Not all bisexuals are promiscuous and unwilling to settle down in a relationship.

Queer Liberation Front chair Trae Ruscin shared this and several other myths about bisexuality at the group’s weekly meeting last night.

Many of these myths, he said, originate from biphobia.

“Biphobia is a really broad topic,” he said. “Basically thinking and acting as if bisexuality is a phase … a way to identify before you come out as gay.”

The myths, he said, are not true for the most part, and perpetuated mostly by the media and gossip. He mentioned the movie Rent and the television show Tila Tequila as examples of this.

Another myth Ruscin said is common within the lesbian and gay community is bisexual people will eventually settle down with whatever gender is easiest – that bisexual men will end up with women, and bisexual women will end up with men.

“That’s a really big stigma with bisexuality – that they will eventually be in a heterosexual relationship because it’s easier,” Ruscin said.

Ruscin, who is bisexual, said he’s had people not take him seriously.

“It’s become basically a joke,” he said. “I’ve had people say, ‘You just haven’t found the right guy yet, or you haven’t found the right girl yet.'”

Most of the issues he said he’s faced with biphobia have come in relationships.

“It’s really hard when you get into a relationship with a bisexual person, and people feel they can’t give the person what they want,” he said. “It’s hard to get through to the other person that you don’t need both genders to be happy – you’re just attracted to both genders.”

He said he’s seen more biphobia within the lesbian and gay community than the straight community. He said he’s sometimes been told to “pick a side already” and said some lesbians and gays may think bisexuality undermines their own sexuality.

Another time biphobia may be a factor is when a bisexual person dates someone who is not bisexual. The person who is not bisexual may assume that the bisexual person will cheat on him or her, and the myths associated with bisexuality are true. In that case, Ruscin said people should think of bisexuality as “another part of their personality that you have to accept.”

Contact minority affairs reporter Christina Stavale at [email protected].