Engaging the Bible: Queer Readings
Many scholars and researchers have come up with different findings of society based on human sexuality, love, and relationship between people. Celena Duncan is one of the scholars who have attempted to explore the issue of bisexuality in society and has connected some view to Biblical readings about Ruth. Mainly, Duncan has focused on bisexual women on how they resist the suppression of their sexual orientations. Bisexual women refuse to align themselves in the cultural code of binary aspects of lesbianism and heterosexuality.
Duncan supports the argument by saying that the majority of bisexuals focus on the negative message implicated about them rather than breaking the pattern of alienation. In other words, Duncan appears to support the issue of bisexuality because the main idea is to influence bisexuals to accept the reality of sexual orientation. Besides, Duncan claims that bisexuality should not be view from a sexual orientation perspective but should also be considered from a gratifying spiritual relationship and presented in Biblical setting on the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.
The perspective that Duncan interprets bisexuality is interesting. The majority of people in society relate bisexuality to sexual orientation and sexual attraction. Therefore, viewing bisexuality from a sexual attraction perspective limits human capabilities and reduced people to sexual objects. Therefore, Duncan believes bisexuality is beyond sexual attraction. Another interesting aspect of the reading is how Duncan acknowledges having been in two relationships, one with a man and another in a woman. It is interesting that both relationships had nothing to do with sexual attraction, sexual orientation, or physical attraction. In that regard, the important aspect in the reading is the spiritual connection that surpasses simple friendship based on sexuality in terms of being a male or female.
After reading the ideas presented by Celena Duncan, one question comes to mind. Can true believers of the Bible and staunch Christians be influenced to believe bisexuality has little to do with sexual attraction and orientation even after God punished the people of Sodom and Gomorrah?