Beyond Consent: Exploring Bi+ People’s Experiences of Negotiating Sex Through a Queer Phenomenological Framework

Abstract

This article explores sexual negotiation beyond dominant consent frameworks that have centered on heterosexuality, responding to and preventing sexual violence, and the pursuit of autonomous, free choice. Building on the work of feminist theorists, I challenge the prevailing emphasis on individual responsibility and autonomy in understanding sexual violence and consent and urge a deeper consideration of how bodies and choices are shaped by social, cultural, and historical contexts. Drawing on 32 in-depth interviews, I examine how bi+ individuals in Australia negotiate sexual encounters with partners of diverse genders. Using a queer phenomenological framework of comfort and discomfort, I focus on experiences where participants felt they have been able to negotiate sex well. This framework acknowledges the complex interplay between sexual negotiation, gendered norms and sexual scripts, and subjectivity. I argue that hetero and queer norms and scripts both constrain and give possibility to sexual negotiation, and I propose that queer bodies and queer sex can disrupt normative constraints in ways that positively impact sexual negotiation. I conclude by advocating for a deeper understanding of the nuanced ways our choices are shaped during sexual encounters and suggest that we must look beyond heterosexuality and violence prevention going forward.