Wednesday 27-09-2017 - 16:56

 

On Saturday the 23rd September, it was Bi Visibility Day, a time for bisexual people and allies to stand up and celebrate an identity often erased and invisible in both the straight and LGBT+ community.

What is bisexuality? Put simply, bisexuality refers to sexual attraction to more than one gender. The Bisexual Umbrella (below) provides a useful overview of some of the identities that fall under bisexuality.

Bi Visibility Day is needed for many reasons.

It is needed because many people assume that everybody’s monosexual - either gay or straight. People often assume sexuality is based on a person’s apparent sex – as if the way a couple appears, walking down the street – defines them. Some people get upset or feel betrayed when this assumption turns out to be wrong and blame the bisexual person rather than themselves.

It is needed because some people get uncomfortable around bisexuals, as if they’re some different species it’s hard to relate to.

It is needed because when a celebrity comes out as bi, people assume they’re doing it to be trendy or for attention, whereas they’re celebrated for their bravery when they come out as gay.

It is needed because there are a lot of damaging stereotypes about bisexuals being nymphomaniacs, untrustworthy, greedy, prone to cheating, or even violent. Many of these stereotypes are perpetuated within gay and lesbian communities, despite the fact that there are gay and lesbian people that have slept with people of different genders while still identifying as gay or lesbian. Sexuality is clearly a damn sight more complicated than what people have been doing with their genitals recently!

It is needed, because most organisations that refer to themselves as LGB or LGBT tend to concentrate almost exclusively on lesbian and gay people. Stonewall, for instance, have had a poor record of support for bi people and described mixed-sex civil partnerships as “a matter for heterosexuals,” rather than something which affects a bunch of people they invite donations from. Most of their bi work was a direct response to a heavy “Some People Are Bi” community lobbying effort. This is symptomatic of how bisexuals are often treated on as an afterthought, or bundled in with L and G people. 2012’s ground-breaking Bi Report, however, clearly demonstrates that bi people have different needs than L and G people do.

It is important that a time like this that we in LGBT+ community and our allies stand together in solidarity to tackle biphobia. With this in mind, I consulted some bi students at Edge Hill for their top tips on how we can do this. Here is what they said:

Tips on How to be a Bi Ally

DON’T

• Say or imply that bisexuality isn’t real, doesn’t exist, or is just a phase
• Say or imply that bisexuals are greedy, promiscuous, confused, indecisive, attention-seeking straight people or closeted gay people
• Ask bisexuals to ‘pick a team’
• Assume that bisexuals no longer identify as bi because they are in a monogamous relationship with a person of a particular gender
• Ask for ‘proof' of bisexuals identity in their current dating behaviour or past experiences
• Say or imply that monosexual (straight or gay) identities are more valid.

DO

• Respect people’s identities when they share them with you
• Recognise that bisexuality is a spectrum, and includes a range of identities
• Know that some identify somewhere on the Kinsey Scale, and others find it outdated, binary and not reflective of bisexuals’ diverse identities
• Call out biphobia whenever you encounter it
• Inform yourself about the higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide among bisexual people and the higher rates of sexual violence and domestic abuse experienced by bisexual women
• Read up on bisexual inclusion research
• Take the Monosexual Privilege Checklist test

In Solidarity, stay safe and happy Bi Visibility Day!

Yasmin Lee

LGBT+ Officer