May 1, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I’m being bullied for my sexuality, but it’s tricky: I’m a bisexual 14-year-old in northeast Louisiana. Recently, I came out to a friend who I trusted, but they told the entire school. Now that everyone knows I’m bi, I’ve been picked on for acting feminine. I’ve also been called things such as “faggot” and “whore” in front of teachers, who all turn their heads as the kids continue to bully me.

I would try to tell a counselor but my school is a predominantly Christian, homo/biphobic place. Not one adult there supports the LGBT community. Though I’m a larger, more muscular type of person, I’m very mellow, so I am trying not to let them instigate a fight. However, some students have tried to start fights and have threatened me.

What do I do?

—Special K

There are two major things to know:

You are not alone.

In December, a 17-year-old girl in Massachusetts was beaten up for being bi. The BRC made this video for her, and for all of the bullied bi kids out there. You can use the resources we talk about in the video to answer the questions you might have about being bi and to connect with our community. There are hundreds of thousands of us; in fact, bisexuals are the biggest group in the queer community. We’re here for you, Special K.

And you’re not alone as a bullied teen, either. Watch David Aponte’s video where he talks about being picked on for stupid reasons and then having adults at his school react inappropriately. Sound familiar? This happened and still happens to so many of us. The good news is that a confluence of events – including the many “It Gets Better” videos on YouTube, which you should also watch – has brought the issue of bullying to the forefront in this country and it’s not acceptable for adults to ignore it anymore. Which brings us to the second point…

You cannot go through this alone.

You have to tell your parents.

Hold up – you don’t have to come out to them. You just need to tell them that you’re being bullied. Tell them that random kids are calling you names and trying to get you to fight them. If they ask why kids are calling you “faggot” or saying that you act feminine, you can say: 1.) you don’t know, 2.) they’re jerks, 3.) they don’t even know what they’re talking about, or 4.) all of the above. Your parents already know that kids act like this, and that’s why they probably won’t even ask anyway.

I’m really hoping that your school is public because there are certain government standards by which they must abide. This law in Louisiana requires “local school boards to adopt policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation and bullying by students and protecting students and employees who report such incidents.” Your parents can bring this up at a school committee meeting or in a private meeting with your principal. I know it’s beyond embarrassing to have people at school know that your parents are sticking up for you, but they probably won’t know at all. It’s not like your parents are calling other kids’ parents.

In short, they need to bring this to the school’s attention and politely point out that the administration is required by law to do something. The school might then create a student-led anti-bullying group, show the movie “Bully” to the students and faculty, or hold some other awareness-raising program. Trust me, they’ll do something. They can be as backward as they want but let me tell you, there’s not a school in America that wants angry parents, bad press, or questions from government funders about whether they’re following the law. And once your school puts a focus on anti-bullying, the teachers will stop pretending that they don’t see it happening.

Here are some fantastic resources that your parents might be interested in: http://www.stopbullyinglouisiana.org/resources. Please tell them today, and let me know how it goes.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

April 17, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I’m a 21-year old bi woman who hasn’t figured out how to be out there, if that makes any sense. I grew up in a socially conservative town and an immigrant family. The country my parents emigrated from barely had a feminist revolution, let alone an LGBT one. They are, fortunately, relatively open-minded.

The point is, there wasn’t much room for experimentation when I was growing up. Even having very short hair was breaking an established norm, one that I broke with absolute relish. I’m now attending a college that is the complete opposite – very liberal, and a sexually open student body. I’ve met LGBT people who have been out for years.

One thing I realized in this new environment was that while the straight student body was all about questioning and breaking gender norms, many lesbians and bisexual women identified as butch or femme, and put enormous weight on those identities. This was new to me. I’d never paid much attention to my appearance; I wore whatever clothes were on hand. The prospect of, say, joining a baseball team is as alien to me as dolling up my face is. As to the people I’m attracted to, they include anyone – butches, femmes, “feminine” men, androgynous people, etc.

I really want to make a real connection with someone but I worry that I’m too invisible and passive for that to ever happen. I know that I am bi but should I figure out how to wear it?

—Mandy

Girl, if I’m not gonna make you pick a gender to date, I’m sure as hell not gonna make you pick a gender to wear.

Your friends may have been out for years but it sounds like they’re developmentally in a similar place as you: figuring out who they are and what they like. Lots of folks do that through experimentation. There’s also a common feeling of needing to “prove” to yourself that you’re part of a group, so you might start out a bit more extreme in your visible affiliation, whether through style or mannerisms. Once you’re more secure in your identity, you tend to tone it down a bit.

And yet, we can’t write off interest in the whole butch/femme/andro dynamic as a phase, since it continues to play out among queer adults of all ages. Interestingly, it seems to vary by geography. Even more interestingly, LBT women constantly complain about how limiting the dynamic can be, even as they participate in it.

Sociology aside, you can feel free to try on these different identities yourself, or feel just as free not to. If you’re only concerned that not subscribing to one will render you invisible to potential dates, then I’d say that you should work on other ways of being out. If you’re worried that not committing to one will make you unattractive to your love interests, don’t give it another thought. Lots of people out there are going to love Mandy for Mandy, with or without a studded belt. Trust.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

April 3, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

For years, I’ve wondered what it’s like to go down on another man. Thought about it, fantasized about it, watched porn about it, even obsessed about it while being in a straight, long term, and committed relationship. I like to wear lipstick and used to like dressing and speaking as a women, i.e. posing as a woman and providing phone sex to men. I was pretty good at it and liked doing it, but then I’d think “I’m insanely stressed right now, I’ll get past this.” And eventually, I did.

At this point, I haven’t cross-dressed in years, nor have I worn lipstick in years, although I still have some hidden. The one thing that hasn’t gone away is my need for men but I’ve never acted on my desire for them. (Believe me, I’m still attracted to women.) If I’m bi and in Los Angeles, where do I go and how do I go about telling a man I want to go down on him? On a larger scale, how do I begin to live more authentically?

By the way, my Christian church has a thing about homosexuality of any kind. They’d literally burn me like a witch if they knew I thought like this and had these kinds of demons burning inside.

—The Baztard

I think we’ve located the problem. It’s your church.

Why do you choose to be part of a community that would hate your guts if they actually knew you? Why wouldn’t you walk away from a group of people who give you the choice of either being ostracized for being your normal, healthy self or hiding your true nature and being miserable? Maybe you grew up in this church and it’s all you know, but Buddy, something’s got to give here. For years, you’ve been back and forth about whether you want to fulfill your desires, and I’d say the reason you feel so conflicted is because you’re peppered with constant messages that these desires – and you! – are demonic. There’s no way that that doesn’t affect you.

Actively fill up your life with people and things that love everything about the real you – or would, if you shared it with them. Make it so there is zero room for those that cast shame upon you. Start going to one of these churches instead. If church is a big part of your life, transitioning to a new one will be tough at first. But deprogramming from the hate and living an authentic life is going to make you feel so, so much better.

Oh, and: ManHunt.com or Craigslist.org’s Casual Encounters.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

March 20, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

Before I married my wife, one of the reasons I felt connected to her was when I told her I may be bisexual, she said she was fine with it. Since then, she has said things over the years to imply that I might be “funny.” I am “funny” – that’s why I felt so good with her acceptance. Now I feel funny in a bad way.

Even if I am faithful and not having sex with men, I can’t win. How can I avoid feeling ashamed of myself or afraid to be who I am, and express myself to my wife?

—Headless Veggie

Ooh, Veggie, I’ll bet that hurt. I’m sorry – it sounds like you feel betrayed.

But here’s something I learned from an Interpersonal Communications seminar I once took: you need to verify what the person actually meant, especially if you care about them.

It’s human nature to assume you know what a loved one means when they’re speaking plain English, but you’d be surprised how often we misunderstand even those closest to us. You can wait until the next time she makes a “funny” comment and reply – calmly and curiously – “What do you mean by that?” Or, you could pick a quiet moment when you’re together and say, “Remember that time you said I was ‘funny’? What did you mean by that?”

Her comments might just be a ham-fisted way of trying to open up a dialogue on what bisexuality means to you. If you two haven’t talked candidly about that, she might be worried that you think it’s OK to be non-monogamous. Now, you know that non-monogamy and bisexuality are two totally different things, and Tiggy knows it, but it’s possible that your wife doesn’t know much of anything about bisexuality. Did you talk about it beyond telling her years ago that you might be bi? Tiggy suspects not.

Now is the time for a deep discussion about your sexuality, as well as your feelings around her support for your true self. I think she wants this, and it can only be good for you in the long run. Go for it.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

March 6, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I am a 30-something bisexual lady who has been happily married to a dude for five years. I feel pretty invisible to the community sometimes, but I know who I am what I’m about and I no longer need to shout it from the rooftops anymore. I’m very happy, if a little lonely in the queerness.

I have always been out and proud (including to my family) and I think I mostly lesbian-identified for a long time. I’ve always appreciated that the people who cared most about me never batted an eye when I told them I was dating and later marrying a guy.

Recently I have had a couple of “Facebook reunions” with (straight) guys I was friends with back in the gay days. Both of them needed to have the “I thought you were gay” talk with me. For one of them, I suspect it was the only reason he made the effort to get together. I felt awkward having to explain that I was always bi, and the whole spectrum of sexuality and how it’s fluid, blah blah blah to these otherwise really hip, accepting dudes. I suspect both of them of having been interested in being more than friends in the past. They both had that “If I had known…” kind of tone. We were also friends enough that they were comfortable asking me directly about this. Blessing or curse? I don’t know.

Anyway, I swear if I never have the “I thought you were gay” conversation again as long as I live, it will be too soon. I can’t help wondering if these dudes (and it’s only ever been straight guys) would go to the same lengths to have the same conversation with someone they always thought was straight who then married someone of the same sex. Is this a double standard? Am I over-reacting? How should I handle these questions in the future? Neither of these guys is a bad or homophobic person. I just feel like I’m back in that teenagery place of feeling like I have to explain the mechanics of my attractions or somehow justify them. Help!

—Roxy’s Paw

You bring up an interesting point: no, I don’t think they would make as big a deal over a presumed straight friend who married someone of the same sex. But that’s because they would figure the friend to have been closeted, whereas no one expects a person they believe to be gay to actually be a closeted hetero.

Most people have to suffer some oft-repeated and bordering-on-offensive conversation about their perceived bizarritude, like, “Didn’t you used to be a lesbian?” or “Where are you from? [to someone not white]” or “Why don’t you drink?” or “Wow, you’re tall, how tall are you?” I certainly wouldn’t say you’re overreacting but when I receive one of these Questions That Hell Wrought, I allow the initial query, having accepted that it’s human nature to be curious. My response is pithy and canned, and I suggest the same for you. “No, I’ve always identified as bisexual. I dated lots of women in the past but now I’m with a man.” Asked and answered, change the subject.

I find that this first inquiry can be an innocent request for clarification or attempt at small talk. It’s the follow-up questions that tend to be shockingly offensive: “So do you two have sex?” “No, really, where are you from? You can’t be American. Is it one of those little Asian countries?” “I’ll bet someone attacked you once when you were drunk, right?” “How long is your dick?” You have every right to abruptly beg off or, in a situation like yours with generally decent friends, tell them that you don’t understand what they’re still confused about and that their questions are making you uncomfortable. By the way, it sounds like your gut suspicion -– that these guys had a thing for you -– is right on the money. That still doesn’t mean you owe them an explanation.

At the base of all of this is bisexual invisibility, as you’ve surmised. It’s a cross that we bear, at least until we succeed at changing the world. Just remember: you’re not invisible to OUR community. Many of us are in monogamous relationships, lots of us used to identify as gay, and pretty much all of us know how it feels to be treated like no one knows you’re here. But the more you stick with the bisexual community as we grow and band together, the easier it will be to deal with expected annoyances like this.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

February 21, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

Why do you think there is so much biphobia in the LGT community and what can be done about it?

—Kim


Geez. Anything else you wanna know, like the meaning of life or whether God exists? No? Alright, then, let’s take this one on.

It’s an unfortunate reality that vulnerable communities sometimes tear down other vulnerable communities to make themselves feel superior. It’s that adage of blowing out someone else’s candle to make yours burn brighter — which, of course, doesn’t work. The mindset is: “Well, maybe I’m [minority], but at least I’m not [other minority],” and to confirm that notion, folks proceed to denigrate and abuse the other group.

But people who engage in this dynamic are not just trying to convince themselves of their superiority. Some of the most socially powerful within a minority group believe that they could be accepted by the majority as one of their own. In this case, we’re talking about gay men (who are probably also white, able-bodied, cisgender [people whose gender assigned at birth matches their body and personal identity], etc.) who think that they’re this close to being fully accepted by the straight community. They figure that they’ll be hanging with the cool kids as soon as they make it clear that they’re not like those losers, the bisexuals.

My public service announcement for any minorities currently entertaining this notion is as follows: The cool kids are never going to fully accept you.

I should note here that it’s not really fair to lump the Ts in with the Ls and Gs in this case. Many transgender people are bisexual, and our two communities generally get along like peas and carrots. More importantly, the trans community does not have the power to oppress bisexuals because we’re equally downtrodden, thank you very little. They are under no illusion that the mainstream will accept them as equals any time soon.

So, what can be done? The solution is to band together and insist on visibility. The San Francisco Human Rights Committee’s 2011 report tells us that “self-identified bisexuals make up the largest single population within the LGBT community in the United States.” The fact is, once our numbers are felt, there won’t be any denying us. And yet, so many people still won’t publicly identify as bi because, as actress Cynthia Nixon stated, “nobody likes the bisexuals…we get no respect.”

As Kathleen O’Neal thoughtfully opined on the BRC Facebook page, we need to create a space where bisexuals can actually identify as such without enduring hatred, particularly from the rest of the queer community. That starts with each and every bi person understanding that ze* is not alone. Bisexuals have conferences, books, blogs, social groups, activist groups, and regular events in every major city. We are everywhere and we are connected. First and foremost, we need to cultivate those bi community connections, battle our internalized biphobia, and be visible.

*gender neutral pronoun

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

February 7, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I’m 14 years old and I’m bisexual. I came out in 8th grade but now I’m in high school…and no one remembers! I’m too scared to come out again to even more people. I don’t really care what people say, but I guess I’m afraid of not being accepted.

I have one gay guy friend but he is so loud and proud that I wouldn’t bring it up with him. He’s definitely not one to trust with such a topic. Otherwise, I have no one to talk to about this: no lesbian who I could ask for advice, no groups in my town.

I’m not trying to sound all sad and dramatic or anything. I’m just tired of having WWIII in my head. Do I have to come out again? And how can I do it this time so it sticks?

—Back in the closet


It’s not much of a consolation, but I think your experience is pretty common for young queer folks. Years ago, a good friend of mine came out to her mom but then tacked on the phrase, “Actually, I think everyone is bi” at the end, so her mom decided that she didn’t mean any of what she said. She then had to come out to her again. What a pain.

Unfortunately, adults don’t always take 14-year-olds seriously because they assume your identity changes every ten minutes as you try to figure out who you are. As for your friends, maybe they let themselves forget because they weren’t sure how to deal with it, and because they didn’t have to: you probably didn’t talk about it or date anyone. Whatever the reason, I’m sorry that you have to go through this hassle.

You’ve got a couple of options. One is to slip it into conversation with a close friend who you told last year. If you two are alone and she’s talking about some guy she thinks is cute, mention that you think he is too, but you also think this girl is cute. If she reacts with surprise, you can say, “I told you last year that I liked guys and girls, remember?” Try to act casual, like it’s no big deal. Assume that it will eventually get around school, but know that your news might inspire a bunch of other people to come out.

Another option is to start a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance, or some schools are now calling them a Gender and Sexuality Alliance) at school with your gay friend. You can just let people assume that you’re a straight ally until you feel comfortable with the group. If you think your school isn’t ready for a GSA, you might start an anti-bullying club which can focus on protecting the LGBT kids. Either way, you’ll get to know other people in the group who are at least accepting of bisexuality…and at best, dateable. Choose a nice teacher or guidance counselor to sponsor the group; s/he may well become a source of support for you, too.

I’ll leave you with this: if 10% of all people are queer, there have to be a lot of people at your school who feel the same way as you, not to mention straight allies. If you can find these kindred spirits, you’ll feel comfortable talking about this stuff with them, and you won’t have to come out all the time.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

January 24, 2012

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I’m a happily married 27-year-old woman. I am bi, and my husband knows and is fine with it. I’m only out to him, my mother, my brother, and my step-dad, who are all are supportive of me. Other than that, no one else knows, as it’s a bad town to come out in.

My brother has a girlfriend who I really like a lot. She is also bi and likes me as well. They have a two-year-old and recently had a six-month-old who died of SIDS. My brother cheats on her all the time –- it’s a fact, he told me. He also told me that he is leaving her for another woman soon. Please know that I would never backstab my brother; I have been honest with him and let him know that I have a crush on his girlfriend. He didn’t care.

Is it wrong of me to like her? Would it be wrong to date her if my brother didn’t mind? Or should I leave her alone and find someone else? I am very confused because I have never been in this situation before, and with all that’s been going on in her life, I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.

One more question, on a separate note: is it normal that when I’m around girls that I act a little “macho” and I feel like a gentleman, but when I’m with my husband, I’m a lady? Is there something wrong with me that I feel guy-ish like that?

I appreciate you taking the time to help me. There really isn’t anyone I can talk to about this.

—Seaweed


Let’s take the second question first: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. It’s fun to play with gender roles and see what makes you feel most like yourself in different situations. Not to mention, it can be way sexy, baby! You can explore a bit more by looking up “genderplay” and “genderfuck” online and in books. There are millions of ways that people express gender, so don’t be afraid to let loose with your macho-lady self (in a safe space, of course).

My only caution is against basing your gender expression on who you’re with at any given moment. If those different camps of friends/family/lovers end up in the same room, it could feel like your worlds are colliding. Work on playing with gender while maintaining a consistent, integrated character. That kernel of your personality is the essence of you.

As for your crush, it’s great that you’re coming from a standpoint of loyalty toward your brother and compassion for his girlfriend. (Er, seems that between you and your bro, you scored the Sensitivity Gene…) It’s not wrong of you to like her, although I suppose the case could be made that your dating her could confuse her two-year-old. But considering all that’s on this poor woman’s plate –- recently losing a child, getting dumped by the philandering father of her toddler –- I think what’s in her best interest is if you don’t make a play for her now. What she’s really going to need when your brother leaves her is a friend.

When the break-up goes down, I’d write her a letter saying that you’re sorry to hear what happened and your heart goes out to her. Then, tell her that you’re starting to have feelings for her. Say that a.) you’re willing to push them aside in order to be there for her as a friend during this tough time, OR b.) you need to take a break from spending time with her because you can’t ignore these feelings. This strategy is all about communication and respect…plus, if she feels the same way, it gives her a chance to let you know.

Keep in mind, Seaweed: she’s not the only fish in the sea. It shouldn’t be that hard to find a salmon who isn’t up to her gills in your family drama.

© 2012 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

December 27, 2011

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I saw your advice column for bisexuals and was wondering if you could help me. I always knew that I was bisexual even before I fully understood it. Now I’m about to turn 23 and still haven’t quite figured out how to deal with it. I’m somewhat open about it…some of my friends and family know.

I have been with my wonderful boyfriend for a little over a year and I’m seven months pregnant. Lately, I haven’t been able to enjoy sex with my partner nearly as much as I used to (in fact, almost not at all) and I haven’t had the heart to tell him. At the same time, I find myself wanting female attention and affection. It’s driving me nuts.

I’m still pushing myself to be more open and communicative about what I want sexually. He knew before we started seeing each other that I was bi. Things have been complicated for us and not too long ago, we were both having trouble sexually. I admitted to not being able to orgasm and we just ended up being frustrated with each other and ourselves, even arguing a bit about it. Now I’m unsure how to talk to him about this, so I continue to be sexually frustrated.

I can’t see sleeping with anyone but him, yet the desire for a woman is driving me up a wall. It’s adding to my frustration and making it impossible to enjoy my partner. I have a few bi friends but none I feel close enough to talk to, so I always feel alone. Can you help?

—Wild Spirit


I suspect that a surge of pregnancy hormones is playing a starring role in your production of horniness…on Broadway (sorry, I had to). They say that you get some fierce cravings during pregnancy and they’re not just talking about food. On top of that raging storm south of the border, you’re at a watershed moment. In two months, your life will be full, fast, and completely different than before. And you can count on parenthood affecting your relationship with your partner in countless (and probably unforeseeable) ways.

So while I’m typically in favor of charging in all gung-ho and fixing a problem like some sort of sexual firefighter, in this case, I think you need to wait until everything settles. Wait until your body settles, wait until your new relationship with your partner as co-parents settles, wait until your daily routine settles. In other words, wait at least a few months after the baby is born before you do anything to address this problem. Honestly, it might just solve itself. But you don’t want to do anything rash –- like, try to find a woman to scratch your sexual itch –- while everything is up in the air. It would be awful to make such a mistake just to satisfy a fleeting urge when it sounds like you have something very special with your boyfriend.

Try to reach orgasm through masturbation, porn, and sex toys, and let your partner know that because of the pregnancy, you probably won’t be in the mood for sex until after the birth. He’ll live. You will, too. If you’re having the same problem in, say, five months, write to me again.

© 2011 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

November 15, 2011

Posted on by asktiggy

Dear Tiggy,

I have just recently come out as bi to a few close friends. Now, a year into my marriage, I am feeling less and less attraction to men and more and more of an attraction to women. It’s actually become somewhat uncontrollable. I have become involved with a female friend of mine, mainly on an emotional (and, at times, physical) level. She is so wonderful and when I am with her, I feel so relaxed and I feel like myself. This is not the first time in my relationship with my husband that this has happened. Any advice?

—Bi Wife

Wild Deuces, I have to admit that my first impulse was to be a bit tough on this questioner, as I felt she was being selfish and dishonest with her husband. But I knew that that wasn’t fair to her. I needed to try harder to be sympathetic and see where she was coming from. I thought that perhaps a bit more information might allow me to be less judgmental, so I wrote back to Bi Wife and asked, “Why did you get married?” She replied:

Dear Tiggy,

I got married because I loved my partner. I thought he was the one. I thought I loved him enough that I could suppress or ignore these other feelings I was having. He seemed OK with the fact that I was attracted to women. I’ve had “feelings” for a very long time; I can even remember having them in high school over 10 years ago. I grew up in North Carolina and didn’t really even know what it meant to be LGBT until I moved to Boston four years ago. I thought that all girls felt the way I feel and that it was just a phase. I wish I had known then what I know now.

—Bi Wife

And that’s all it took for me to get over my judgment and see the perspective of this particular Deuce. Actually, I was surprised that she didn’t seem offended by my question. I think if someone asked me why I got married, even if I had revealed that the marriage was not in a solid place, I’d say, “Because I loved zir,* duh.” But in just a few earnest words, she conveyed to me exactly how easy it would be to wind up in her shoes. Thanks for that, Bi Wife. Now that I’ve gotten over my knee-jerk snippiness, I can honestly say that my heart goes out to you.

I think the universe really threw you off when it gave you the opportunity to better understand your sexuality well after it gave you a great guy. It really should have done it in the opposite order, and now your life schedule is all out of whack. The universe is an idiot and kind of a jerkface. I think this is what scientists mean when they say the universe is dense.

Because of this, you’ve been trying to find your way through this process of self-discovery while staying married. It sounds like this process has gotten messy, and you need to admit the hard truth to yourself that you’ve cheated on your spouse with at least two people. Maybe you’re even ready to admit to yourself that exploration of your queer sexuality while being monogamously married to a man isn’t exactly working. However, I wouldn’t suggest that you make any immediate decisions about your whole arrangement; figuring this all out will be a process, so take your time.

Since you’re in Boston, I highly recommend that you attend the peer-led group, “Straight Marriage, Still Questioning” on the second Monday of each month. For more information, contact kate.e.flynn [at] gmail [dot] com. Unlike with your sometimes-slow pal Tiggy, you won’t have to wait a single second for these folks to “get” you. They’re in the same position you are and will welcome you into their mutually-supportive space with open arms.

I wish you much faith and courage on this difficult figuring-out period in your life, Bi Wife. I can only suggest that you try as hard as you can to be honest with yourself as you go along. And one more thing: I’d hold off on having children with your husband until you get this all sorted, if I were you.

© 2011 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.

*gender neutral pronoun