Sharon Osbourne recently made tabloid headlines for coming out as bisexual after she opened up about her sexuality on “The Talk.” The only problem? She never actually said she was bisexual.
The incident highlighted just how much confusion there can be around sexual identity and also served as a reminder of how little many people know about what it really means to be and identify as bisexual.
When they aren’t being forgotten about, erased or misunderstood, bisexuals are often characterized as greedy, hypersexual or indecisive in mainstream culture, the media and in the queer community.
But bisexuality absolutely is a valid sexual orientation, and one just as worthy of celebration and visibility as any other identity.
One way to foster more discussion and understanding of the identity is to highlight the lives and experiences of bisexual people, especially highly visible ones. Below, check out 28 celebrities who have spoken out about being bisexual.
For more info and resources about bisexuality, head here.
-
In a 2011 Esquireinterview, Megan Fox confirmed her bisexuality, stating, “I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society. I have no question in my mind about being bisexual. But I’m also a hypocrite: I would never date a girl who was bisexual, because that means they also sleep with men, and men are so dirty that I’d never want to sleep with a girl who had slept with a man.”
-
The Green Day front manopened up about his sexuality in a 1995 interview with The Advocate: “I think I’ve always been bisexual. I mean, it’s something that I’ve always been interested in. I think everybody kind of fantasizes about the same sex. I think people are born bisexual, and it’s just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of ‘Oh, I can’t.’ They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad, when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing.”
-
Comedian Margaret Cho has long been open about her sexuality. In August 2013, Cho discussed the semantics surrounding her open marriage to artist Al Ridenour, saying that she’s “technically not able to stay with one person sexually because Im bisexual, and joking that she just cant stop up that hole. She also identifies as queer, and opened up about her sexuality in an interview with HuffPost Gay Voices Editor-At-Large Michelangelo Signorile.
-
Twice-married record executive and music mogul Clive Davis came out as bisexual in his 2013 memoir,The Soundtrack Of My Life. Davis opened up about two long-term relationships he had with men after his divorce from his second wife.
-
Anna Paquin is adamantly open about her bisexuality. The actress told “Zooey” magazine in a 2009 interview, “For me, its not really an issue because Im someone who believes being bisexual is actually a thing. Its not made up. Its not a lack of decision.”
-
After telling The Advocate in 2009 that she was bisexual, Mullally clarified her statements in an interview with Queerty, telling the blog: “I said that I thought that everybody is innately bisexual. I think there are different levels of awareness attached to that, so I may believe that everybody is innately bisexual, but somebody who is very homophobic may not see that quality in themselves in any way, shape or form. Thats on a very philosophical or even metaphysical level, you know what I mean? Its not something that I think people are ready for yet. I think if you ask the average guy on the street if he was innately bisexual, hed be like, What the fuck are you talking about? and then hed punch you in the face. So, were not quite there.”
-
The rapper has been openly bisexual since the early days of her career: “I mean, I’m bisexual, so it makes sense. But I don’t want to be that girl who says all gays necessarily hang out together, of course! I have people say to me, ‘Oh wow, my friend is gay, too,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, so?'”
-
Many people mistakenly assume that Andy Dick identifies as gay. However, he told The Washington Post in a 2006 interview that, “just because I’ve been with guys, and I’m bi, doesn’t mean I’m gay.”
-
Actress Bai Ling is openly bisexual — and the identity category has often provided some humorous mix-ups involving her first name. According to GLAAD, she discussed it in-depth in a 2009 interview with Entertainment Weekly: “[A]t first when I was in the United States I didn’t always have an interpreter in interviews and I didn’t speak English so well. There was some confusion. My name is pronounced ‘bi,’ so when I was asked, ‘Are you bi?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am Bai.’ Do you like men? ‘Of course!’ Do you like women? ‘Why yes!’ And later I found out what that means and I said, ‘Sure, I am bi!’ But I think the interpreters and the reporters thought that I didn’t know what I was saying because I was so open about it. They were uncomfortable about it. Such a thing is not important for me.”
-
The “Portlandia” star and former guitarist and vocalist for Sleater-Kinney is often assumed to identify as gay. However, she told “Willamette Week” in 2012 that, “Its weird, because no ones actually ever asked me. People just always assume, like, youre this or that. Its like, OK. Im bisexual.
-
Though David Bowie has historically played coy surrounding his sexuality, he clarified the subject in a 1976 interview with “Playboy.” “It’s true — I am a bisexual. But I can’t deny that I’ve used that fact very well. I suppose it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
-
The always-polarizing Snookisat down with The Huffington Post in February 2012 and sought to clarify her sexual preference. “I would consider myself bi. I’ve done stuff with girls before. But I would never be with a girl because I like… penis. But I’ve experimented.”
-
Amber Heard has been openly bisexual for quite some time, and discussed this aspect of her identity in “Elle.” The model and actress told reporters: “[I] didn’t want to look like I was hiding anything.”
-
Angelina Jolie has been open about her sexuality for quite some time, having had numerous encounters and relationships with women. She reportedly told OK Magazine that, “I have loved women in the past and slept with them. I think if you love and want to pleasure a woman, particularly if you are a woman yourself, then certainly you know how to do things a certain way.”
-
Evan Rachel Wood came out on Twitter in 2012: I myself am bisexual and have always joked about Miley giving me gay vibes. Not a bad thing! Just an observation.
-
The author of Push, the book that inspired the critically acclaimed film “Precious,” describes herself as bisexual.
-
Drew Barrymore originally came out in an interview in Contact Magazine in 2003, saying, “Do I like women sexually? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual… I love a woman’s body. I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else.”
-
This former “American Idol” and “The Voice” contestant came out in 2012, telling her fans that she had been in a relationship with a woman for the past yearand had dated men and women.
-
Musician Vanessa Carlton came out publicly at 2010’s Nashville Pride, announcing to a crowd of 18,000 that, “I’ve never said this before, but I am a proud bisexual woman!”
-
The Black Eyed Peas front woman confirmed speculation surrounding her sexual identity in 2009 through an interview with The Advocate: “Q: After you discussed past sexual experiences with women in an interview with ‘The Sun’ in May, headlines everywhere read, ‘Fergie Admits Shes Bisexual!’ A: The funny thing is that I was very open and honest about that from the very beginning, and everyone was acting like it was some new trend. Go back four or five years, people, and youll see the same answer.”
-
In his book,Who I Am: A Memoir by Pete Townshend, this musician confirmed that he is “probably bisexual” and cited his attraction to Mick Jagger, calling him “the only man I’ve ever seriously wanted to fuck.”
-
Tila Tequila is not one to shy away from anything. The former Myspace celebrity did several reality shows centered around identifying as bisexual, beginning with “A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila.” She was also the girlfriend of Casey Johnson, the Johnson & Johnson heiress, who passed away in 2010.
-
Amber Rosehas long been perceived to be openly bisexual without actually addressing the way she identifies. In an interview with Complex magazine, the model sought to clarify the rumors: “They label me a bisexual freak stripper that fucks Kanye on a daily basis. To answer that: Im extremely open with my sexuality. I can be in love with a woman, I can be in love with a man. Im not into bestiality, but as far as humans go, I definitely find beauty in everybody, whether theyre heavy-set, super-skinny, if theyre white, black, Indian, Asian, Spanish. I can see beauty in anybody. Im not into threesomes or orgies and shit like that. If I see a women and I think shes beautiful and I like her, and she likes me back we can definitely try to be in a relationship together.”
-
Currently married to wife Christine Marinoni, Nixon confirmed in a January 2012 interview with The Daily Beast that she is bisexual. The “Sex And The City” star stated, “I dont pull out the ‘bisexual’ word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals… We get no respect.”
-
The first lady to ever come out in “Lady’s Home Journal” as bisexual, “Biggest Loser” coach and personal trainer Jillian Michaels told the magazine in 2010: Lets just say I believe in healthy love. If I fall in love with a woman, thats awesome. If I fall in love with a man, thats awesome. As long as you fall in love its like organic food. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!
-
Former “Real Housewives Of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak was in public relationships with both the mysterious “Big Poppa” and DJ Tracy Young before marrying Kroy Biermann. In a 2010 interview with Life & Style, interviewers posed the following question for the reality queen: “Q: Do you feel you’re giving a voice to other bisexual parents? A: I’m among the millions of parents who have been in a gay or lesbian relationship. It hasn’t been an easy road lately, but I feel there are no mistakes in my life. Everything happens for a reason. To have the opportunity to speak for myself and to have people understand what I’m going through is really special. I myself was confused and scared at first. Being able to speak from my heart and get this all out, it’s a huge relief for me.”
-
Lady Gaga has been open for quite some time about her bisexuality, initially coming out in a 2010 interview with Barbara Walters.
-
The star of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” revealed that she’s bisexualin an “Inside Edition” interview in April 2015. Her daughter “Pumpkin” Lauryn Thompson also came out as bi at the same time.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2016/05/26/bisexual-stars_n_10203526.html