Bisexuality and homosexuality in Japan

Here's a great article on a blog I've been following lately detailing the prevalence of bisexuality in Japanese culture, which makes note of the public perception of male homosexuals as effeminate "women-haters."

This of course has its parallel in Western society, somewhat less so now than in past decades, yet I'm inclined to think that while the stereotype has declined somewhat, the idea persists that at least one of the men in any homosexual coupling will essentially be a girl-in-a-male-body, and that such a feminine man will inevitably partner with a more rugged, 'manly' man, thus imitating and affirming the heterosexual norm*.

Now, this stereotype seems to be promulgated by television, I'm thinking of shows like Desperate Housewives in particular, and I guess by presenting homosexual couples as emulating the heterosexual model, tv writers and executives have done some good in increasing public acceptance of homosexual relationships. And it has certainly weakened the deeply entrenched belief that all gay men are weak and gender confused. But unless the Queer community continues to push for diverse representation, I'm afraid that is where it will stop, and we will have failed to really make significant change.

It's a foot in the door, but we cannot be happy with simply supporting status quo. Too often, gay men make some headway in advancing their personal liberties only to abandon those in the queer community less numerous and powerful than themselves.

Let's not be complacent, then, let's continue to make a noise for the sake of those who are seldom heard.


* Lesbian couples don't seem to be tarred with this same brush - tv land is quite happy to depict both women in a same-sex relationship as feminine because it titillates and panders to male fancy. In fact, it would seem that lesbians have the opposite problem - Dykes and butches are virtually non-existant on tv, the implication being that they're not real women.