Bicurious

The bicurious flag by Arco-Pluris.

**Bicurious**, also spelled **bi-curious**, is a term for people who are typically attracted to and/or intimate with one gender, while also being curious about other genders. This often refers to a desire for sexual exploration beyond one's typical sexual orientation, but can also refer to a desire for romantic or non-sexual exploration. This term is often used by straight people who are exploring attraction/intimacy with the same gender. It is also less commonly used by gay or lesbian people who are exploring attraction/intimacy with other genders.

Bicurious people may or may not consider themselves to be questioning. Some bicurious people additionally identify as heteroflexible or homoflexible. Some bicurious people later identify as bisexual, while others do not.

## Etymology

The term "bicurious" comes from "bisexual" (denoting attraction to two or more genders) and "curious" (denoting curiosity).

## Distinction

### Bisexual

***Main article:*** *Bisexual*

Bisexual is a sexual orientation in which one experiences attraction to two or more genders. Bicurious, on the other hand, is a term for curiosity and exploration. Bicurious people are not necessarily attracted to multiple genders. While bisexual people are typically certain of their attraction to multiple genders, bicurious people are still navigating their identities. Some bicurious people later identify as bisexual, while others do not.

### Heteroflexible

***Main article:*** *Heteroflexible*

Heteroflexible is a term for people who are primarily straight, with exceptions. They may experience attraction to the same and/or similar gender(s) on rare occasion, or may be open to the possibility of attraction, encounters, and/or relationships outside their typical orientation. While bicurious and heteroflexible can sometimes be used interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Bicurious people are not always predominantly straight, whereas heteroflexible people are. Additionally, bicuriosity implies a level of active desire to explore or experiment, whereas heteroflexibility can be used to suggest a passive openness to different possibilities.[*source?*]

### Homoflexible

***Main article:*** *Homoflexible*

Homoflexible, similar to heteroflexible, is a term for people who are primarily gay or lesbian, with exceptions. They may experience attraction to different genders on rare occasion, or may be open to the possibility of attraction, encounters, and/or relationships outside their typical orientation. While bicurious and homoflexible can sometimes be used interchangeably, but again, are not synonymous. Bicurious people are not always predominantly gay or lesbian, whereas homoflexible people are. Additionally, bicuriosity implies a level of active desire to explore or experiment, whereas homoflexibility can be used to suggest a passive openness to different possibilities.[*source?*]

## Flag

The bicurious flag was created by Arco-Pluris on July 5, 2018. Pink represents gay people and lesbians, while blue represents straight people, similar to the original bisexual flag by Michael Page. However, unlike the original bisexual flag, there is no purple stripe, representing the fact that bicurious people aren't necessarily bisexual. Instead, the pink and blue stripes fade to white. The light stripes represent slight feelings and shared experiences, while the large white stripe represents questioning and doubting one's current identity.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Hardell, Ash. *The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2016. ISBN 9781633534087.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 WebMD Editorial Contributors (2022-09-21). What Is Bicurious?. WebMD. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Migala, Jessica (2022-06-22). What's the Difference Between Being Bi-Curious and Bisexuality?. Health. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023.
4. ↑ Arco-Pluris (2018-07-05). Bicurious Flag. Wikimedia Commons. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023.