Outspoken, passionate, and complicated, Danielle herself soon proves even more captivating than her artwork…

Knit One, Girl Two is $1.99/68 pages. Cover art by Jane Dominguez; picture of Clara and Danielle is by @agaricals on commission.

[stilesisbiles]

I’m reading this right now and I love it!

[ruffboi-mags]

Listen, I’m reading this and i’m like 5 pages in (on my kindle app) and ran into this sentence:

“I am so gay,” she whispered to herself happily.

YES.  YES EXACTLY THIS.  THIS IS ME EVERY FUCKIN DAY I ALREADY IDENTIFIED HARD WITH THIS GIRL OVER MUSICAL THEATER AND YARN BUT NOW I KNOW I WILL FOLLOW HER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

…basically get this cute little novella, it’s precious adorable girl-loving fluff.

[shiraglassman]

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙🌴

[stilesisbiles]

I just finished and oh my gosh, I am smiling so much! This story was perfect and so, so sweet! There are queer and trans characters throughout the book apart from the lesbian lead and her bisexual love interest, and even though they only have a couple of lines each (the book is only 68 pages) they have their own individual personalities, and they felt real to me rather than tokens. There are trans characters of all ages, which made me so happy. 

The book also shows a lot of the MC’s relationship with her sister, destroying the myth that having a f/f romance, especially one at the center of a story, somehow undervalues platonic relationships between women. 

Also, the characters interact with each other in a way that represents how I interact with my friends. family, and partner as a queer person (and a queer nerd at that) I’ve never seen in fiction. There’s this myth we don’t talk about being queer with each other, or think about it all that much. Even when we’re represented in fiction, we rarely talk to each other at all (there should be some kind of queer Bechdel-Wallace test). When we’re allowed to exist in media, we’re expected to do so quietly. (Seeing fanfiction represented as something that resonates with queer people rather than the myth that it’s just for ‘straight teenage fangirls’ meant so much to me, too!)

And, (vague spoiler ahead!) seeing a character’s struggle after trauma to create something using her chosen medium resonated so much with me as a writer who has struggled to write outside of fanfiction (and even then not feeling ‘into it’ like I used to) for years. 

This story is seriously amazing and I have actually deleted several paragraphs of me gushing over it because I could go on and on! As a note, I usually don’t like contemporary stories, but I REALLY loved this one. 6/5 stars. :)

[shiraglassman]

It’s out in pdf now as well for those of you who don’t do Kindle format! https://gumroad.com/l/XJAMO

[stilesisbiles]

^Get this short story, ya’ll! It’s now in PDF as well as on Kindle! :D

[bisexual-books]

Anybody going to C2E2 this weekend?   Join me at 2:30pm at the PopUpLibrary Booth 1857 where I’m going to share some of my favorite queer comics of the last year.   

Something for everyone!   Transgender lesbians?  Bisexual witches?  Gay lovers trapped on the other side of a dimensional void?  Queer creators and queer friendly presses?  You want recs?  Cuz I got recs!  

- Sarah