Three things Christian parents should know about bisexuality

More young people identify as bisexual than before - Andrew Bunt from Living Out reflects on what Christian parents need to know

When I was growing up, I didn’t know anyone who identified as bisexual. At school and college, there were a handful of people who quietly identified as gay (my own experience was – and continues to be – pretty much exclusive same-sex attraction, but although that started in my early teen years, I didn’t tell anyone at school). Looking back, I didn’t know any who identified as bisexual, or even that some people might. Chances are the same might be true for you.

it’s key that all Christian parents think through how you’d want to respond if your young person comes out to you as bisexual. You will respond better then, if you think about that now

But the same will not be true for your children. In recent years, bisexual identification has become much more common among young people. In 2023, the ONS found that in the UK, 7.5% of 16- to 24-year-olds identified as bisexual. In 2018, that figure was only 2.8%. In the same 2023 survey, only 3% of the 16- to 24-age group identified as gay or lesbian. Perhaps the most striking statistic was that 9.2% of young women identified as bisexual. That means in a group of ten young women, there’s a good chance that at least one of them identifies as bisexual.

This week has been dubbed Bisexual Awareness Week. It’s a helpful reminder that ……