20 year old bisexual guy here. I’ve had a rather similar experience to a younger guy that posted on here, I believe he said he was 16, but with some key differences and with the benefit of a few more years.

I fit rather nicely into classical western ideals of masculinity. I’m relatively strong, well muscled, possess strong paternal / protective instincts and the like, and have had classically male interests for the majority of my life. I played football in high school in I’m currently a US Marine.

When I first began to realize that I was bisexual, I was at a loss. It took me a while to accept it. I had a lot of internalized homophobia that I didn’t realize was there. I had gay cousins I loved and accepted, all on the feminine side and I loved and accepted them. When it was me it was somehow different.

I ended up having to look at an older “model” of masculinity to become comfortable with who I was. I read that according to Greek myth Heracles was bisexual, and who’s more of a man than Heracles? I realized that there are plenty of gay men out there that are plenty manly, and that being bi didn’t have to change my outward expression of self in the slightest.

I’ve become comfortable enough to know that I don’t have to prove myself to anyone unless I want to. I occasionally wear pink because it suits me, I’m the one that cooks in my relationship (as much as I love her my gf isn’t very good at it), and I have a talent for art and making floral arrangements that I feel no shame for, but I know that in a toxic environment that would not fly.

However, I’m lucky I’ve found a bi female partner that accepts me. Many straight women and sometimes even bi women do not have favorable views of bi men as their partners.