Bisexuality and beyond : a history of multiple-gender-attraction in modern Britain / Martha Robinson Rhodes

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rhodes, Martha Robinson, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bisexuality--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Bisexuality.

Sexual attraction--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Sexual attraction.

Great Britain.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations

black and white

illustrations

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2026]

Summary:

"Bisexuality and Beyond is the first historical study of bisexuality in Britain. It uses original oral histories alongside extensive archival research to explore the creation of the gay/straight binary from the perspective of those who fell beyond its limits, challenging historical narratives about liberationist politics and identity formation. Historians of sexuality agree that the binary divide between gay and straight is a relatively recent invention, only becoming dominant around the mid-twentieth century. The history of bisexuality is the missing piece in this narrative. This book looks at the broader circumstances of this period to investigate the problems of defining bisexuality and its politics coherently, and of navigating its relationship to gay and lesbian politics. This book therefore sets out the concept of ‘multiple-gender-attraction’, an umbrella term that encompasses and extends beyond the category of bisexuality. It is not an identity label, but a description of potential attraction, drawing on queer historical approaches to explore the distinctions between emotions, behaviour, and identity. Through detailed histories of the gay liberation movement, lesbian feminism, and Britain’s first bisexual organizations, Bisexuality and Beyond argues that the binary of gay and straight was created and reinforced by gay and lesbian politics as well as dominant straight society. By placing bisexuality and multiple-gender-attraction squarely in the frame, this book changes how we understand the emergence of identity politics in modern Britain, challenging established notions about the ‘queer’ inclusivity of counter-cultural activism, and intervening in histories of identity, selfhood, community, and radicalism"-- Oxford Academic

Historians of sexuality agree that the binary divide between gay and straight is a relatively recent social invention, only becoming dominant around the mid-20th-century. But focus on this binary has oversimplified and skewed the history of sexuality. 'Bisexuality and Beyond' is a historical study of bisexuality in Britain. It utilizes oral histories alongside extensive archival research to explore the creation of the gay/straight binary from the perspective of those who fell beyond its limits, challenging historical narratives about liberationist politics and identity formation. By considering the broader circumstances of this period, the book investigates the problems of defining bisexuality and its politics coherently, and of navigating its relationship to gay and lesbian politics

Contents:

A rainbow philosophy : bisexuality and gay liberation

Sleeping with the enemy : bisexuality and lesbian feminism

Very homemade, very new : bisexual communities

Non-discrimination of a high order : bisexual politics

Muddying the water : bisexual coming out stories

Conclusion : a new sexual identity emerges

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from home page (Oxford Academic, viewed July 31, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Rhodes, Martha Robinson Bisexuality and beyond

ISBN:

9780198983132

0198983131

9780198983101 ebook

0198983107 ebook

9780198983118 ebook

0198983115 ebook

OCLC:

1586812593

Publisher Number:

CIPO000381374

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license