This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.

Celebrate Bisexuality Day, observed yearly on September 23, is a day on which bisexuality is meant to be recognized, accepted and commemorated. Though this year’s “Bi Visibility Day” has come and gone, bi-erasure persists, and so must bi-visibility.

Bi-erasure can manifest in many ways, from both the straight and LGBTQ+ communities: a bisexual person is often accused of switching sexual orientations based on the gender of their current significant other, or even claiming the label just to get attention. This manifests, unsurprisingly, in media as well; bisexual characters in film and television are often portrayed as simply “experimenting” and are almost exclusively women, which can sometimes further the stereotype that bisexuality is nothing more than attention-seeking sex addiction, or that men who like men would never be “masculine” enough to date a woman. Below are some fictional bisexual characters who portray bisexuality in a healthy, realistic manner. This is in no way a comprehensive list, though I tried to include both men and women from all walks of life. Let me know if I missed your favorite!

Callie Torres

My personal favorite on this list is Dr. Callie Torres of Grey’s Anatomy. Originally married to a man, she eventually starts dating women before marrying and having a child with Dr. Arizona Robbins. I love this example because she never pretends to “switch,” but instead openly uses and embraces the word many TV shows shy away from: bisexual.

Clarke Griffin

Another one of my favorites is Clarke Griffin from The 100. At the start of the show, she was romantically linked to a man, before kissing and sleeping with girls in later seasons. About her bisexuality, show developer Jason Rothenberg tweeted, “Clarke is a bisexual character. Remember that in this society, nobody’s worried about it. They’re worried about spears to the chest.”

Angela Montenegro

Angela Montenegro of Bones is one of the most adult portrayals of bisexuality I’ve seen on TV. Her relationships with women aren’t scandalous or abnormal; they’re just another relationship, treated no differently than her relationships with men. Her exboyfriend is torn up about her reignited relationship with her gay exgirlfriend, but not because of her gender. The fact that she ends up marrying said exboyfriend is never supposed to be her “becoming straight,” but marrying the person she fell in love with.

Oberyn Martell

I love Oberyn Martell. He is outspoken in his love of both men and women; the first scene in Game of Thrones in which he makes an appearance, he is in the middle of an orgy with his female paramore and a male prostitute. When the prostitute asserts that everyone has a preference, Oberyn responds by saying, “Then everyone is missing half the world’s pleasure. The Gods made [women], and it delights me. The Gods made [men], and it delights me. When it comes to war I fight for Dorne, when it comes to love… I don’t choose sides.“

Remy Hadley

Remy Hadley, otherwise known as Thirteen, is a character in House who is openly bisexual. She is seen dating both men and women throughout her run on the show, and is another character who openly and frequently uses the “b-word.”

Tony Stonem

Tony Stonem, the manipulative elder brother of Effy in gen 1 of Skins, spends most of the series dating and sleeping with women. He does, however, have a sexual relationship with his male friend Maxxie, though he was still dating his long-time girlfriend Michelle.

Delphine Cormier

Ah, Delphine. Watchers of Orphan Black either love her or hate her (personally, I adore her), but her statement that “sexuality is a spectrum” is undeniably true. When she began her relationship with Cosima, she said she had never been with a woman before, but this didn’t stop her from falling in love with the female clone.

Frank Underwood

Frank Underwood of House of Cards is married to a woman, but had a relationship with a male in his younger years. Later on in the series, he has a three-way with a man and his wife.

There are some notable exceptions here, but these are some of my favorites. Happy (late) Bi Visibility Day!

Pictures:

http://greys-anatomy-quotes.tumblr.com/post/100828904205

http://www.hypable.com/celebrate-bisexuality-day-the-100-clarke/

http://www.themarysue.com/the-100-bisexual-protagonist/

http://www.afterellen.com/tv/79383-bones-does-bisexual-right

http://sites.psu.edu/245spring2015/2015/09/28/game-of-thrones-oberyn-mar…

http://rebloggy.com/post/love-kiss-house-girls-kissing-thirteen-bisexual…

http://rebloggy.com/post/mine-skins-nicholas-hoult-skins-uk-tony-stonem-…

https://charahub.com/character/229229/Delphine-Cormier

https://www.tumblr.com/search/(%20delphine%20cormier.%20)

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/house-of-cards-c…