Bisexual community explained

The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, or bi/pan/fluid community, includes members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and sexually fluid.[1] [2] As opposed to hetero- or homosexual people, people in the bisexual community experience attraction to more than one gender.

Defining the community

The bisexual community, sometimes called bi+ or m-spec,[3] [4] standing for multisexual spectrum, includes those who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, biromantic, polysexual, or sexually fluid.[1] [2] Bisexual people are less likely than their lesbian and gay counterparts to be out of the closet.[5] As a result, there is a lot of variation among the bisexual community in how important bisexual people find bisexuality or LGBT identity to their sense of self.[6] Bisexual people may have social networks that are heavily concentrated inside the wider LGBT community; whether or not they participate in broader LGBT culture, bisexual people may also participate in bisexual-specific communities.[7]

The bisexual community has bi-specific events and conferences;[8] [9] publications, such as Bi Women Quarterly;[10] [11] websites and organizations, like BiNet USA and the Bisexual Resource Center;[12] [13] magazines, such as Bi Community News;[14] [10] [11] [15] [16] [17] writer's groups;[18] media, including the books Bi Any Other Name and Getting Bi;[19] leaders and politicians, such as Robyn Ochs and Katie Hill;[20] and mental health associations.[21] Bisexual groups began forming in the 1980s in several cities.[22]

These communities come together with the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities for bigger LGBT events such as LGBT pride parades, civil rights marches and advocacy, conferences, and other nationwide causes where the interests of the communities intersect, such as the National Equality March. Often, conferences have separate seminars on bisexual and transgender topics, and several LGBT pride parades now include special bisexual sections as well.[23] [24]

September 23 is Celebrate Bisexuality Day.[25] The week beginning on the Sunday before Celebrate Bisexuality Day is Bisexual Awareness Week.[26] [27]

Discrimination

See also: Bisexual erasure. People who identify as bisexual can receive specifically directed hatred and distrust (biphobia), stereotyping, and denial (bisexual erasure) from people of all sexual orientations. People may say bisexuals are just unsure of their feelings or going through a "phase" and will or should "decide" or "discover" which sex they are attracted to.[28] [29] [30] On the other hand, there is also increasing support, inclusion, and visibility of bisexuals in the LGBT community.[31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36]

A series of groups have been working together and focusing on issues important to the bisexual community such as biphobia, dating, coming out, bisexual's visibility in the news and entertainment, and bisexual erasure. These groups are queer-identified and closely allied with the gay, lesbian, and transgender communities, but their main focus is the bisexual community.[35] [37] [38] There has also been a movement to combat biphobia and myths about bisexuals.[39] [40]

Equality campaigns and pride celebrations

The National Equality March was a national political rally that occurred on October 11, 2009, in Washington, D.C. It called for equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all states and districts. The march was called for by LGBT activist Cleve Jones and organized by Equality Across America and the Courage Campaign. Kip Williams and Robin McGehee served as co-directors. This was the first national march in Washington, D.C., for LGBT rights since the 2000 Millennium March.

There was a specific bisexual, pansexual and queer-identified contingent that was organized to be a part of the march.[41] Several bisexual, pansexual and queer-identified groups including BiNet USA, New York Area Bisexual Network, DC Bi Women and BiMA DC, came together and marched, showing bisexual, pansexual and queer solidarity.[42] There were four out bisexual speakers at the National Equality March rally: Michael Huffington, Lady Gaga, Chloe Noble, and Penelope Williams.

In October 2009, LGBT activist Amy Andre[43] was appointed as executive director of the San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee, making her San Francisco Pride's first bisexual woman of color executive director.[44] [45]

Conferences and conventions

There are several conferences and conventions for bi+ people. These include the International Conference on Bisexuality, BiCon (UK), and BECAUSE (Conference) in the United States. Several of these have produced offshoot research conferences on bisexuality, among them BiReCon in the UK, EuroBiReCon, and BiReConUSA in the United States.

See also

Further reading

General

Magazines

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Christina Richards . Meg Barker. Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health Professionals: A Practical Guide. SAGE Publications. 116. 978-1-4462-8716-3. 2015. August 23, 2017. The identity 'bisexual' can be considered to be an umbrella term which includes all of the following groups and more: ... People who don't see gender as a defining feature of their sexual attraction (some may also use terms like pansexual, omnisexual or ecosexual – see Glossary)..
  2. Book: Sherwood Thompson. Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice. Rowman & Littlefield. 98. 978-1-4422-1606-8. 2014. August 23, 2017. There are many other identity labels that could fall under the wider umbrella of bisexuality, such as pansexual, omnisexual, biromantic, or fluid (Eisner, 2013)..
  3. Book: Mehta, Vaneet . Bisexual Men Exist: A Handbook for Bisexual, Pansexual and M-Spec Men . 2023-01-19 . Jessica Kingsley Publishers . 978-1-78775-720-2 . en.
  4. Hutchinson . Brook . 2023-12-01 . Beyond 'Bisexual': Toward a New Conceptualization of Bi+ Experience . All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present . 10.26076/2bc4-4f8d.
  5. Web site: Bisexual adults are far less likely than gay men and lesbians to be 'out' to the people in their lives. Pew Research Center. en-US. 2019-10-31.
  6. News: Among LGBT Americans, bisexuals stand out when it comes to identity, acceptance. 2015-02-20. Pew Research Center. 2017-08-22. en-US.
  7. Lambe. Jaclyn. Cerezo. Alison. O'Shaughnessy. Tiffany. June 2017. Minority stress, community involvement, and mental health among bisexual women.. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. en. 4. 2. 218–226. 10.1037/sgd0000222. 151690685. 2329-0390.
  8. Web site: BiCon – the UK's main bisexual gathering . bicon.org.uk.
  9. Web site: BECAUSE Conference 2018. BECAUSE 2018.
  10. Web site: The Fence . www.thefence.ca . 2018-09-11. http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160518095000/http://www.thefence.ca/. 2016-05-18.
  11. Web site: Bi Women Quarterly . biwomenboston.org.
  12. Web site: BiNet USA . www.binetusa.org . 2019-06-21. 2019-12-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20191230185010/http://www.binetusa.org/.
  13. Web site: Bisexual Resource Center . biresource.org.
  14. Web site: The Magazine for Bisexual Britain -. www.bicommunitynews.co.uk.
  15. Web site: Bi.org » In Focus Blog. https://web.archive.org/web/20150301153807/http://bisexual.org/blog/. March 1, 2015. bisexual.org.
  16. Web site: Bi Social Network | Touching lives when it matters. Bi Social Network.
  17. Web site: lnbi_berichten. community.livejournal.com.
  18. Web site: Bi Writers Association . www.biwriters.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20091219070208/http://www.biwriters.org/indexN1.html. 2009-12-19.
  19. Web site: BiNet USA: Links To Useful and Interest Websites for Bisexual, Pansexual & Queer people. www.binetusa.org. 2009-11-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20091126000910/http://www.binetusa.org/Pages/BiLinks.html. 2009-11-26.
  20. Maria, August 11, 2009.Micah Kellner, New York's Openly Bisexual Assemblyman,BiSocial News.
  21. Web site: Mental Health In the Bi+ Community . biresource.org.
  22. Book: Hemmings, Clare. Bisexual Spaces: A Geography of Sexuality and Gender. Routledge. 2013. 161.
  23. Web site: Bipride LA . www.ambilosangeles.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20090802160612/http://www.ambilosangeles.com/AMBI%20at%20Pride%202008.html. 2009-08-02.
  24. Web site: Bipride NYC. Facebook.
  25. News: Yes, 23 is everywhere. Here are 23 examples in the GTA. Toronto Star. Toronto. February 15, 2007.
  26. Web site: Bi Brigade presents: Bisexual Awareness Week! – Proud Queer (PQ Monthly – Daily Online) . PQ Monthly . September 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925063247/http://www.pqmonthly.com/bi-brigade-presents-bisexual-awareness-week/23584 . September 25, 2015 . usurped .
  27. Web site: Second annual Bisexual Awareness Week to be held Sept. 20 – 26; events across U.S. and online . LGBT Weekly . February 14, 2011 . September 17, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150921055642/http://lgbtweekly.com/2015/09/16/second-annual-bisexual-awareness-week-to-be-held-sept-20-26-events-across-u-s-and-online/ . September 21, 2015 . mdy-all .
  28. Michael Musto, April 7, 2009. Ever Meet a Real Bisexual?, The Village Voice.
  29. Web site: Lesbian Life About Bisexuality . lesbianlife.about.com . 2009-11-02 . 2009-04-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090404195637/http://lesbianlife.about.com/b/2009/04/01/bisexuality-101.htm . dead .
  30. Web site: We Have Some Bones to Pick About the end of Angela and Roxie . www.afterellen.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20100705104925/http://www.afterellen.com/blog/we-have-some-bones-to-pick-about-the-end-of-angela-and-roxie. 2010-07-05.
  31. Web site: Queers United. queersunited.blogspot.com.
  32. Web site: Task Force Report On Bisexuality . www.thetaskforce.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20140216071740/http://www.thetaskforce.org/issues/bisexuality . 2014-02-16 .
  33. Web site: HRC article on bisexuality . www.hrc.org . 2009-11-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120319211941/http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out/bisexual/bisexual_articles.asp?listpage=2 . 2012-03-19 .
  34. Web site: GLAAD TV Report . glaadbackup.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20111119021708/http://glaadbackup.com/2009/documents/GLAADNRI2009.pdf . 2011-11-19 .
  35. Maria, September 24, 2009. "How Far Have We Come?", Bi Social Network
  36. Web site: Thirteen On House . https://archive.today/20130102125959/http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/10/27/greys-anatomy-s-3/ . 2013-01-02 . ausiellofiles.ew.com .
  37. Adrienne Williams, September 23, 2009. Bi Social "Network Celebrates Bisexual Day: Moves into Activism", Bi Social Network
  38. Web site: Bi Social Calendar . bisocialnetwork.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20100430113859/http://bisocialnetwork.com/category/social-calendar/ . 2010-04-30 .
  39. Web site: BiNet USA's Blog. binetusa.blogspot.com. 2009-11-02. 2012-11-27. https://archive.today/20121127052257/http://binetusa.blogspot.com/search/label/biphobia.
  40. Maria, May 7, 2009. Bisexuals, the Hetero-Privilege Myth, Bi Social Network
  41. Web site: Bi/Pan March Contingent . https://archive.today/20130111134710/http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4413172 . 2013-01-11 . upcoming.yahoo.com .
  42. Maria, October 15, 2009. "My Experience at the National Equality March", Bi Social Network
  43. Web site: BiNet USA's Blog: Out Bisexual Amy Andre to Head San Francisco Pride. Binet USA. October 6, 2009. November 2, 2009. November 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141109001848/http://binetusa.blogspot.com/2009/10/out-bisexual-amy-andre-to-head-san.html. dead.
  44. Web site: SF Pride at 40 | Oakland Local . archive.oaklandlocal.com . https://archive.today/20130706205444/http://archive.oaklandlocal.com/article/sf-pride-40 . 6 July 2013 .
  45. Adrienne Williams, October 19, 2009. Interview with Amy Andre: New Bisexual Executive Director of SF Pride, BiSocial Network.

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