Celebrate Bisexuality Day Explained

Holiday Name:Celebrate Bisexuality Day
Official Name:Celebrate Bisexuality Day
Firsttime:1999
Nickname:Bisexual Pride Day, Bi Visibility Day, CBD, Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day, and Bisexuality+ Day
Observedby:Bisexual people along with their families, friends, allies and supporters
Duration:1 day
Frequency:Annual
Date:September 23
Mdy:yes
Scheduling:Same day each year
Observances:Teach-ins, poetry reading, concerts, festivals, parties, picnics
Type:cultural
Relatedto:Bisexual Awareness Week, LGBT Pride

Celebrate Bisexuality Day (also called Bisexual Pride Day, Bi Visibility Day, CBD, Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day, and Bisexuality+ Day) is observed annually on September 23[1] to recognize and celebrate bisexual people, the bisexual community, and the history of bisexuality.[2]

History

A precursor to the first official observance came when the oldest national bisexuality organization in the United States, BiNet USA, was founded in 1990. It was originally called the North American Multicultural Bisexual Network (NAMBN) and had its first meeting at the first National Bisexual Conference in America.[3]

This first conference was held in San Francisco in 1990 and sponsored by BiPOL. More than 450 people attended from 20 states and 5 countries, and the mayor of San Francisco issued a proclamation "commending the bisexual rights community for its leadership in the cause of social justice" and declaring June 23, 1990, as Bisexual Pride Day.[4]

First officially observed in 1999 at the International Lesbian and Gay Association Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa,[5] Celebrate Bisexuality Day[6] is the brainchild of three bisexual rights activists: Wendy Curry of Maine, Michael Page of Florida, and Gigi Raven Wilbur of Texas.[7] Wilbur said:

This celebration of bisexuality in particular, as opposed to general LGBT events, was conceived as a response to the prejudice and marginalization of bisexual people by some in both the straight and greater LGBT communities. Wendy Curry said: On September 18, 2012, Berkeley, California, became what is thought to be the first city in the U.S. to officially proclaim a day recognizing bisexuals. The Berkeley City Council unanimously and without discussion declared September 23 as Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day.[8]

In 2013, on Celebrate Bisexuality Day, the White House held a closed-door meeting with almost 30 bisexual advocates so they could meet with government officials and discuss issues of specific importance to the bisexual community; this was the first bi-specific event ever hosted by any White House.[9]

On September 23, 2013, in the UK, government minister for Women and Equalities Jo Swinson MP issued a statement saying in part, "I welcome Bi Visibility Day which helps to raise awareness of the issues that bisexual people can face and provides an opportunity to celebrate diversity and focus on the B in LGB&T."[10]

In 2021, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf became the first governor in the United States to issue a statement recognizing Bisexual Pride Day.[11]

Many individuals and organizations, including GLAAD, currently refer to this holiday as Bisexuality+ Day, with the inclusion of the "+" sign intended to include the broader bi+ community of people who prefer to use terms to describe their sexual orientation such as pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, fluid, or queer.[12]

Bisexual+ Awareness Week

In 2014, BiNet USA declared the days surrounding Celebrate Bisexuality Day to be Bi Awareness Week, also called Bisexual+ Awareness Week.[13] The week begins on September 16, culminating on Celebrate Bisexuality Day.[14]

According to co-founding organization GLAAD, the goals of Bisexual+ Awareness Week include accelerating acceptance of the bisexual+ community, drawing attention to the experiences of this community, and celebrating the resiliency of the community.[15] Both allies and bisexual+ individuals are encouraged to spend the week learning about the "history, culture, community, and current policy priorities of bi+ communities".[15] Bisexual+ Awareness Week can also potentially be an important opportunity for bisexual+ individuals to help fight feelings of isolation, create more visibility for others who may be exploring their sexuality, meet other bisexual+ people, and become an integral member of the bisexual+ community by coming out or sharing their personal experiences.[16]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: International Celebrate Bisexuality Day. www.timeanddate.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20180224011633/https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/world/celebrate-bisexuality-day. February 24, 2018. live. February 24, 2018.
    Web site: Coutis. Marilaine. Celebrate Bisexuality. gauntlet.ucalgary.ca. February 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20070520193215/http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/4429. May 20, 2007. September 23, 2004. dead.
  2. Web site: Press Release. Egale Canada. February 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20120310100020/http://www.egale.ca/index.asp?lang=E&menu=42&item=1078. March 10, 2012. September 1, 2004. dead.
    Web site: TBN: Bi Culture. torontobinet.org. Toronto Bisexual Network. February 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20131209160418/http://torontobinet.org/culture.htm. December 9, 2013. dead.
  3. Web site: All About BiNet USA including the Fine Print . BiNet USA . November 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190120222255/http://www.binetusa.org/Pages/aboutus.html . January 20, 2019 . dead .
    Encyclopedia: Summers . Claude J. . BiNet USA . glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture . glbtq, Inc. . October 20, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140220100127/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/binet_usa.html . February 20, 2014 .
  4. Web site: BiNet USA . BiNet USA . August 11, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190207185405/http://www.binetusa.org/bihealth.html . February 7, 2019 . dead .
  5. Web site: September 23, 2008. Bisexuality Day Celebrated. June 18, 2020. Long Beach Post News.
  6. http://www.baywindows.com/bi-community-celebrates-57163 Bi Community Celebrates
  7. Scene Around Town. Bay Windows; September 28, 2000, pN.PAG, 00p
  8. News: September 18, 2012. Berkeley Lawmakers Recognize Bisexual Pride Day. Mercury News. The Associated Press. dead. October 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130518144744/http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_21570372/berkeley-ready-proclaim-bisexual-pride-day. May 18, 2013.
  9. Book: Hutchins, Loraine. Identities and Place: Changing Labels and Intersectional Communities of LGBTQ and Two-Spirit People in the United States. November 1, 2019. Berghahn Books. 978-1-78920-480-3. Crawford-Lackey. Katherine. 43–44. en. Making Bisexuals Visible. Springate. Megan E.. https://books.google.com/books?id=LOiZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44.
    Web site: In Historic First, Bi Activists Gather at White House. bilerico.com. September 25, 2013. October 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131016044346/http://www.bilerico.com/2013/09/in_historic_first_bi_activists_gather_at_white_hou.php. October 16, 2013. live. ; News: White House to hold closed-door session on bisexual issues next month. . August 22, 2013. October 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131008101924/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/08/22/white-house-to-hold-closed-door-session-on-bisexual-issues-next-month/. October 8, 2013. live.
  10. News: UK equalities minister welcomes Bi Visibility Day. bimedia.org. September 23, 2013. May 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140831205911/http://bimedia.org/3108/uk-equalities-minister-welcomes-bi-visibility-day/. August 31, 2014. live.
  11. Web site: A New Bisexual Tradition? - Bi Women Quarterly . January 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220109013425/https://www.biwomenquarterly.com/a-new-bisexual-tradition/ . 9 January 2022 . dead.
  12. Web site:
    1. BiWeek 2017: Celebrate Bisexuality+
    . GLAAD. September 11, 2017. March 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070550/https://www.glaad.org/biweek2017 . March 15, 2018. live.
  13. 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 .
    Web site: Second annual Bisexual Awareness Week to 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 . dead .
  14. Web site: Valenski. Alicia. September 16, 2020. 9 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Bisexual Woman in a Relationship with a Man. September 21, 2020. Elite Daily. en.
  15. Web site:
    1. BiWeek 2017: Celebrate Bisexuality+
    . GLAAD. September 11, 2017. March 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180315070550/https://www.glaad.org/biweek2017. March 15, 2018. live.
  16. Web site: Zane. Zachary. The 'B' in LGBT: Why Bisexual Awareness Week Matters. OUT Magazine. Here Publishing, Inc.. March 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180315003708/https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2016/9/20/b-lgbt-why-bisexual-awareness-week-matters. March 15, 2018. live.

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