bisexuality
This newfound lesbian identity fit Bethea like a glove, and for several years she maintained a series of same-sex relationships and casual hookups. Yet even though sexual attraction toward women came easily to her, several of her hypermasculine friends in the music scene maintained that Jules Bethea was no lesbian — while at the same time, her maternal mates down at the gay bar would strongly proclaim ‘yes you are!’
At the time, I didn’t know what being gay meant — other than it was something you didn’t want to be. Somehow, I knew claiming bisexual status wasn’t nearly as stigmatizing.
