Bisexuality
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females (gender binary),[1][2][3] to more than one gender,[4] or to both people of the same gender and different genders.[5] It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, which is also known as pansexuality.[6][7][8]
"Bisexual" redirects here. For bisexual plants, see Monoicy. For other uses, see Bisexual (disambiguation).
The term bisexuality is mainly used for people that have both heterosexual and homosexual attraction.[1][2][9] Bisexuality is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation along with heterosexuality and homosexuality, all of which exist on the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. A bisexual identity does not necessarily equate to equal sexual attraction to both sexes; commonly, people who have a distinct but not exclusive sexual preference for one sex over the other also identify themselves as bisexual.[10]
Scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, but they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences,[11][12][13] and do not view it as a choice.[11][12][14] Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, scientists favor biologically based theories.[11] There is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males.[3][9][15]
Bisexuality has been observed in various human societies,[16] as well as elsewhere in the animal kingdom,[17][18][19] throughout recorded history. The term bisexuality, like the terms hetero- and homosexuality, was coined in the 19th century by Charles Gilbert Chaddock.[20][21]