Falling Between Two Stools: The Difficult Emancipation of Bisexuality in the Netherlands

Over the last decade, media attention for bisexuality has increased in the netherlands. Especially among younger people, there appears to be more openness and tolerance for bisexual feelings and behavior. Also, a growing number of individuals seem to identify themselves as bisexual. Has there indeed been a change in attitudes and behaviors involving bisexuality? in order to answer this question, the authors rely on a combination of historical and sociological approaches. First, they offer a historical overview of the sexological conceptualization of bisexuality. Second, they analyze the questions and the results of a number of sociological surveys on sexual attitudes and behavior. Third, the authors present a case study of how bisexual feelings and behavior were interpreted by readers and editors of a dutch magazine popular among a young female readership.