Short answer first
Bi+ people make up the largest group within the LGBTQIA+ community. And yet, they are often among the least visible. Hint: This is not because Bi+ people do not exist (as many bi-phobic people unfortunately like to claim). It is because visibility works differently for our community.
Some estimates suggest that up to 5% of the population identifies as Bi+. Still, our community is often perceived as small or niche.
So what creates that gap between numbers and visibility?
Bi+ people are not a small community
Research consistently shows that more people identify as bisexual than as gay or lesbian. In that sense, Bi+ people are not a marginal minority within the queer community. We are its largest group.
But size does not automatically translate into visibility.
We see fewer openly Bi+ public figures. Fewer everyday representations that clearly name the identity. Culture, stigma, and social dynamics shape what gets seen and what gets overlooked.
Being many is not the same as being visible.
Why so many Bi+ people are closeted
Before looking at the data, one thing matters. Coming out is a personal decision. No one owes anyone disclosure about their sexuality. There is no obligation to be visible.
At the same time, everyone deserves to be seen for who they are and to feel safe enough to be open if they want to.
When we look at the numbers, we see a clear pattern. Across Western Europe, around 36% of LGBTQIA+ people report not being out in parts of their lives. Within the Bi+ community, the numbers are significantly higher.
In The Bi Book, psychologist Julia Shaw cites research showing that 80% of bisexual people in one large sample were not out to all of their family members, and 64% were not out to their friends. Pew Research Center data from 2019 shows similar results in the United States. 74% of bisexual respondents were out to only some or none of the important people in their lives, compared with 29% of lesbians and 23% of gay men.
These numbers reflect a social reality. Bi+ identities are often questioned, dismissed, or treated as a phase. When your identity is repeatedly doubted, staying private can feel safer, and honestly less stressful.
The gender gap and intersecting identities
The visibility gap becomes even clearer when looking at gender.
About one third of bisexual women reported being out to most of the important people in their lives. Among bisexual men, that number dropped to around 12%.
Bisexual women are often hypersexualised. Bisexual men are often erased entirely. The idea that bi men do not exist survives not because it is true, but because visibility is suppressed.
And gender is not the only factor.
Bi+ people of colour and migrants often face additional barriers to visibility. Race and migration background can increase the risks associated with being openly Bi+, especially when layered with existing discrimination.
(On a personal note, when we recruited models for our first Biweekly campaign shoot, it was important for us to reflect diverse gender and Bi+ identities. It was equally important to include different skin colours and backgrounds - something we did not accomplish in the way we would have liked.)
Visibility does not feel automatic, even when you’re out
Even for Bi+ people who are out, visibility does not feel automatic.
Bisexuality is often interpreted through the lens of a current relationship. If someone is dating a person of a different gender, they are assumed to be straight. If they are dating someone of the same gender, they are assumed to be gay or lesbian. The identity in between disappears.
This is one way bi erasure operates quietly. Being out does not always mean being seen.
Why Bi+ visibility often requires repetition
For many Bi+ people, coming out is not a single event. It is ongoing.
It can mean correcting assumptions. Reintroducing your identity. Naming it again in new contexts. That repetition requires energy.
Some people stop explaining. Others choose subtler forms of visibility through language, symbols, or everyday wear. Pieces that carry Bi+ symbolism without needing a speech can create everyday visibility in a way that feels natural. You can explore examples in our Not a phase or our Bi+ pieces.
Why visibility matters so deeply in the Bi+ community
If invisibility is structural, then visibility becomes powerful.
Visibility is about recognition. Seeing someone openly identify as Bi+ can reduce isolation and challenge stereotypes that portray Bi+ people as confused, hypersexual, or going through a phase.
Research suggests that the more Bi+ people someone knows personally, the more positive and accurate their attitudes toward bisexuality become. Real people replace clichés.
Visibility creates representation in everyday contexts. At work. In families. In friendships. Over time, that normalisation reduces stigma.
Visibility creates more visibility
In the Bi+ community, visibility builds on itself.
One visible person makes it easier for the next. One openly Bi+ colleague, friend, or public figure shifts what feels possible.
Bi+ people are not rare. And each visible person expands what others believe is possible. Thanks for being here, and sharing our mission.
Sources
Shaw, J. (2022). The Bi Book: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality
Pew Research Center (2013, 2019)
