Bisexual

Bisexual means being attracted to more than one gender. Bi communities usually add three clarifications that defuse most confusion: the attraction does not have to be a 50/50 split; a clear lean toward one gender is common; and the balance can shift across a lifetime — none of which makes the label less valid. The word overlaps heavily with pansexual; which label a person picks is a matter of self-understanding and community, not correctness.

The Chinese term is 双性恋 (shuangxinglian). A trap specific to Chinese: it differs by one character from 双性人 (shuangxingren), a colloquial word for intersex people — orientation versus innate bodily characteristics, two unrelated things that get mixed up constantly.

Register note: “bisexual” and 双性恋 are neutral standard terms; “bi” and 双 are the casual community shorthand.

Common misuse: the two classic prejudices — “it’s just a phase before picking a side” and “bi people can’t be faithful” — do not hold up; we address each directly in Is bisexuality just a phase? and Are bisexual people unfaithful?. For the fuller picture, see Bisexuality 101.