Dutch bisexuals would rather stay in the closet, study finds

Most bisexuals in the Netherlands feel no need to come out of the closet, calling doing so artificial, forced and irrelevant. They find bisexuality an important, but not all-embracing part of their life that does not need to be emphasized, according to a study with which social geographer Emile Maliepaard will get his PhD at Radboud University in Nijmegen next week, ANP reports.

Four percent of Dutch live a "bisexual life". And 15 percent of Dutch have feelings for both men and women. According to the university, this is the first study ever done into the daily life of bisexuals.

"The emphasis on coming out, also in TV programs, is not in line with everyday reality", Maliepaard said. "Even scientists say that you only then finish your sexual development and enjoy freedom to the full. Most bisexuals do not agree with that. They do not make a secret of their feelings, but they only talk about that with others they have chosen, and if it is relevant."

Unlike homosexuals, lesbians and transgenders, bisexuals have few "champions on the barricades", according to Maliepaard. "This group has no political motivation and does not want to be labeled." It is for this reason that the national interest organization for bisexuals has only ten members, he said. There is also no need for bars aimed at only bisexuals. They have meeting places, but they are mainly online.