Pretty Bi for an Ally: A Critical Autoethnography

Bisexual people experience negative messaging about their identity from broader society, as well as from within the LGBTIQA + community. The period of adolescence can be particularly tumultuous for those navigating their identity amongst this messaging. Drawing on Ozalas's ( 2020 ) and Suarez&#...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of bisexuality 2024-10, Vol.24 (4), p.574-602
Main Authors: Johnson, Amber, Mullens, Amy B., Burton, Lorelle, Sanders, Tait, Brömdal, Annette
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescents
allyship
Autoethnography
belonging
Bisexuality
Heteronormativity
Identity
LGBTQ people
Siblings
trans
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Summary:Bisexual people experience negative messaging about their identity from broader society, as well as from within the LGBTIQA + community. The period of adolescence can be particularly tumultuous for those navigating their identity amongst this messaging. Drawing on Ozalas's ( 2020 ) and Suarez's ( 2022 ) studies, this study utilizes a critical autoethnographic approach and aims to explore cis-normative and heteronormative perspectives that were dominant within Australian society between the years of 2004 and 2016 from my bisexual lens. Employing McInnis's (2022) notion of belonging and Warren's (2023) use of allyship, this study describes the journey of discovering my bisexual identity and belonging during adolescence and understanding trans allyship through sibship. It also explores how certain social and environmental events can contribute to a sense of belonging or exclusion. The study documents how bisexuality evolves from the unknown, to the hidden, to the visible in a parallel process to supporting a trans sibling's identity.
ISSN:1529-9716
1529-9724
DOI:10.1080/15299716.2024.2360896