Poll: Would you take a pill that makes you bisexual?

[Evil Moo]

No. I'd rather take one that would make me asexual. Being constantly driven by an instinct to have sex is inconvenient, especially when I know that I would be a terrible person to be in a relationship with. I'm far too paranoid, selfish and generally uninterested to attain a healthy relationship, never mind getting as far as sex. Removing that desire would be a giant distraction gone from my life.

 

[thethird0611]

No because I live in Texas.

Which doesnt mean anything since I know plenty of happy bi/gay people in Texas. Hell, I was raised in the country and still live in this state. Care to make a useful statement?

OT: Nah, I like my sexuality. Straight as a line. Women look soooooooooooooooooo much better anyway, so I wouldnt have any reason to start liking men.

Just because you haven't experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Homophobia is still extremely prevalent, especially in certain parts of the world, like Texas.

Yeah.... Its not. At least not prevalent in Texas. Not in the rural area (where I grew up), not in the city area(where I live now). Unless its in the deep west Texas, the only place I havent been for an extended period of time.

Again, from knowing gay/bi/alternative lifestyle (Quite a few alternative lifestyle people actually, but thats another story) people here in Texas (flesh and blood, face to face, friends), there aint nothing like that homophobia you said.

Yes, there is more homophobia in Texas than there is in certain parts of the world. As I said, just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

http://www.dallasvoice.com/texas-school-superintendent-cancels-tolerance-week-planned-high-school-gsas-10101887.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014484299
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/05/texas-judge-enforces-morality-clause-to-split-up-lesbian-couple/
http://gawker.com/texas-councilwoman-caught-giving-master-class-in-homoph-1156284563
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/marine-war-hero-eric-alva-excoriates-a-texas-crowd-who-booed-him-because-he-is-gay/news/2013/08/16/73326#.UmzokPlA0WY

That google search took ten seconds. Homophobia is insidious, you probably won't see much of it in every day life. I live in Norfolk, England and I have never once seen anybody harrass somebody for their race or sexuality but I know it happens more here than almost any other part of the country. Being defensive and pretending this stuff isn't happening doesn't help anybody. Besides, I am not generalising, I am not saying all of Texas or even a lot of Texas feels like this. Just more than many other areas of the country.

Ya know, most of those links I cannot trust at all. For easy reasons. They are bias and unreliable new sources. Ill refute each one though. Considering you dont like in Texas, nor even America, you have no experience here. Hell, dude, I know people who are into alternative lifestyles (hell, I subscribe to it, im not going to say exactly what it is, but it deals with D/s)

1. I agree with him. There was no reason for the dance. Nothing big there, just a clash of opinion. He may of said it a little harsh, but its true. This is just like the R&P topic where two students were suspended for wearinga confederate flag Tshirt, but the gay pride student wasnt.
2. Im sorry, thats not a reliable source to me. There is no evidence, and if there are no major news sources talking about it, I cant trust it.
3. The title of the link is 'lgbt', I dont trust it. Just like the gal who called a comedian transphobic and said he called her 'he, thing, it" and laughed at her, when he only said 'This person!' to keep from being on either side.
4. From what I read, she wasnt teaching a class at all, she just made a normal statement, 'They can do whatever they want, but I think its gross'. Nothing homophobic or discriminatory. You might actually want to use discriminatory more than homophobic, people mis use that word all the time.
5. Look at the third paragraph, cant trust that news source.

Look, I can type into google, 'Proof the Nazi's had the right idea' and come up with a bunch of bullshit that isnt real or doesnt make sense, doesnt mean its true.

How about you let the person who lives in Texas, knows people in different alternative lifestyles, and can attest to the mood down here tell you how it is, instead of thinking something that isnt true.

So, im not 'pretending' about anything, and im being defensive because you are using words such as 'homophobic' which you have been conditioned to, to describe my home state that I LIVE IN AND HAVE EXPERIENCED.

 

[Kaymish]

ok i am bisexual but i will go on a hypothetical if i wasn't i would say no to such a drug because i cant think of a reason good enough to change such a core part of someones identity it is messing with the mind and it is one thing i will never condone it is one of the reasons i despise religion and would like nothing better than to see it go the way of the dodo people who believe and brainwash others into believing it are destroying peoples core identity the only thing that makes us really us and damaging that is tantamount to murder and therefore is unforgivable and the same thing goes for this imaginary drug its changing the mind and is killing a core part of a persons identity

 

[Signa]

The only reason why I could see someone wanting this is if they were gay, and wanted to fit into societal norms better. It might also be valid for two best friends who love each other, but aren't sexually attracted to each other. If they both take the pill, then they'd be able to have sex. I can't say I've loved any of my friends like that though.

 

[NoeL]

snip

All valid points, although at my age and my social circle the chances of me getting shit about it are slim to none. I also wouldn't be interested in dating anyone that would be significantly put off by the revelation I was bi, even if I was straight. Kinda like a girl not being interested because she's a racist - are you really losing out there?

All things considered I still think it'd be worth it. I'd like to see what sex with another dude is like, but since I'm straight it's hard to do so without it being an unpleasurable experience.

 

[Xaio30]

Do you dislike being attracted to people?

"YES"
Then sure, I can see why you wouldn't want to become bisexual.

"NO"
Then you will get to be attracted to roughly twice as many people!

Explain to be what you find wrong with the NO option.

Simply put: I find it a stupidly inconsequential change, and as it is a stupidly inconsequential change that represents a noticeable shift in the way I think, I reject it on principle. Hence my hypothetical "Prefer Butterscotch over Chocolate Ice Cream" pill (which can still kindly jump off a bridge).

Aside from that, I'm not exactly starving for people I'm attracted to, so increasing the pool even further isn't much of a selling point. You might as well be trying to sell me Venezuelan air to breathe. I'm sure it's perfectly good, but why would I even bother when my local air fulfills all my needs already? It's not that there's anything wrong with the Venezuelan air or anything, it's just a pointless investment for me. So too is it the case with this hypothetical pill. You say "You're attracted to more people" I say "Why should I care? I'm attracted to plenty of people already". "More" means very little unless the subject is in short supply.

Well put. Thank you for explaining your view more clearly to me.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

No because I live in Texas.

Which doesnt mean anything since I know plenty of happy bi/gay people in Texas. Hell, I was raised in the country and still live in this state. Care to make a useful statement?

OT: Nah, I like my sexuality. Straight as a line. Women look soooooooooooooooooo much better anyway, so I wouldnt have any reason to start liking men.

Just because you haven't experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Homophobia is still extremely prevalent, especially in certain parts of the world, like Texas.

Yeah.... Its not. At least not prevalent in Texas. Not in the rural area (where I grew up), not in the city area(where I live now). Unless its in the deep west Texas, the only place I havent been for an extended period of time.

Again, from knowing gay/bi/alternative lifestyle (Quite a few alternative lifestyle people actually, but thats another story) people here in Texas (flesh and blood, face to face, friends), there aint nothing like that homophobia you said.

Yes, there is more homophobia in Texas than there is in certain parts of the world. As I said, just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

http://www.dallasvoice.com/texas-school-superintendent-cancels-tolerance-week-planned-high-school-gsas-10101887.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014484299
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/05/texas-judge-enforces-morality-clause-to-split-up-lesbian-couple/
http://gawker.com/texas-councilwoman-caught-giving-master-class-in-homoph-1156284563
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/marine-war-hero-eric-alva-excoriates-a-texas-crowd-who-booed-him-because-he-is-gay/news/2013/08/16/73326#.UmzokPlA0WY

That google search took ten seconds. Homophobia is insidious, you probably won't see much of it in every day life. I live in Norfolk, England and I have never once seen anybody harrass somebody for their race or sexuality but I know it happens more here than almost any other part of the country. Being defensive and pretending this stuff isn't happening doesn't help anybody. Besides, I am not generalising, I am not saying all of Texas or even a lot of Texas feels like this. Just more than many other areas of the country.

Ya know, most of those links I cannot trust at all. For easy reasons. They are bias and unreliable new sources. Ill refute each one though. Considering you dont like in Texas, nor even America, you have no experience here. Hell, dude, I know people who are into alternative lifestyles (hell, I subscribe to it, im not going to say exactly what it is, but it deals with D/s)

1. I agree with him. There was no reason for the dance. Nothing big there, just a clash of opinion. He may of said it a little harsh, but its true. This is just like the R&P topic where two students were suspended for wearinga confederate flag Tshirt, but the gay pride student wasnt.
2. Im sorry, thats not a reliable source to me. There is no evidence, and if there are no major news sources talking about it, I cant trust it.
3. The title of the link is 'lgbt', I dont trust it. Just like the gal who called a comedian transphobic and said he called her 'he, thing, it" and laughed at her, when he only said 'This person!' to keep from being on either side.
4. From what I read, she wasnt teaching a class at all, she just made a normal statement, 'They can do whatever they want, but I think its gross'. Nothing homophobic or discriminatory. You might actually want to use discriminatory more than homophobic, people mis use that word all the time.
5. Look at the third paragraph, cant trust that news source.

Look, I can type into google, 'Proof the Nazi's had the right idea' and come up with a bunch of bullshit that isnt real or doesnt make sense, doesnt mean its true.

How about you let the person who lives in Texas, knows people in different alternative lifestyles, and can attest to the mood down here tell you how it is, instead of thinking something that isnt true.

So, im not 'pretending' about anything, and im being defensive because you are using words such as 'homophobic' which you have been conditioned to, to describe my home state that I LIVE IN AND HAVE EXPERIENCED.

ho·mo·pho·bi·a (hm-fb-)
n.
1. Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men.
2. Behavior based on such a feeling.

Pretty sure that I'm using it correctly and just saying I don't agree/I don't believe you isn't refuting anything. There is absolutely no need to be so rude. How about this then, at a legislative level, Texas is joint for the 4th worst state for equality based on these equality milestones:

http://www.equalitygiving.org/States-of-Equality-and-Gay-Rights-Scorecard

 

[NoeL]

Bisexuality as a real sexual alignment doesn't exist.

Every human being is biologically attracted only to males or females.

Bisexuality is being able to also go with the gender you don't really have biological attraction to, for the sake of some good sex (i.e. masturbating doesn't make you hand-sexual; going with a woman doesn't always imply you're really attracted to women). But every bisexual is either homosexual or heterosexual, even if they think it's ok to have sex with the other gender.

The majority of bisexuals are:

1) homosexuals in denial

2) teenagers exploring their strong newfound sexuality



People should say "I'm a heterosexual bisexual" or "I'm a homosexual bisexual".

God, you are wrong on every level. Now I can see what Zachary was talking about.

Your analogy to masturbation was just stupid. People aren't sexually attracted to their hands (well, MOST aren't), and they don't fantasise about their hands while they masturbate. They think about other sexual imagery, or watch porn - the hand just provides physical stimulus.

On the contrary, if I'm having sex with another person it's because I'm sexually interested in them. Having sex is a lot more effort than masturbating, so why anyone would sleep with a sex they're NOT interested in in place of masturbation is beyond me. I guess if someone is fucking a dude while pretending it's a girl you'd arguably be correct there, but to claim that's the case with ALL bisexuals (i.e. they're only really interested in one sex and "fake it" for the other) is insanely ignorant.

 

[Dagda Mor]

Why would I want to be attracted to MORE people? I'm already asexual, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

 

[thethird0611]

snip

Gonna snip this down to save space.

Im getting kinda irritated because you keep trying to label Texas as a 'homophobic' state, and the reason I brought up the definition is people seem to mix up discrimination and homophobia. Not liking homosexuals and saying bad things about them is not homophobia. (not related to our main discussion).

Legislatively? Well some of that is subjective. Changing the definition of marriage to lets gays marry? Doesnt count as discriminatory. Denying them benefits? That is.

Non-discrimination? If you discriminate against someone in a legal fashion (employment, etc.), your going to get a visit from a government official. So thats wrong.

Gender? Subjective. Lets not get into this debate.

Youth? I have no idea what that section means, not gonna lie.

Parenting? It kinda seems like they cant even get their stats straight in this section, but thats the one I will agree with.

Though that website doesnt actually show equality based on states. It shows 'Equality of those who agree with Gay Marriage and Transexualism', so it is HIGHLY subjective and shows no regard to the other side of the debate.

 

[00slash00]

I wouldn't support the creation of medication that would turn gay people straight, so it seems rather hypocritical to support something like this

 

[Spearmaster]

Why take a pill? If you want to have sex with someone of the same sex then you are already Bi-sexual therefore anyone who takes the pill is already Bi-sexual before taking it. If you don't but want to want to have sex with someone of the same sex then why? There has to be some alternative reason to want to desire something you don't desire, or you are insane...

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

meh, I like what I like. if I wanted to like something else, I would.

 

[Branindain]

Well I'm happily married so I think the last thing I need is to be attracted to more people, so there's that.

But I wouldn't anyway, for the same reason I don't take drugs (besides sweet, sweet caffeine). I prefer to face the world authentically as myself.

 

[neoontime]

No because I live in Texas.

Okay, sorry I laughed at this. Hopefully that short and blatant response had that intent though.


OT: Maybe, IDK. I'd go with Krazykidd and agree I'd be more interested in a asexual pill with all the workload I get and sex being one of my major distractions. Maybe just half the asexual pill to even me out or something.

 

[TWRule]

I just stopped by to say how ridiculous this question is. I mean really. It is nonsensical.

To take a pill for bisexuality, you would have to 1) believe that sexual orientation had a biological basis (a highly questionable notion), and 2) Even if you accepted 1, you would have to have the desire to be biologically attracted to another sex (if you weren't already 'biologically' bisexual).

Why would anyone ever have the desire in 2? It makes no sense? Would such a person just like the *idea* of being able to (physiologically - because if they already have a desire to have sex with an additional gender, they are probably already psychologically attracted to them on some level - at least enough to go ahead and do it if they wanted) enjoy sex with anyone? What would the benefit of that even be? I don't get it. At best it seems tantamount to liking the idea of being less discriminating with sexual partners purely so you can have some form of sexual pleasure more often than you might have...maybe if you're some kind of crude hedonist I could see that, but otherwise...

If the drug instead somehow psychologically influences you to make you more open to sex with both genders, it might as well be a placebo, because if you already liked the idea of bisexuality, you didn't need a pill to help you out...

How mindless...

 

[TheKwertyeweyoppe]

Oh God, I really pity the OP here, having to deal with some of these responses.
Look, the 'pill' bit isn't important. The real question has nothing to do with pills, only sexuality. It really pisses me off to see people jump on the chance to accuse others of some kind of wierd discrimination just so they can feel morally superior.
Also, the response "No, I don't want to be bi because I'm not attracted to men/women" misses the whole point.
Plus, pointing out that you're already bi doesn't actually achieve anything. We know that bi people exist, this question clearly isn't directed at them.

That being said, I also have to answer no, purely because the idea of changing my desires through any means rather than regular lifelike experiences is really unnerving, and calls into question how real my personal self actually is, and I choose to deal with such existensial challenges is to pretend they aren't there.

 

[Naleh]

Yes, for the same reasons the OP states: gender just seems such a silly thing for my brain to insist on picking partners by.

 

[VodkaKnight]

I honestly can't think of a reason why, or why not.
It wouldn't really impact my life in any meaningful way, so I probably would.

 

[Korolev]

Yeah sure. Why not. The reason I don't date men is because I feel no sexual attraction towards men. If I could have a pill that would make me feel sexual attraction to as many people as possible, why not? Broadens my horizon, gives me new opportunities.

Of course, such a pill doesn't exist and, probably, never will. Oh I suspect in the future, with our advances in neuroscience, we'll be able to alter people's sexuality (it's all the in brain, folks, it's all in the brain somewhere) but you wouldn't be able to do it by taking a pill. It would require invasive neurosurgery.