Community of bisexual, pansexual, and sexually fluid people
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.
The bisexual community, sometimes called bi+ or m-spec,
[3]
[4]
[5]
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.
[6]
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.
[7]
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.
[8]
The bisexual community has bi-specific events and
conferences
;
[9]
[10]
publications, such as
Bi Women Quarterly
;
[11]
[12]
websites and organizations, like
BiNet USA
and the
Bisexual Resource Center
;
[13]
[14]
magazines, such as
Bi Community News
;
[11]
[12]
[16]
[17]
[18]
writer's groups;
[19]
media, including the books
Bi Any Other Name
and
Getting Bi
;
[20]
leaders and politicians, such as
Robyn Ochs
and
Katie Hill
;
[21]
and mental health associations.
Bisexual groups began forming in the 1980s in several cities.
[23]
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
.
[
citation needed
]
Often, conferences have separate seminars on bisexual and transgender topics, and several LGBT pride parades now include special bisexual sections as well.
[24]
[25]
September 23 is
Celebrate Bisexuality Day
.
[26]
The week beginning on the Sunday before Celebrate Bisexuality Day is
Bisexual Awareness Week
.
[27]
[28]
Discrimination
[
edit
]
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.
[29]
[30]
[31]
On the other hand, there is also increasing support, inclusion, and visibility of bisexuals in the
LGBT community
.
[32]
[33]
[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
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.
[36]
[38]
[39]
There has also been a
movement
to combat biphobia and myths about bisexuals.
[40]
[41]
Equality campaigns and pride celebrations
[
edit
]
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.
[42]
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.
[43]
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
[44]
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.
[45]
[46]
Conferences and conventions
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Christina Richards; Meg Barker (2015).
Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health Professionals: A Practical Guide
.
SAGE Publications
. p. 116.
ISBN
978-1-4462-8716-3
. Retrieved
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).
- ^
a
b
Sherwood Thompson (2014).
Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice
.
Rowman & Littlefield
. p. 98.
ISBN
978-1-4422-1606-8
. Retrieved
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).
- ^
Mehta, Vaneet (2023-01-19).
Bisexual Men Exist: A Handbook for Bisexual, Pansexual and M-Spec Men
. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
ISBN
978-1-78775-720-2
.
- ^
Olivo, Victoria Barbosa; Prieto, Kaity; Copeland, Olivia M. (2024), "You Can Stand Under My Bi+ Umbrella: Exploring Students' Chosen Plurisexual Identity Labels",
LGBTQIA Students in Higher Education: Approaches to Student Identity and Policy
, IGI Global, pp. 90?110,
ISBN
979-8-3693-2853-8
- ^
Hutchinson, Brook (2023-12-01).
"Beyond 'Bisexual': Toward a New Conceptualization of Bi+ Experience"
.
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
.
doi
:
10.26076/2bc4-4f8d
.
- ^
"Bisexual adults are far less likely than gay men and lesbians to be 'out' to the people in their lives"
.
Pew Research Center
. Retrieved
2019-10-31
.
- ^
"Among LGBT Americans, bisexuals stand out when it comes to identity, acceptance"
.
Pew Research Center
. 2015-02-20
. Retrieved
2017-08-22
.
- ^
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
.
4
(2): 218?226.
doi
:
10.1037/sgd0000222
.
ISSN
2329-0390
.
S2CID
151690685
.
- ^
"BiCon ? the UK's main bisexual gathering"
.
bicon.org.uk
.
- ^
"BECAUSE Conference 2018"
.
BECAUSE 2018
.
- ^
a
b
"The Fence"
.
www.thefence.ca
. Archived from
the original
on 2016-05-18
. Retrieved
2018-09-11
.
- ^
a
b
"Bi Women Quarterly"
.
biwomenboston.org
.
- ^
"BiNet USA"
.
www.binetusa.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2019-12-30
. Retrieved
2019-06-21
.
- ^
"Bisexual Resource Center"
.
biresource.org
.
- ^
"Bi.org ≫ In Focus Blog"
.
bisexual.org
. Archived from
the original
on March 1, 2015.
- ^
"Bi Social Network | Touching lives when it matters"
.
Bi Social Network
.
- ^
"lnbi_berichten"
.
community.livejournal.com
.
- ^
"Bi Writers Association"
.
www.biwriters.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2009-12-19.
- ^
"BiNet USA: Links To Useful and Interest Websites for Bisexual, Pansexual & Queer people"
.
www.binetusa.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2009-11-26
. Retrieved
2009-11-02
.
- ^
Maria, August 11, 2009.
Micah Kellner, New York's Openly Bisexual Assemblyman
Archived
2009-09-25 at the
Wayback Machine
,
BiSocial News
.
- ^
Hemmings, Clare (2013).
Bisexual Spaces: A Geography of Sexuality and Gender
. Routledge. p. 161.
- ^
"Bipride LA"
.
www.ambilosangeles.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2009-08-02.
- ^
"Bipride NYC"
.
Facebook
.
- ^
"Yes, 23 is everywhere. Here are 23 examples in the GTA"
.
Toronto Star
. Toronto. February 15, 2007.
- ^
"Bi Brigade presents: Bisexual Awareness Week! ? Proud Queer (PQ Monthly ? Daily Online)"
. PQ Monthly. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015
. Retrieved
September 17,
2015
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
"Second annual Bisexual Awareness Week to be held Sept. 20 ? 26; events across U.S. and online"
. LGBT Weekly. February 14, 2011. Archived from
the original
on September 21, 2015
. Retrieved
September 17,
2015
.
- ^
Michael Musto, April 7, 2009.
Ever Meet a Real Bisexual?
Archived
April 13, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
,
The Village Voice
.
- ^
"Lesbian Life About Bisexuality"
.
lesbianlife.about.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2009-04-04
. Retrieved
2009-11-02
.
- ^
"We Have Some Bones to Pick About the end of Angela and Roxie"
.
www.afterellen.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2010-07-05.
- ^
"Queers United"
.
queersunited.blogspot.com
.
- ^
"Task Force Report On Bisexuality"
.
www.thetaskforce.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-02-16.
- ^
"HRC article on bisexuality"
.
www.hrc.org
. Archived from
the original
on 2012-03-19
. Retrieved
2009-11-02
.
- ^
"GLAAD TV Report"
(PDF)
.
glaadbackup.com
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2011-11-19.
- ^
a
b
Maria, September 24, 2009.
"How Far Have We Come?"
[
permanent dead link
]
,
Bi Social Network
- ^
"Thirteen On House"
.
ausiellofiles.ew.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-01-02.
- ^
Adrienne Williams, September 23, 2009.
Bi Social "Network Celebrates Bisexual Day: Moves into Activism"
Archived
2010-04-30 at the
Wayback Machine
,
Bi Social Network
- ^
"Bi Social Calendar"
.
bisocialnetwork.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2010-04-30.
- ^
"BiNet USA's Blog"
.
binetusa.blogspot.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2012-11-27
. Retrieved
2009-11-02
.
- ^
Maria, May 7, 2009.
Bisexuals, the Hetero-Privilege Myth
Archived
2010-06-01 at the
Wayback Machine
,
Bi Social Network
- ^
"Bi/Pan March Contingent"
.
upcoming.yahoo.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-01-11.
- ^
Maria, October 15, 2009.
"My Experience at the National Equality March"
,
Bi Social Network
- ^
"BiNet USA's Blog: Out Bisexual Amy Andre to Head San Francisco Pride"
.
Binet USA
. October 6, 2009. Archived from
the original
on November 9, 2014
. Retrieved
November 2,
2009
.
- ^
"SF Pride at 40 | Oakland Local"
.
archive.oaklandlocal.com
. Archived from
the original
on 6 July 2013.
- ^
Adrienne Williams, October 19, 2009.
Interview with Amy Andre: New Bisexual Executive Director of SF Pride
,
BiSocial Network
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
General
[
edit
]
- Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out
by
Loraine Hutchins
, editor &
Lani Ka?ahumanu
, editor
ISBN
1-55583-174-5
- Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World
by
Robyn Ochs
, editor & Sarah Rowley, editor
ISBN
0-9653881-4-X
- The Bisexual Option
by
Fritz Klein
,
ISBN
1-56023-033-9
- Bi America: Myths, Truths And Struggles Of An Invisible Community
, William E. Burleson,
ISBN
978-1-56023-478-4
- Bisexuality in the United States: A Social Science Reader
,
Paula C. Rodriguez Rust
, editor
ISBN
0-231-10226-7
- Bisexuality: The Psychology and Politics of an Invisible Minority
by Beth A. Firestein, editor
ISBN
0-8039-7274-1
- Current Research on Bisexuality
by Ronald C. Fox, editor
ISBN
978-1-56023-288-9
Magazines
[
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]
External links
[
edit
]