Desiree Akhavan, the director of The Miseducation of Cameron Post, continues to make her mark on Hollywood, writing, directing and starring in a new six-part series titled The Bisexual.
With early comparisons to Cucumber and Queer as Folk, says the series "explores the differences between dating men and women from the perspective of a person who finds herself doing both for the first time."
Akhavan, who is Iranian-American and openly bisexual, “an honest look at the last taboo, bisexuality, and what it means to refuse to compromise on what you want.”
The show's executive producer, Naomi De Pear, said: “[Akhavan] is a singular talent who has lent her distinct wit, authorial voice and unflinching director’s vision to the ‘last taboo’ – the result is ‘The Bisexual,’ an intimate, funny and extremely candid portrait of sex and identity and we’re incredibly proud to be presenting her unique take on contemporary dating to audiences in France, New Zealand and Australia."
According to on LGBTIQ+ media representation, despite a general increase in queer storytelling in the mainstream media, bisexual representation continues to be problematic.
"Creators overwhelmingly choose to portray bisexuality as a villainous trait rather than a lived identity," wrote Alexandra Bolles, Senior Strategist at GLAAD.
She added: "This trend of inaccurate portrayals undermines how people understand bisexuality, which has real life consequences for bi people and their well-being.”
Amy Zimmerman at the wrote: "Our mainstream media reinforces the notion that bisexuality is either a fun, voluntary act of experimentation or a mere myth through two tried and true tactics: misrepresenting and oversimplifying bisexual characters until they are either punchlines or wet dream fodder, or simply refusing to portray bisexual characters in the first place."
She continued: "Bisexual erasure — or the tendency to blot out bisexuality and deny its existence entirely — on film and television highlights the way that certain types of queerness are undermined and erased in popular narratives, while others are increasingly caricaturised and/or celebrated."
Anyway, hooray for Desiree Akhavan and happy Bisexuality Awareness Week!
Looking for something to watch? Check out this collection of thought-provoking queer films on .
