My name is Alon Yehezkel, and I’m 29 years old. I was born in Israel and raised in Brazil. My mother’s family is Brazilian, and my father’s family is Israeli, so I’ve always carried both cultures within me, although Portuguese is my mother tongue. I lived in Brazil for 14 years before making aliyah with my family.

At the time, I only knew basic Hebrew from Jewish school, so moving to Israel meant learning the language and adapting to a new culture from the beginning. I graduated from high school, served in the Air Force, and later pursued a degree in theater at the university level. Today, I’m a Hebrew teacher and I’m deeply proud to have made Hebrew my second mother tongue. It’s a language I’ve learned to live in, not just speak.

For the past year, I’ve been living in Austria with my boyfriend. Soon, I’ll be moving back to Brazil to reunite with my family. My parents still live in Israel, as does my older brother and his family. It’s been a long journey across languages, borders, and identities. And along the way, one of the most meaningful discoveries I made was that I’m bisexual.

Discovering My Bisexual Identity

Identifying as bisexual was a long journey for me. From a young age, I knew I had a strong libido and a genuine interest in meeting new people. Growing up, I found myself more attracted to women. But when I was 15, I was intimate with my first guy, and things got confusing. He told me bisexuality doesn’t exist: “you either like women or men.” That made me question everything. If I liked this guy, was I gay then? It took time to realize my attraction to both women and men is real and valid. Bisexuality is often invisible in society, and many people don’t have the tools to help them embrace it. Therefore, you must develop a strong sense of self to live authentically with this identity.

What Being Bisexual Feels Like

Bisexuality is an ongoing discovery that never ends. It has no fixed rules, and sometimes it is hard to understand what attraction really is. Sometimes I am drawn to how someone looks, other times it is their personality. For me, it feels like I live on a zero ground, a place where gender does not matter as much as the connection itself. I’ve been intimate with men, women, non-binary, and trans people from different countries, ethnicities, and religions. I love meeting new people, connecting with them, and learning more about myself through these encounters. I always find it exciting to meet new people because I never know what might come from it. 

What is hard about being bisexual is that society often does not accept it as real. People usually assume I am gay. I do not mind that, but when I want to connect with women, it gets complicated. I often feel like I don’t fit in: too straight for queer people, and too queer for straight people.

One part of life I find interesting as a bisexual person is fashion. I’ve developed a taste for extravagant, colorful, and shiny looks. I like to express myself through what I wear, and I think it’s important not just for self-expression, but also as a statement.

I can dress in what people call feminine ways and still be attracted to the opposite gender. Why do we associate someone’s clothing with their romantic preferences? How do these things even connect? Why can’t I express myself freely without worrying that people will judge me, or make assumptions about me without seeing the full complexity of who I am?

The Beauty and Isolation of the Bisexual Community

What’s nice about the bisexual community is that we often understand each other because we share similar feelings, and that creates a special connection. But sometimes it can feel isolating because you have to find someone like you to truly connect, instead of just being part of society and connecting romantically or sexually with anyone.

Many people in Israel have told me that I’m the first bisexual man they’ve ever met, or that after talking to me they started believing bisexuality is real. Bisexuality is often seen as something people don’t even believe exists. I find these conversations meaningful and important because we need to be seen and included in society.

Israel vs. Brazil: Being Bisexual in Different Societies

What strikes me is how few of us there actually are. Israel is a small country, so when you are part of a minority, there are not many people to share your experience with. Brazil, on the other hand, is much larger. Even as a minority, you have enough people around to avoid feeling isolated.

It is interesting because both countries can be conservative in their own ways. But in Israel, the smaller population makes you feel more segregated. In Brazil, the larger size means there is a greater chance of finding a community.

Every day, we have the chance to learn something new about ourselves and about others. I’m always glad to share my personal experience, not only to educate people but also to show the reality of bisexual people.