The Bisexual Option

by Fritz Klein, Regina U. Reinhardt (Foreword)

Soon to be translated into Japanese! The Bisexual Option explores bisexuality, explains the bisexual, and explodes myths surrounding this large “unseen” segment of the population. Now in its second edition, this intriguing book gives an overview of bisexuality. As there is still no book that covers the subject like this one, it is must reading for establishing a contemporary view of bisexuality and those committed to a bisexual lifestyle. Fritz Klein, an experienced psychiatrist and expert in bisexuality and sexual orientation, explains the concept and the variables of sexual orientation and where bisexuality fits.

He covers many subjects in the book including:

myths of bisexual nonexistence and the “either/or” dilemma
intimacy, both emotional and sexual
an explanation of bisexuality and the Oedipus Complex
definitions and examples of the healthy and troubled bisexual
major sociological findings about bisexuality
the bisexual in history
the bisexual as depicted in the arts
factors that will influence bisexuality in the future

The book helps readers understand where they fit on the sexual orientation continuum. The Bisexual Option aids in explaining who bisexuals are and why they have problems in heterosexual as well as homosexual societies and shows bisexuals that they are not alone. Even helping professionals will find information on this “invisible” but large segment of the population.

A variety of readers will want to read The Bisexual Option including the bisexual community and individual bisexuals, the homosexual communities which include many bisexuals, mental health practitioners, psychologists, both students and professionals, university students, married partners of bisexuals, HIV/AIDS workers who wish to become acquainted with how bisexuality affects the risk to the heterosexual community, sexologists, and researchers.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Bisexual, Queer, Psychology, Gender and Sexuality, Sexuality

230 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1978

About the author

Fred "Fritz" Klein (December 27, 1932 – May 24, 2006) was an American psychiatrist and sex researcher who studied bisexuals and their relationships. He helped begin a foundation that promoted bisexual culture. He was an author and editor, as well as the developer of the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid a scale that measures an individual's sexual orientation. Klein believed that sexual orientation changed over the course of a lifetime and that researches underestimated the number of men that had sexual interactions with both sexes

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr. Klein's book was a landmark study in 1979 on bisexuality in America. While his view was progressive in 1979, academic and cultural understandings of sexuality, especially bisexuality, have skyrocketed. Klein often confuses gender and sex, perpetuates the gender binary of attraction for bisexuals ("attracted to both genders" rather than "all genders"), and confuses polyamory and bisexuality (the communities overlap but capacity for multiple loves is not the same as capacity for multiple attractions). Klein himself is not bisexual (or does not disclose this information) and it is painfully obvious in how he analyzes his patients and discusses living and identifying as a bi person.

This book is only important for historical context of bisexual studies. If you want current understanding of bisexuality and bi politics, I suggest Shiri Eisner's "Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution" and Marjorie Garber's "Vice Versa: Bisexuality and the Eroticism of Everyday Life."

[kory. · Rating 1 out of 5]

obviously given the year this was published there’s super dated stuff about sexuality and especially gender. i particularly don’t like applying labels to people who have not claimed them, and i really can’t stand the idea of “behaviorally bisexual”, which a lot of the book is based around. the fact that the book is through the len of a psychiatrist definitely contributed majorly to my lack of interest. AND that he created the organization that is now spewing hateful panphobia is kind of a bummer.

content/trigger warnings; biphobia, homophobia, lesbophobia, racism, f slur, d slur, sex, binary language, therapy, attempted suicide, divorce, domestic abuse,

(read the original but there’s no cover on that version here so i’m marking it as this one.)

[shrutsiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I read this. I think it's helped me understand myself and a lot of people I know a little better, and that's always worth it. The axes along which Klein views sexuality is a super useful reference (even as a jumping off point) that made me sit and think about what I actually want.

There's obviously a stereotype that bisexuals are cheaters, and this book's catalogue of even healthy bisexuals proves that there is no beating the allegations there. I actually felt pretty uncomfortable reading these accounts and thinking of them as healthy, but I think that's more due to my socialization. I'll revisit this at a later date and see if I feel the same.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was first written in the late 70s and revised in the early 90s. Some of the contents are interesting and useful, but you must keep in mind the time period it was written. In some ways it's a good look at the historical place of the bisexual. Certain parts were more compelling to read than others. It seems like my thoughts are similar to other reviewers.

[Yuan · Rating 3 out of 5]

這本書的價值在於，極為稀少的雙性戀研究之中，提供一個幫助性取向探索的管道。

[Chanie]

Dated but had interesting data and perspective.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biographies were interesting but, other than that, this book was quite boring. This book is Klein's position that bisexuality does in fact exist. Originally written in 1976, perhaps the ideas just seemed a bit out of date.

[Joli Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic in the field of sexuality research, read this along with Kinsey to understand the shoulders we stand on as current sexuality researchers. Written with a easy to read case study tone, goes by quickly.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of dry but he was an important player in the SD GLBT world. And, I think he helped to blow up the idea of hetero vs. homosexuality (nothing in between), via a simple chart.