D. Joye Swan, PhD

Dr. Swan has been studying sexual behavior for over twenty years. The common feature in all of her research is using social psychological theory to understand and change stigma and prejudice in relation to sexual minorities beginning with her research on aversive discrimination against homosexual males to her most recent research on defining, labeling, and understanding the origins and impact of biphobia. Along with Dr. Habibi, she has recently completed two large scale studies which follow up on and expand their research on how heterosexuals define bisexuality and under what conditions they will apply that definition to either males or females.

Dr. Habibi is an assistant professor of psychology at Mount Saint Mary's University and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her main research interests are in the areas of sexuality with a focus on bisexuality. She is trained as a Cognitive BehavioralTherapist as well as a Systemic Therapist and has treated clients in a variety of clinical settings, including bisexuals. Currently, she educates marriage and family therapists on how to treat bisexuals in a clinical setting and is on the board of the Lesbian and Gay Psychotherapy Association (soon to be the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Psychotherapy Association).

Brings together the disparate body of research on bisexuality and provides a strong, clear synthesis of the history, data, implications and future recommendations for the field.

Addresses the invisibility of bisexuality in the contexts of society and the academy, gender and sex, intimate relationships, and mental health.

Calls for a unifying definition of bisexuality as a way to advance research on and the understanding of bisexuality.

Provides practical applications of research findings including individual and societal recommendations.

Introduction.- Chapter 1: Mapping Bisexual Studies: Past and Present, and Implications for the Future.- Chapter 2: Models and Measures of Sexual Orientation.- Chapter 3: Defining Bisexuality: Challenges and Importance Of and Toward a Unifying Definition.- Chapter 4: Plurisexual Identity Labels and the Marking of Bisexual Desire.- Chapter 5: Bisexuality in Society.- Chapter 6: Binegativity: Attitudes Toward and Stereotypes about Bisexuals.- Chapter 7: Female Bisexuality: Identity, Fluidity, and Cultural Expectations.- Chapter 8: The Male Bisexual Experience.- Chapter 9: Romantic and Sexual Relationship Experiences Among Bisexual Individuals.- Chapter 10: Well-Being: Bisexuality and Physical and Mental Health.- Chapter 11: A Perspective on Envisioning Bisexuality as Inclusive, Celebratory, and Liberatory.