Kinsey, however, never used the word bisexual in his 1948 book. Instead, he alluded to bisexuality with phrases like “predominantly heterosexual,” “incidentally homosexual,” “predominantly homosexual,” and “incidentally heterosexual.” Decades later, bisexual activists have employed triangles to depict bisexuality. The triangles are heterosexuality (blue triangle) and homosexuality (pink triangle). Bisexuality is the area in the middle of the interlocking triangles, shown below.
The bi flag uses the same colors to depict straight, bi, and gay sexualities. The flag looks as follows:
Although an improvement on the Kinsey scale, the bi triangle and the bi flag depict bisexuality as a 50/50 affair. Each portrays bisexuality as a single region—rather than as a continuum of regions. In so doing, these symbols ignore the edges of bisexuality. There are, however, three types of bisexuality. The bi continuum goes from predominantly straight, to 50/50, to predominantly gay. Furthermore, terms are needed for the outer regions of the center. See the three-circle graph below.
Regions 1 and 3 are at the edges of the center. Because of the 50/50 implication of the word bi, uni and tri would be used instead for unisexual and trisexual. Uni is for Area 1—and informally, could also mean predominantly attracted to one sex (the opposite sex). Bi is for Zone 2. Tri is for Region 3—and informally, could also mean “willing to try sex with either gender” (the informal definition already being used jokingly). Unlike today’s symbols of bisexuality, the three circles present bisexuality with its own colors—the colors of autumn. Heterosexuality is shown as a summer circle and homosexuality as a winter circle. Why seasons? First, pictures of nature are great fillers for circles. Second, the seasons represent people’s attitudes—and some realities—about these three sexualities. See below.
1. Summer: Most people prefer summer because of its warm weather—very similar to the way that most people prefer heterosexuality. This is why the summer circle is the largest.
2. Autumn: Like the bisexuality of some people, autumn is a transitional season. Yet, fall returns every year, just like bisexuality is a stable sexuality for most bis. Unlike spring—another transitional season—autumn comes later in the year. Similarly, bisexual awareness usually comes later in life. In fact, people often reach bi identity in their 20s and 30s, whereas straight and gay identities emerge in the teen years. In a sexually free society, the bi circle would be the largest because that is the natural sexuality of 80% of the population. In the world of today and the near future, however, the bi circle is smaller than the straight circle (due to the bi-phobia of the straight majority) and yet, larger than the gay circle (due to bisexuality being more widespread than 100% homosexuality).
3. Winter: For most people, winter is their least favorite season—just like homosexuality is their least favorite sexuality. Even bisexuality scores higher because of the “hopes” it offers significant others (e.g., parents) that bis will “go straight.” Winter, of course, offers unique scenic beauty. But it takes time to learn to love winter. Gay people know this process better than most people. Because most people are not 100% homosexual, the gay circle is the smallest.
4. Spring: Another transitional season, spring comes earlier in the year and is a time of birth and newness. Therefore, people questioning their sexuality fit perfectly into this season—shown as three birds flying off the edge of the straight circle.
5. Moon: Transgendered people are off the charts (gender-wise). Therefore, this group is portrayed here by a hovering full moon. The moon, in turn, is over the gay circle because of the close affinity between the gay and transgendered communities. The three circles can be used to depict sexual orientation, romantic orientation, and platonic orientation. For details on the differences between these three orientations, click on the Trisexuality link at the bottom of this page. I have included a few articles that you might find useful regarding bisexuality. The links are: “Expanding Our Thinking about “Sexual” Orientation” “The Problem with Today’s Bisexual Movement” (has gender scale) and “Fantasies of Straight Men.”