Both heterosexual and homosexual individuals are sometimes judgmental toward those who identify themselves as bisexual and would feel more comfortable if bisexuals adhered to a single orientation (Baumgardner, 2008). In addition, gay men and lesbians sometimes view a bisexual person as someone who is really homosexual but lacks the courage to identify himself or herself as such. These views can be difficult for bisexual individuals. A bisexual woman says,
"I don’t feel like I fit anywhere. I don’t feel ‘straight’ enough in the straight world, and I don’t feel gay’ enough in the gay world. I can’t be all of who I am anywhere." (Levy, 2010, p. 66)
One study compared male and female heterosexuals’ attitudes toward bisexuality. The researchers found that straight women equally accepted bisexual men and women, but straight men were less accepting of bisexual men than of bisexual women. Heterosexuals of both sexes doubted the validity of bisexuality. However, their beliefs about bisexual men were the opposite of their beliefs about bisexual women. They maintained that the male bisexual individuals were "really gay," but the female bisexuals were "really heterosexual" (Yost & Thomas, 2012).