Bi People More Likely to Stay in the Closet

Not surprisingly, bi people make up the largest chunk of the queer community, but are also the least likely to come out.

According to a recent study by Pew Research, bi folks are six times more likely to be in the closet than their straight counterparts. Although bi people make up over 40 percent of the community, 26 percent of bi people are in the closet, compared to just 4 percent of gay and lesbian people 

Bi folks were also four times less likely to be out to those they love, at 19 percent compared to 75 percent of gay and lesbian folks. They are more likely to only come out to close friends and family or a select group of people, if at all. 

This is not surprising, given the stigmas bi folks face in daily life. In the queer community, they are often shunned as “not gay enough,” while they can feel like pariahs in the straight community as well. This Pride season, let’s not forget our bi family, regardless of how they fit into the queer and “straight” spaces of their everyday world.