| “The Case of the Missing Bisexuals: Bisexuality in Books for Young Readers” | A 2014 article by B.J. Epstein that illuminates how bisexuality is rarely depicted in children’s books, and if it is, it is often negatively portrayed. Since children’s books and YA novels are often used as starting points for educational discussion, the lack of bisexuality is problematic. “Some authors and publishers appear to see no need to refer to the fact that bisexuals can and do parent, and that they do so from within a variety of relationships or familial arrangements.” |
| “The Missing B Word: Compulsory Binarization and Bisexual Representation in Children’s Literature” | This 2018 article by Jennifer Coletta addresses the “compulsory binarization” seen in YA and children’s literature, the assumption that a character is either gay or straight, and not bi. Coletta challenges authors to be more forward and obvious in their use of the word bisexual, and to incorporate positive and easily identifiable bisexual representation. “On the one hand, employing labels can advance hegemonic discourse; on the other, it can be seen as enabling the recognition of marginalized voices and simultaneously repudiating heteronormative default assumptions, particularly for bisexual people.” |
| “Challenges and Possibilities for Bisexual Picturebooks” | This 2019 article by Collin Knopp-Schwyn and Michael Fracentese argues that despite obstacles, including short lengths, the picture book format can easily represent bisexuality, using four criteria: “that a character be shown (a) to have romantic attraction (b) to multiple characters (c) of different genders over the course of the narrative (d) without the narrative’s text invalidating the character’s existence as bisexual.” And while authors may want to avoid slapping labels on characters, naming bisexuality in a direct way can actually legitimize it and counteract the bi erasure that is so prevalent by “placing it as an equal among sexual orientations.” |
