IS BISEXUALITY REAL???

Okay, so we're going into this week's post assuming that you have a basic knowledge of hetero and homosexuality. 
If you don't, you can find information about them here and here. 
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk a little about bisexuality. Now what is "bisexuality"? Well, according to this, bisexual is being "sexually attracted to both men and women, having both male and female sex parts,  relating to or involving two sexes". 
I'm hoping I'm not the only person who has a problem with this definition. 
Let's take another look, shall we? "Sexually attracted to both men and women, having both male and female sex parts, relating to or involving two sexes". 
Okay wait.. "having both male and female sex parts"? That doesn't seem right to me. If you look up what it means to have both male and female sex "parts" (really, Merriam-Webster; you couldn't even write sex organs, or genitalia??) it will take you to the word "hermaphroditism" and according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, hermaphroditism is "the condition of having both male and female reproductive organs". 
Explain that, Merriam-Webster. 
Being someone who identifies as a bisexual female, I understand the general definition of what bisexual means. To me, it means that you have an attraction towards two genders. 
To my knowledge, most people associate bisexual people with only liking men and women. I, however, disagree because there aren't just men and women. There are many different genders that do not and will not fit into the tiny tiny box of your narrow mind. 
Seeing as I am only one person, I decided I needed to gather a little more evidence to prove my point that bisexuals do in fact exist. 
I was racking my brain trying to remember thing I had seen or looked up or videos I had watched that had to do with bisexuality. 
I remember seeing this video floating around my "What to Watch" page on YouTube

This video was made by YouTube personality R.J. Aguiar on his channel TheNotAdam.
In this video, he talks about what it means to be bisexual to him. 
The video starts with him taking a HUGE breath in making an audible sigh. I love this because I think it is what most Bi people think of doing what asked about their sexuality repeatedly. 
He goes on to say "Alright internet. So I want to put an end to a question I keep getting over and over. So, let me just state once clearly and unambiguously for the record; that YES I am a bisexual male. I know I've talked about this multiple times on my channel and on our main channel and on our website, but it apparently doesn't seem to be getting through to some of you"
THANK YOU. THANK YOU R.J. FOR SAYING THIS. 
In my experience, this is what most bisexual people have to endure all the time. People don't believe that we are even REAL or that bisexuality is even a thing! 

I'm sure (if you haven't already) by now, you're asking yourself why I am talking about bisexuality.
The short answer is we read a few articles about it in my Gender & Mass Media class and watched a video about gay representation in the media and it just made me so angry. 
One of the articles we read was titled "The Limitations of the Discourse of Norms: Gay Visibility and Degrees of Transgression". We also watched a video along with that article. In the video it talked about how in media, television shows especially, a character can only be bisexual if it is made clear that they are only experimenting and if it is found otherwise, they are most likely going to be killed off. This really started to "grind my gears", I suppose. 
I guess, the fact that, in my experience, most people associate bisexuality with being  confused or only experimenting is a) bullshit and b) just a ridiculous thought. 
I mean where are people getting their information from? 
Also, where do people get the idea that someone is more promiscuous if they identify as bisexual???
Promiscuity is based solely on the individual being promiscuous. Sexual preference has nothing to do with how much sex a person can/ wants to have. (Unless you identify as asexual, I suppose, but that is a post for another day). 
Anyway, there are three things I wish to leave you with today
1) BISEXUALITY IS AN ATTRACTION TO TWO GENDERS 
2) BISEXUALITY IS 100% REAL AND VALID, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME.
3) BISEXUALITY DOES NOT EQUAL PROMISCUITY

Oh, and one more thing I almost forgot..
Here's an amazing ASL cover of "Thnks fr th mmrs"
You're welcome in advance

"YOU PLAY BALL LIKE A GIRL"

                                            

In this clip from the 1993 movie The Sandlot, you will see two rival baseball teams arguing. One of the boys from each team start throwing insults at each other like it's nothing. They take no time coming up with things to say to each other. That is until the character of "Ham" says that the other boy "plays ball like a girl". The look on the boy's face is almost as if Ham had physically slapped him in the face. 

This is not uncommon in the media and in life in general. People try and use the term "like a girl" as an insult. A powerful example of trying to end this stereotype and stigma of the words "like a girl" is the famous "Always #LikeAGirl" commercial.

In this commercial, you will see young adult females, and adult male, and a young boy who are asked to "run like a girl". They begin moving as if they are almost prancing. They are then asked what it is like to fight and throw "like a girl". They don't really put any "fire" behind their actions. What I mean by that is that they are very un-energetic and act like just because someone is a girl, it means that they are "delicate" and "fragile" or WORRY ABOUT THEIR HAIR ALL THE TIME (I'm talking to you, girl in the blue and orange shirt). 

When younger girls were asked the same questions, they had very different responses. When asked to run "like a girl". They begin to run with conviction. They run like it means something. When asked to "throw like a girl", they throw as if they are a pitcher in the major leagues. When they are asked to "fight like a girl", they fight like they're working towards a black belt in karate. 

The Always team poses the question, "when did doing something "like a girl" become an insult"?

So, when did doing something "like a girl" become an insult? 

In the movie "She's The Man", the girls' soccer team is cut and they try and save their team by joining the boys' team.

                                         

In this clip, you see the main character Viola (Amanda Bynes) trying to convince the soccer coach to let the girls play in his team. He is then outwardly sexist, misogynistic, and downright rude. He goes on to say that, "you're all excellent players, but girls aren't as fast as boys, or strong, or as athletic. This is not me talking, this is scientific fact. Girls can't beat boys, it's as simple as that". 

IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE (what are you even doing with your life)
DO NOT READ THIS PART:

Spoiler alert: SHE JOINS THE RIVAL SCHOOL'S TEAM AND KICKS THEIR ASSES IN THE GAME. 

But back to the point about girls not being as strong as boys. According to this study, there is very little difference in performance between girls and boys before puberty. The gap grows as puberty progresses, but it is still not enormous, depending on the people of course. 

This is so important for young girls to understand. There is enough pressure on young girls and women nowadays. Pressure to be perfect. Pressure to be beautiful. Pressure to be "girly".

What even is "girly"?
Who defines what being a girl means? 

Who cares?

It doesn't matter.

We should be supporting each other rather than telling someone they aren't good enough because of their gender. 

It's like telling someone they aren't good enough because of their skin color, or what size they are, or their sexual preference. It's completely unnecessary. 

As you all know, I like to end my posts with a song. This week, I wanted to go for something powerful. This is for all you girls out there that kick ass at sports. You kick ass because you're a girl. Not only that, but because you are you.