Bicurious
Interested in exploring attraction to more than one gender, without having settled anything.
Bicurious describes someone who is interested in exploring attraction to a gender they have not previously pursued, without having reached a conclusion about it. It is a description of a state rather than an orientation.
It is a legitimate and common place to be, and most bisexual people passed through it. The state is temporary by definition: it either resolves into something or it does not, and either outcome is an answer.
It carries a reputation problem on dating apps, where it is associated with people who want to experiment without consequence and disappear afterwards. That reputation is not universal and is not unearned either.
The way to use it honestly is to say what it means for you, which is usually about what you are prepared to offer rather than what you want to find out.
Bicurious is a state, not an orientation
It gets treated as a label someone has adopted, when it describes a period of not yet knowing.
The honest use is to say so plainly to anyone it affects. The dishonest use, which gave the word its reputation, is to leave it unsaid until afterwards.
Saying it well
Say this
- I am bicurious.
- Exploring, and saying so up front.
- Bicurious, and I will be honest about where I am.
- I have not worked it out yet.
Not this
- So you are experimenting on people
- Everyone is a bit bicurious
- You are bi and in denial
- Come back when you know
Questions people actually ask
What does bicurious mean?
Being interested in exploring attraction to more than one gender without having settled the question.
Is bicurious an orientation?
Not exactly. It describes a state of not yet knowing rather than a settled orientation.
Why does it have a bad reputation on dating apps?
Because it is associated with experimenting without being upfront about it, which is a real pattern rather than a stereotype.
How long does it last?
Until it resolves, one way or the other. Both outcomes are answers.