FILLING THE BOXES IN OURSELVES: Conducting a queer oral history of bisexuality and multiple-gender-attraction

In histories of sexuality, bisexuality and the capacity to be attracted to multiple genders are often subsumed into broader “LGBTQ” narratives. This perpetuates the idea that bisexual identity is essentially a watered-down version of homosexuality, and that the particular experiences of those attracted to multiple genders do not warrant specific attention. Through a consideration of methodology, this chapter argues that attention to bisexuality and multiple-gender-attraction has the potential to inform, build on, and challenge the field of queer oral history. Bisexuality and multiple-gender-attraction add to, and further complicate, debates about appearance, visibility, and “passing”, as well as notions of “community” and how the boundaries of community can be recognised in language.