“Becoming Bisexual” — A Book by Giuseppe Burgio on Male Identity, Desire, and Overcoming Biphobia
A study of male bisexuality in Italy through life stories and public pedagogy.
On August 31, 2026, Italian academic publisher Mondadori Università published in Italian the scholarly monograph Becoming Bisexual: Stories of Men Who Love Deeply (Divenire bisessuali. Storie di uomini che amano molto) as part of its Saggi Oltre series. The study was authored by Italian educator and sociologist Giuseppe Burgio.
Giuseppe Burgio is a full professor of general and social pedagogy at the University of Enna “Kore” in Sicily and one of Italy’s foremost scholars in gender pedagogy (pedagogia di genere) and masculinity studies. For more than two decades, his research has examined male socialization, institutional violence, and homophobic bullying in adolescence as mechanisms enforcing traditional masculine roles. His earlier volume Fuori binario. Bisessualità maschile e identità virile was among the foundational works in Italian academia to critically analyze male bisexuality within the framework of hegemonic virility.
This new book is grounded in qualitative narrative analysis of autobiographical accounts and in-depth interviews with men of diverse age cohorts from across Italy, representing various stages of self-awareness and identity consolidation. Burgio integrates these personal testimonies with contemporary international research in the sociology of sexualities, social psychology, and queer theory. The volume explores everyday life, erotic desire, romantic affection, and committed partnerships with both men and women, while examining how men navigate identity formation in a cultural environment where virility is routinely equated solely with heterosexuality.
A central theme of the monograph is the double marginalization and structural invisibility (invisibilizzazione) experienced by bisexual men. Burgio offers a nuanced examination of biphobia, which originates not only from the heteronormative mainstream but also from within gay communities, where bisexuality is frequently mischaracterized as indecision, compromise, or a temporary stage before coming out as gay. The chapters examine the emotional costs associated with navigating public visibility versus concealment, identifying the social and relational factors that influence whether men choose to disclose their attraction.
The author frames the monograph as an intervention in public pedagogy (pedagogia pubblica), extending beyond academic boundaries. Burgio demonstrates that dismantling binary assumptions about sexual orientation is crucial for challenging systemic discrimination and expanding the agenda of the LGBTQIA+ movement. The book provides analytical and practical tools for shaping social policies, educational frameworks, and public services that directly address the civil rights and lived needs of bisexual men.
