ABSTRACT
This chapter is similar in structure to Chapter 2, but it covers bisexuality and other sexual orientations. The history of the word ‘bisexual’ demonstrates how meanings have changed over the centuries. Sexologists of the late nineteenth century used the word to cover multiple definitions. Consideration is given to how we might redefine many ‘gay’ people of the past by using a more accurate description, such as ‘sexually fluid’ or similar. The word ‘asexual’ has been used in a variety of contexts, including individuals with no genitals, those with no or low sexual attractions or interchangeably with ‘hermaphrodite’. Sexologists sometimes used the term for someone who was frigid. As with many terms, definitions have fluctuated throughout history, including the term ‘invert’. Examples of bisexual and other orientations are placed in chronological context. When it comes to identifying LGBTQIA+ people from the past, objections have often been made by those who claim that many relationships were simply ‘romantic friendships’. This chapter provides guidelines on how to differentiate same-sex relationships from romantic friendships.
