The Hidden Crisis: Why Bisexual Men Face the Highest Mental Health Risks

The Hidden Crisis: Why Bisexual Men Face the Highest Mental Health Risks

Meta Description: Bisexual men face suicide rates nearly 10x higher than gay men. DC therapist explores double discrimination, biphobia, erasure, and evidence-based treatment for bisexual men's mental health.

URL Slug: hidden-crisis-bisexual-men-mental-health

Author: District Counseling & Psychotherapy

Tags: bisexual men mental health, biphobia, bisexual erasure, double discrimination, monosexism, bisexual therapy DC, bisexual men depression, bisexual suicide rates, minority stress, LGBTQ mental health, bisexual-affirming therapy

Categories: Bisexuality, Men's Mental Health, LGBTQ+ Mental Health, Depression & Anxiety, Suicide Prevention

The Shocking Statistics No One is Talking About

When we discuss LGBTQ+ mental health, the conversation typically centers on gay and lesbian individuals. But there's a hidden crisis affecting the largest single population within the LGBTQ+ community—bisexual people—and bisexual men in particular face devastating mental health disparities that far exceed those of their gay counterparts.

The numbers are staggering:

Suicide and Self-Harm:

  • Bisexual individuals had a crude incidence rate of suicide-related behavior events of 5,911.9 per 100,000 person-years, compared to 664.7 for gay/lesbian individuals and 224.7 for heterosexuals

  • Approximately 40% of bisexual people have considered or attempted suicide, compared to just over a quarter of gay men and lesbians

  • Bisexual respondents were about 1.5 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to gay and lesbian respondents

  • Bisexual individuals were 2.98 times more likely to have a suicide-related event, and gay men and lesbians 2.10 times more likely, compared with heterosexual individuals

Mental Health Conditions:

  • When compared to heterosexual adults, bisexual adults reported double the rate of depression and higher rates of binge drinking

  • In a 2020 study of Australian bisexual people, 72% reported high or very high levels of psychological distress

  • Bisexual individuals showed higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than lesbians and gay men

Access to Support:

  • Only 44% of bisexual youth said they have an adult they can turn to, compared with 54% of lesbian and gay youth, and 79% of non-LGBTQ respondents

  • Only 28% of bisexual people report being out to those closest to them

  • Approximately a third of bisexual people reported not disclosing their sexual orientation to their healthcare providers

These statistics reveal a crisis that demands attention: bisexual men are dying at rates nearly ten times higher than gay men, yet their struggles remain largely invisible.

Why Are Bisexual Men at Such High Risk?

The answer lies in a phenomenon called double discrimination—bisexual men face stigma, prejudice, and erasure from both heterosexual society AND from within the LGBTQ+ community itself. This creates a uniquely isolating and psychologically damaging experience.

1. Biphobia: Discrimination from All Sides

Biphobia or monosexism is aversion to bisexuality or people who are perceived as being bisexual. Biphobic prejudice commonly presents as denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, and negative stereotypes about people who are bisexual.

From Heterosexual Communities:

  • Dismissed as "confused" or "going through a phase"

  • Viewed as secretly gay but afraid to fully come out

  • Stereotyped as promiscuous, untrustworthy, or unable to commit

  • Facing discrimination for same-gender attractions

From Gay and Lesbian Communities: Biphobia is common from the heterosexual community, but is frequently exhibited by gay and lesbian people as well, usually with the notion that bisexuals are able to escape oppression from heterosexuals by conforming to social expectations of opposite-gender sex and romance.

Common biphobic attitudes within LGBTQ+ spaces include:

  • "You're just gay and in denial"

  • "You have straight privilege when you're with a woman"

  • "Bisexuals are greedy" or "can't make up their minds"

  • "You're really gay but want to maintain heterosexual privilege"

  • Exclusion from gay/lesbian events, spaces, and dating pools

  • Being told you're "not queer enough"

This study provides important quantitative support for theories related to biphobia and double discrimination, with findings providing strong evidence for understanding how stereotypes and stigma may lead to dramatic disparities in depression, anxiety, stress, and other health outcomes among bisexual individuals.

2. Bisexual Erasure: The Invisibility Crisis

Bisexual erasure is often a manifestation of biphobia, although it does not necessarily involve overt antagonism. Erasure frequently results in bisexual-identifying individuals experiencing a variety of adverse social encounters, as they not only have to struggle with finding acceptance within general society but also within the LGBTQ community.

What Bisexual Erasure Looks Like:

In Media and Culture: Bisexuality has even been erased from the legal map. In 2020 the United States Supreme Court decided a landmark LGBTQ rights case, Bostock v Clayton County. The decision affirmed that Title VII's sex discrimination protections extended to gay and trans employees, but there is no mention of bisexuality or bisexual people.

  • Bisexual characters portrayed as promiscuous or untrustworthy

  • Characters' bisexuality erased when they enter monogamous relationships

  • LGBTQ+ rights cases that mention "gay and lesbian" but omit bisexual

  • Pride events that focus on gay and lesbian identities

  • Research studies that lump bisexuals with gay/lesbian without distinction

In Daily Life:

  • When a bisexual man dates a woman: "See, you're actually straight"

  • When a bisexual man dates a man: "See, you're actually gay"

  • Mislabeling bisexual people as lesbian, gay or straight, even when they come out as bisexual

  • Assuming sexual orientation based on current partner's gender

  • LGBT organizations that are not bi-inclusive despite using "B" in their name

76% of gay people are out to all their friends compared to 36% of bisexual people, and 63% of gay/lesbian people are out to all their family members, compared to just 20% of bisexual people.

3. Monosexism: The Belief That People Can Only Be Attracted to One Gender

Bisexual people can internalize stigma from both heterosexual and gay/lesbian communities, which often occurs in the form of monosexism, the belief that people should only be attracted to one gender.

Monosexism creates pressure for bisexual men to:

  • "Pick a side" and identify as either gay or straight

  • Prove their bisexuality through sexual behavior

  • Feel like frauds or imposters regardless of which gender they're dating

  • Question the validity of their own identity

This pressure to fit into a binary (gay or straight) creates what researchers call identity uncertainty—a chronic questioning of one's own sexual orientation that is strongly associated with depression and anxiety.

4. Sexual Identity Stress at Multiple Levels

Compared with lesbians and gay men, bisexual individuals were more likely to report identity uncertainty, conceal their sexual orientation, and have a weaker sense of connection to the LGBT community, which were in turn associated with greater affective symptoms and poorer mental well-being.

Identity Uncertainty:

  • Constant questioning: "Am I really bisexual or just confused?"

  • Doubt intensified by biphobic messages from all sides

  • Lack of positive bisexual role models

  • Internalized belief that bisexuality isn't "real"

Concealment: Bisexual men face unique concealment pressures:

  • Bisexual individuals are more likely to conceal their sexual identities compared to lesbians and gay men

  • Fear of rejection from both straight and gay communities

  • Strategic concealment depending on who they're dating

  • Exhaustion from constantly managing disclosure

Weak Community Connection:

  • Although community involvement is protective for LGBQ+ people, bisexual people may benefit more from bisexual-specific communities than LGBQ+ communities because of monosexism

  • Feeling unwelcome in gay/lesbian spaces

  • Lack of bisexual-specific community resources and spaces

  • Isolation from others who share the bisexual experience

5. Unique Challenges for Bisexual Men Specifically

While bisexual women also face significant challenges, bisexual men encounter additional, gender-specific discrimination:

Toxic Masculinity and Homophobia:

  • Men are socialized to be "100% straight" or risk ridicule

  • Any same-gender attraction threatens masculine identity more severely

  • In a survey of over 1,000 women, 63% said they would not date a man who has had sex with another man

  • Male bisexuality more stigmatized than female bisexuality

HIV Stigma:

  • Bisexual men stereotyped as "disease vectors" who spread HIV to women

  • Bisexual men are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections compared to heterosexual men

  • This stigma creates barriers to dating and healthcare

Invisibility in Gay Male Spaces:

  • Gay male culture can be particularly hostile to bisexual men

  • Viewed as "tourists" or "not really gay"

  • Excluded from gay dating pools

  • Pressure to identify as gay to gain acceptance

Double Bind in Relationships: When dating women: Fear she'll see him as "less of a man" or worry he'll leave her for a man When dating men: Fear he'll be seen as "not gay enough" or secretly straight

6. The Mental Health Consequences

These compounding stressors create devastating mental health outcomes:

Depression and Anxiety:

  • Bisexual individuals showed higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than lesbians and gay men

  • Chronic stress from double discrimination

  • Identity uncertainty fueling anxiety

  • Social isolation intensifying depression

Substance Use:

  • Bisexual adults reported higher rates of binge drinking compared to heterosexual adults

  • Using substances to cope with minority stress

  • Self-medication for depression and anxiety

  • Higher rates of substance use disorders

Body Image and Eating Disorders:

  • Bisexual men have a higher risk of developing eating disorders than heterosexual men

  • Pressure to meet standards in both straight and gay dating markets

  • Body dysmorphia more common

  • Disordered eating behaviors as control mechanism

Suicidality: The most devastating consequence: bisexual men's suicide rates are nearly 10 times higher than gay men's rates—a crisis that demands urgent attention.

Why Bisexual Men Stay Silent

Given these stark mental health disparities, why aren't more bisexual men seeking help? Several factors keep them suffering in silence:

Fear of Not Being Believed

Participants indicated experiencing bisexual invisibility by being assumed to be monosexual or omission of bisexuality in queer communities and discussions surrounding sexual minorities.

When your identity is constantly questioned and erased, it's hard to believe a therapist will take you seriously.

Lack of Bisexual-Affirming Resources

Studies have found that bisexual-identified people make up approximately half of the total population of the LGBTQ community—but only 28% of bisexual people report being out to those closest to them.

  • Most therapists lack training in bisexual-specific issues

  • LGBTQ+ resources often focus on gay/lesbian experiences

  • Few bisexual-specific support groups exist

  • Even LGBTQ+-affirming spaces may harbor monosexism

Pressure to "Choose a Side"

Bisexual adults described not feeling able to come out as bisexual because they felt intense pressure to "choose" a sexual orientation that was monosexual, and sometimes did not even know that bisexuality was real.

  • Coming out as bisexual invites constant questioning

  • Easier to identify as gay (when with men) or straight (when with women)

  • Avoiding the exhausting work of explaining and defending bisexuality

  • Internalized belief that bisexuality isn't legitimate

Conditional Acceptance

Robyn Ochs, a speaker, writer, and advocate for bisexuality eloquently explains that conditional acceptance is not acceptance. Bisexuality may be accepted by society when the person is coupled in an opposite sex relationship, but as soon as the bisexual individual embraces other attractions, they face the same discrimination as gay and lesbian individuals.

This conditional acceptance creates:

  • Hypervigilance about which identity to present

  • Fear that acceptance will be withdrawn

  • Inability to be fully authentic anywhere

  • Chronic sense of not truly belonging

The Path Forward: How Bisexual Men Can Find Support and Healing

While the statistics are sobering, healing is possible. Bisexual men can and do recover from depression, develop resilience against biphobia, and build lives of authentic joy and connection.

1. Find Bisexual-Affirming Therapy

The single most important step is finding a therapist who:

Explicitly Affirms Bisexuality:

  • Understands that bisexuality is a real, valid, stable sexual orientation

  • Doesn't pressure you to "pick a side"

  • Validates your experience of double discrimination

  • Has specific training in bisexual mental health

Understands Minority Stress:

  • Recognizes how biphobia, erasure, and monosexism impact mental health

  • Addresses internalized binegativity

  • Works on building identity certainty

  • Helps process the unique isolation bisexual men face

Uses Evidence-Based Approaches: At our DC/DMV-area practice, we specialize in working with bisexual men using:

Psychodynamic and Object Relations Therapy:

  • Understanding how early experiences of not fitting in shaped identity development

  • Exploring defensive patterns developed to manage double discrimination

  • Working toward integration of authentic bisexual identity

  • Healing developmental wounds around belonging

Self Psychology Framework:

  • Providing consistent affirmation and mirroring of bisexual identity

  • Repairing empathic failures from both straight and LGBTQ+ communities

  • Building healthy self-structures that support authentic expression

  • Developing pride in bisexual identity

Shame Resilience (Brené Brown):

  • Identifying shame triggers related to biphobia

  • Recognizing when monosexism activates shame

  • Building resilience against erasure and invalidation

  • Cultivating courage to be visible as bisexual

Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff):

  • Treating yourself with kindness rather than harsh judgment for identity uncertainty

  • Recognizing that struggles with biphobia are part of common humanity

  • Practicing mindfulness with difficult emotions around belonging

  • Offering yourself the compassion denied by broader communities

Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches:

  • Challenging internalized biphobic beliefs

  • Managing anxiety around identity disclosure

  • Developing skills for responding to erasure

  • Building confidence in bisexual identity

2. Connect with Bisexual-Specific Communities

Although community involvement is protective for LGBQ+ people, bisexual people may benefit more from bisexual-specific communities than LGBQ+ communities because of monosexism.

Find Your People:

  • BiNet USA: National bisexual advocacy organization

  • Local bisexual meetup groups and social organizations

  • Bisexual+ people of color groups

  • Online bisexual communities and forums

Benefits of Bisexual Community:

  • Finally being with people who "get it"

  • Not having to explain or defend your identity

  • Seeing positive bisexual role models

  • Experiencing genuine belonging

  • Reducing isolation

3. Challenge Internalized Binegativity

After years of biphobic messages from all sides, many bisexual men internalize these negative beliefs. Healing requires actively challenging them:

Common Internalized Beliefs:

  • "Maybe I'm just confused"

  • "I should pick a side to make things easier"

  • "I'm greedy for being attracted to multiple genders"

  • "I'm not really queer enough"

  • "My identity is less valid than gay or straight identities"

Reframing:

  • "My bisexuality is real, valid, and doesn't need to be proven"

  • "I don't owe anyone certainty or consistency"

  • "Attraction to multiple genders is natural and healthy"

  • "I am exactly queer enough—my identity is mine to define"

  • "My bisexuality is just as legitimate as any other orientation"

4. Develop Skills for Managing Biphobia

You can't control others' biphobia, but you can develop healthy responses:

When Facing Erasure:

  • "I identify as bisexual regardless of who I'm dating"

  • "My sexual orientation doesn't change based on my partner's gender"

  • Decide which battles are worth fighting

  • Surround yourself with affirming people

When Facing Invalidation:

  • You don't owe anyone an explanation or "proof"

  • It's okay to educate, but it's not your responsibility

  • Set boundaries with people who won't respect your identity

  • Prioritize relationships with those who affirm you

When Facing Pressure to Choose:

  • "I've already chosen—I'm bisexual"

  • "There's no side to pick; this is who I am"

  • Remember that refusing the binary is valid

  • Your identity belongs to you alone

5. Address Co-Occurring Issues

Given the high rates of substance use, eating disorders, and other concerns among bisexual men:

If Using Substances to Cope:

  • Be honest about substance use patterns

  • Consider whether specialized addiction treatment is needed

  • Understand how substances may worsen depression

  • Develop healthier coping mechanisms

  • Address the shame and minority stress fueling use

If Struggling with Body Image:

  • Recognize pressure to meet standards in multiple communities

  • Work on self-acceptance regardless of appearance

  • Challenge internalized messages about attractiveness

  • Develop body neutrality or body positivity

If Experiencing Suicidal Thoughts:

  • Reach out immediately to crisis resources

  • Create a safety plan with your therapist

  • Identify supportive people to contact

  • Remember that suicidal thoughts are symptoms of treatable conditions

6. Come Out (When Safe and Ready)

Research shows that bisexuals who were out to their therapists rated their overall satisfaction with services higher than those who were not.

Benefits of Being Out:

  • Reduced cognitive burden of concealment

  • Opportunity for authentic connections

  • Visibility helps combat erasure

  • Pride in authentic identity

Considerations:

  • Only come out when physically and emotionally safe

  • Strategic disclosure is valid—you don't owe everyone your identity

  • Coming out is a process, not a single event

  • It's okay to be out in some contexts and not others

7. Seek Group Therapy or Support Groups

Group therapy is particularly powerful for bisexual men because it provides:

Experience of Common Humanity:

  • Meeting other bisexual men with similar struggles

  • Realizing you're not alone or uniquely flawed

  • Seeing that biphobia is the problem, not you

  • Witnessing others' resilience and recovery

Authentic Belonging:

  • Connection based on shared identity

  • Space where bisexuality doesn't need explanation

  • Community that validates your experience

  • Support from people who truly understand

We Offer:

  • Bisexual men's therapy groups

  • Shame resilience groups for LGBTQ+ individuals

  • Daring Way™ intensive weekend retreats

  • Groups addressing depression, anxiety, and identity

For Therapists: How to Better Serve Bisexual Men

If you're a clinician working with LGBTQ+ clients, here's how to provide bisexual-affirming care:

Educate Yourself

  • Take bisexual-specific training

  • Read research on double discrimination and minority stress

  • Examine your own internalized monosexism

  • Learn about bisexual erasure and its impacts

  • Understand intersectionality for bisexual men of color, disabled bisexual men, etc.

Create Explicitly Bisexual-Affirming Spaces

  • Include bisexual-specific language in marketing

  • Don't lump bisexuals with gay/lesbian without distinction

  • Have bisexual-specific resources available

  • Use inclusive language (don't assume monosexuality)

  • Ask about experiences of biphobia specifically

Validate Without Question

  • Never suggest bisexuality is a "phase" or confusion

  • Don't pressure clients to "pick a side"

  • Validate experiences of double discrimination

  • Recognize that identity can be fluid without being invalid

  • Affirm bisexuality regardless of relationship history

Address Bisexual-Specific Issues

  • Assess for double discrimination experiences

  • Explore identity uncertainty and its sources

  • Work on internalized binegativity

  • Address concealment and coming out challenges

  • Help build connection to bisexual community

Advocate

  • Challenge biphobia in LGBTQ+ organizations

  • Include bisexual issues in advocacy work

  • Support bisexual visibility initiatives

  • Don't participate in bisexual erasure

  • Center bisexual voices in LGBTQ+ discussions

For Allies: Supporting Bisexual Men

If you want to support the bisexual men in your life:

Believe and Validate

  • Take their identity seriously from the first disclosure

  • Don't question or invalidate

  • Bisexuality is real regardless of relationship history

  • Identity doesn't change based on current partner

Educate Yourself

  • Learn about biphobia and double discrimination

  • Understand bisexual erasure

  • Don't expect bisexual people to educate you

  • Challenge your own monosexist assumptions

Use Correct Language

  • Use the person's self-identified label

  • Don't call bisexual people "gay" or "straight" based on partner

  • Include bisexual in LGBTQ+ discussions

  • Challenge erasure when you see it

Create Inclusive Spaces

  • Ensure your LGBTQ+ events welcome bisexual people

  • Don't tolerate biphobic jokes or comments

  • Include bisexual-specific resources and representation

  • Make sure "B" in LGBTQ+ isn't just token inclusion

Speak Up

  • Challenge biphobia when you witness it

  • Support bisexual visibility initiatives

  • Don't let erasure go unchallenged

  • Use your privilege to amplify bisexual voices

A Message of Hope: Your Identity Is Valid

If you're a bisexual man reading this and recognizing your struggles in these statistics, please hear this:

Your bisexuality is real. It doesn't need to be proven, defended, or consistent. It's not a phase, confusion, or stepping stone. It's a legitimate sexual orientation that deserves respect and affirmation.

You're not alone. While it may feel like it—especially when facing rejection from both straight and LGBTQ+ communities—there are millions of bisexual people, and increasingly visible bisexual communities ready to embrace you.

The problem is biphobia, not you. The depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts you may be experiencing aren't because something is wrong with you. They're the result of living in a biphobic culture that erases and invalidates your identity.

Healing is possible. With bisexual-affirming therapy, supportive community, and work on internalized binegativity, you can recover from depression and build a life of authentic joy.

You deserve to exist fully. You don't have to pick a side, prove your identity, or make yourself smaller to gain acceptance. Your bisexual identity deserves to be seen, celebrated, and honored.

Take the Next Step

If you're a bisexual man struggling with depression, anxiety, identity uncertainty, or suicidal thoughts, please reach out:

Immediate Crisis Support:

  • Call or text 988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)

  • Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678

  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Schedule Bisexual-Affirming Therapy:

Complete our confidential contact form to schedule a consultation. Our DC/DMV-area practice specializes in working with bisexual men, and we understand the unique challenges you face.

We provide:

  • Individual therapy addressing biphobia, double discrimination, and identity development

  • Bisexual men's therapy groups

  • Shame resilience and self-compassion focused treatment

  • Psychodynamic and object relations approaches

  • Clinical supervision for therapists working with bisexual clients

Contact us:

  • Phone: 202-641-5335

  • Email: Contact@districtpc.com

  • Website: [Insert your website URL]

Connect with Bisexual Community:

  • BiNet USA: www.binetusa.org

  • Bisexual Resource Center: www.biresource.org

  • The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org

  • DC Center for LGBT Community: www.thedccenter.org

Final Thoughts: Making Bisexuality Visible

The crisis of bisexual men's mental health won't be solved until bisexuality becomes truly visible and affirmed. This requires:

  • Research that distinguishes bisexual from gay/lesbian experiences

  • Healthcare that provides bisexual-specific training

  • LGBTQ+ organizations that center bisexual voices

  • Media representation that portrays bisexuality accurately

  • Education that challenges monosexism

  • Advocacy that addresses double discrimination

But most importantly, it requires bisexual men feeling empowered to be visible, to speak their truth, and to demand the affirmation they deserve.

Your visibility matters. Your story matters. Your life matters.

Complete our contact form today to begin your journey toward healing, authenticity, and genuine belonging.

References

Beach, L. B., Elasy, T. A., & Gonzales, G. (2018). Prevalence of self-reported diabetes by sexual orientation: Results from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. LGBT Health, 5(2), 121-130.

Bostwick, W. B., & Hequembourg, A. (2014). 'Just a little hint': bisexual-specific microaggressions and their connection to epistemic injustices. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 16(5), 488-503.

Brennan, D. J., Ross, L. E., Dobinson, C., Veldhuizen, S., & Steele, L. S. (2010). Men's sexual orientation and health in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 101(3), 255-258.

Conron, K. J., Mimiaga, M. J., & Landers, S. J. (2010). A population-based study of sexual orientation identity and gender differences in adult health. American Journal of Public Health, 100(10), 1953-1960.

Dodge, B., Herbenick, D., Friedman, M. R., Schick, V., Fu, T. J., Bostwick, W., ... & Sandfort, T. G. (2016). Attitudes toward bisexual men and women among a nationally representative probability sample of adults in the United States. PLoS One, 11(10), e0164430.

Dyar, C., & Feinstein, B. A. (2018). Binegativity: Attitudes toward and stereotypes about bisexual individuals. In D. J. Swan & S. Habibi (Eds.), Bisexuality: Theories, research, and recommendations for the invisible sexuality (pp. 145–163). Springer.

Flanders, C. E., Dobinson, C., & Logie, C. (2016). "I'm never really my full self": Young bisexual women's perceptions of their mental health. Journal of Bisexuality, 16(4), 454-480.

Friedman, M. R., Dodge, B., Schick, V., Herbenick, D., Hubach, R. D., Bowling, J., ... & Reece, M. (2014). From bias to bisexual health disparities: Attitudes toward bisexual men and women in the United States. LGBT Health, 1(4), 309-318.

Hayfield, N., Clarke, V., & Halliwell, E. (2014). Bisexual women's understandings of social marginalisation: 'The heterosexuals don't understand us but nor do the lesbians'. Feminism & Psychology, 24(3), 352-372.

Kerr, D. L., Ding, K., & Chaya, J. (2014). Substance use of lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual college students. American Journal of Health Behavior, 38(6), 951-962.

Marcus, N. (2020). Bisexual erasure in the Bostock opinion and the road ahead. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 40(1), 1-28.

Mereish, E. H., Katz-Wise, S. L., & Woulfe, J. (2017). Bisexual-specific minority stressors, psychological distress, and suicidality in bisexual individuals: The mediating role of loneliness. Prevention Science, 18(6), 716-725.

Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697.

Obradors-Campos, M. (2011). Deconstructing biphobia. Journal of Bisexuality, 11(2-3), 207-226.

Roberts, T. S., Horne, S. G., & Hoyt, W. T. (2015). Between a gay and a straight place: Bisexual individuals' experiences with monosexism. Journal of Bisexuality, 15(4), 554-569.

Ross, L. E., Salway, T., Tarasoff, L. A., MacKay, J. M., Hawkins, B. W., & Fehr, C. P. (2018). Prevalence of depression and anxiety among bisexual people compared to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(4-5), 435-456.

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Email Sharing Template

Subject: Important: The Hidden Mental Health Crisis Facing Bisexual Men

Hi [Name],

I came across this comprehensive article about bisexual men's mental health and thought you'd find it valuable.

The statistics are shocking: bisexual men face suicide rates nearly 10 times higher than gay men, yet this crisis remains largely invisible.

The article explores:

  • Why bisexual men experience "double discrimination" from both straight and LGBTQ+ communities

  • The impact of bi-erasure and monosexism on mental health

  • How minority stress creates devastating outcomes

  • Evidence-based therapeutic approaches that help

  • Practical steps for finding support and healing

It's thorough, compassionate, and written by DC therapists who specialize in working with bisexual men.

Worth reading if you're interested in LGBTQ+ mental health: [Insert URL]

Best, [Your Name]

Social Media Posts

Facebook/LinkedIn

Post 1: 🚨 THE HIDDEN CRISIS 🚨

Bisexual men face suicide rates nearly 10X higher than gay men—yet their struggles remain invisible.

Why? Double discrimination. Bi-erasure. Monosexism from BOTH straight and LGBTQ+ communities.

Our latest article explores this urgent mental health crisis and evidence-based paths to healing.

If you're a bisexual man struggling—or an ally who wants to understand—this is essential reading.

Your identity is valid. Your struggles are real. Specialized support exists.

Read more: [link]

#BisexualMentalHealth #HiddenCrisis #BiErasure #LGBTQMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Biphobia #DoubleDiscrimination

Post 2: Let's talk about something urgent that doesn't get nearly enough attention:

Bisexual men have the HIGHEST mental health crisis rates in the LGBTQ+ community—higher than gay men, higher than lesbian women.

📊 40% have considered or attempted suicide 📊 2.98x more likely to have suicide-related events 📊 72% report high psychological distress 📊 Only 28% are out to those closest to them

Why is this happening?

Because bisexual men face discrimination from BOTH straight society AND the LGBTQ+ community. They're told they're "not gay enough" and "not straight enough." Their relationships are delegitimized. Their identity is constantly questioned.

The result? Crushing isolation, identity uncertainty, and compounded minority stress

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