# Male Bisexuality



## S1E9A8N5 (Oct 26, 2012)

Not sure if this is exactly the right place since this is a two part question. Anyone know any good novels that showcase bisexuality with a male protagonist? I'd like to explore this with my character. But here's the thing. I'm looking for a story where the guy needs both a woman and man to feel complete. Any books like that out there?


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## GonneLights (Oct 27, 2012)

I don't think there are even that many _bisexuals _who need a man and a woman to feel comfortable. That really isn't part and parcel to bisexuality. This very specific thing is called Duogamy, look for literature on that instead. Being more specific gets you father. Other than that I can't help you, really, I've never heard of a literature featuring such a character, not even as a supporting character.


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## Morkonan (Oct 28, 2012)

Ann Rice's "Diary of a Vampire" and, especially, "The Vampire Lestat" explore this theme, but not in a directly sexual way. 

In these stories, which are steeped in sexuality due to the vampire theme, male and female sexuality is blurred, out of focus and indistinct. Instead, vampire relationships are, in themselves, _vampiric_. A vampire enters into a romantic-like relationship with other vampires in order to keep themselves anchored in time. (Generally, it's a selfish act. But, doesn't have to always be that way.) Because vampires are immortal, they often have trouble relating to the present time. A fifteenth-century vampire would find the twentieth century a confusing and disconcerting place. Without a stable anchor, a kindred spirit that they could use to enable them to learn and manage such an existence in such a time, a vampire can go mad, even feral.

So, what Rice does with this vampire mechanic, which is very well done btw, is use it as a symbol for sexual and romantic attraction between vampires. As a result, odd relationships are formed and broken. For instance, the main characters in "Diary of a Vampire" form a triumvirate between two men and a little girl. The "little girl" of course, ages. But, she only ages in mind, never in body. Since vampires don't have "sex", this isn't a pedeaphilic sort of relationship. She is an adult. Similarly, there are no homosexual relationships, either. Vampires don't have what humans consider to be "sex." (IIRC, later in the series, there's some overtly sexual tones.) In "The Vampire Lestat" we learn a bit about one of the character's history and romantic-like relationships with other vampires. In one part of the story, a vampire "falls in love" with the character and allows all the other vampires that he supposedly "loved" at one time or another, to die... He also allows a character that the protagonist "loves" to be killed. Not such a loving relationship, eh? But, the sexual tone is strong, nonetheless.

Here's what a writer should take away from this example - Sex doesn't have to be "sex." A romantic relationship does not have to include "romance." The intimacy necessary to establish such relationships can come from other equally passionate acts. Consider this sort of example:

Two elderly men and an elderly woman meet every Sunday for chess. They go to the park, sit and play chess for hours, take turns playing each other and comment on the games of others. They have been doing this for fifteen years. Each of them is passionate about chess. They read about famous chess matches and bring newspaper clippings to their Sunday gathering in order to discuss them. They play chess by themselves, trying to discover that one sequence of moves that will foil the favorite tactics of another in the group. 

However, one of them becomes ill. They fall, have a heart attack, a stroke or experience another debilitating injury and the other two rush to their aid. They find that they work so well together and are, themselves, so lonely when they are apart that it's a very easy decision for them all to move in together. So, they do... But, that's when the trouble starts. See, they were fine together as a group that met every Sunday, but they discover that there are more problems to overcome, living together.

There's no sex in this story. There's no "romantic love." Instead, we have a substitute, a symbol for the intimate and emotionally fulfilling theme of "romantic love." With that symbol in place, we can manipulate a love-triangle without any sex, romance or other trappings of what some would call a romantic relationship. Is there love here, in their shared apartment? Surely, there is. Is there conflict because of it? Sure, that can be explored. Do each of them love the other just as much as.. another? Yes. Do they not feel complete without the full triumvirate? Yes. In fact, they fight hard amongst each other in order to preserve that triumvirate and in order to continue to receive the "love" they feel is a necessity within their lives. In the end, everything ends happily... or doesn't.

You don't need sex in order to examine the intricacies of a _Ménage_ à _trois _or the people that do not feel fulfilled without them. (Yes, that's a copy&paste since I suck at spelling Russian.. or, whatever.  ) That means that there are quite a number of stories out there that involve themes one might find in a sexual _Ménage_ à _trois, _but don't actually involve sex. They're all over the place. For instance, "Cop Buddy Movies" is one sort of genre that plays on this theme pretty heavily. Sitcoms have been doing it for years, as well. 

If you're just looking for a dirty book, I can't help you. But, if you're not, then I suggest there is Ann Rice's Vampire series that fits the bill, perfectly. But, you won't find much sex in it. And, that's on purpose - An overtly sexual theme in those books wouldn't work as well as an established vampiric relationship. It just wouldn't. (I'm not a huge Rice fan. I just think the first two books were very well done and are exactly the sort of thing you need to be looking for.)


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## S1E9A8N5 (Oct 28, 2012)

KarKingJack said:


> I don't think there are even that many _bisexuals _who need a man and a woman to feel comfortable. That really isn't part and parcel to bisexuality. This very specific thing is called Duogamy, look for literature on that instead. Being more specific gets you father.


The definition for Duogamy "refers to a _bisexual _individual having two exclusive sexual partners of each gender." But I didn't mean sex. I just said that he needs a man and a woman to feel complete. I should have been more specific. What Morkonan describes is more of what I'm going for.



Morkonan said:


> Sex doesn't have to be "sex." A romantic relationship does not have to  include "romance." The intimacy necessary to establish such  relationships can come from other equally passionate acts.





Morkonan said:


> There's no sex in this story. There's no "romantic love." Instead, we  have a substitute, a symbol for the intimate and emotionally fulfilling  theme of "romantic love." With that symbol in place, we can manipulate a  love-triangle without any sex, romance or other trappings of what some  would call a romantic relationship.


What you're describing is what I'm looking for. My character needs the affection of a man and woman. The closeness. The bond. The love. Not necessarily sex. But there is an attraction to both sexes.

Thanks for the suggestions.


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## alanmt (Oct 28, 2012)

Not a novel, but check out that movie The Velocity of Gary with Thomas Jane. It's been awhile since i watched it, but the Vincent D'Onofrio character may be like that.


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## S1E9A8N5 (Oct 30, 2012)

alanmt said:


> Not a novel, but check out that movie The Velocity of Gary with Thomas Jane. It's been awhile since i watched it, but the Vincent D'Onofrio character may be like that.


Will do! Thanks.


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## stellar (Nov 8, 2012)

Also not a novel here. The Dreamers was a really strange movie that I always think of as a bi film. There's two siblings and a foreigner. And if it is how I think it is, then it's got a tone of incest, so that might not be the best reference. 
What I did pull from the film though, was that it dove into this idea about the characters' sexuality without much explanation. 
I think the actor Michael Pitt has a knack for not forcing his character into explicitly deciding on any labels of sexuality even when the films were trying to be more explicit.

Sorry about not having an equal male and female character though.


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