Combating bi-invisibility: 4 of the best bisexual characters on TV

"So, I'm bisexual. So what? It's a thing and it's real. I mean, it's called LGBTQ for a reason. There's a 'b' in there and it doesn't mean 'badass'. Okay, it kind of does, but it also means 'bi'." – Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy

This week at myGwork we’re focusing on the issues that are most affecting bisexual people, with a closer look at the concept of bi-erasure and bi-invisibility. Defined by GLAAD as “a pervasive problem in which the existence or legitimacy of bisexuality (either in general or in regard to an individual) is questioned or denied outright,” bi-erasure is an incredibly important issue. While bisexual people are often ignored by the media, a few manage to break out onto our screens and it’s important to acknowledge the impact these characters have. Here are four of the most memorable bisexual characters who managed to throw away stereotypes and present a more complicated portrayal of bisexuality.

1. Rosa Diaz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

When actress Stephanie Beatriz came out as bisexual herself, so did her character on TV. The strong, confident detective who takes no prisoners is also incredibly loyal but very private. She came out to co-workers in the series’ 99th episode.

2. Callie Torres from Grey’s Anatomy

Callie is the longest running bisexual character in the history of television, clocking in at 11 seasons on the veteran soap opera Grey’s Anatomy. Across those 11 seasons we’ve seen Callie marry a man, divorce a man, marry a woman, raise a child, get divorced again, and fall in love with the woman who accidently killed one of her best friends (hey, it is a soap). The value of a show that is watched by millions across the world presenting a bisexual character coming to terms and understanding her own sexuality, then falling in love, is immeasurable. Especially when Callie’s wedding to Arizona was broadcast shortly after the devastating blow to marriage equality that was Proposition 8.

3. Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood

Trust Russell T. Davis – the creator of Queer as Folk – to introduce the sexually fluid all-American antihero, Captain Jack Harkness, without blinking an eye. Jack was openly presented as bisexual right from his first episode. While initially an unashamed flirt, when Jack got his own spin-off show, Torchwood, he fell in love in one of the most beautiful and devastating storylines this long-running sci-fi series has ever produced.

4. Kalinda Sharma from The Good Wife

Kalinda’s bisexuality wasn’t a stunt, it wasn’t teased in advertising or used as a one-time gimmick, instead it was an important part of this mysterious and complicated figure. Throughout the series she had relationships with many different men and women and in doing so become one of the only queer South Asian characters in TV history.

It is also worth noting that the vast majority of bisexual characters on TV are woman, we still seem to have a problem portraying complicated bisexual men.

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