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Bisexual community

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The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, or bi/pan/fluid community, includes members of the LGBTQ 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

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Bisexual pride flag, designed by Michael Page in 1998
Sign saying "Bi and Pan People Exist Biphobia Too" 2018 Rennes Pride March, Rennes, France

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 LGBTQ identity to their sense of self.[7] Bisexual people may have social networks that are heavily concentrated inside the wider LGBTQ community; whether or not they participate in broader LGBTQ 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;[15][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.[22] Bisexual groups began forming in the 1980s in several cities.[23]

These communities come together with the lesbian, gay, and transgender communities for bigger LGBTQ events such as LGBTQ 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 LGBTQ 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

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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.[29][30][31] On the other hand, there is also increasing support, inclusion, and visibility of bisexuals in the LGBTQ 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]

Some bisexual, fluid, pansexual and queer-identified contingents display their banners at the 2009 National Equality March.

Equality campaigns and pride celebrations

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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 LGBTQ 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 LGBTQ 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, LGBTQ 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

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Between sessions at the BECAUSE Conference, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1994

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

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References

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  1. ^ 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).
  2. ^ 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).
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Among LGBT Americans, bisexuals stand out when it comes to identity, acceptance". Pew Research Center. 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2017-08-22.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "BiCon – the UK's main bisexual gathering". bicon.org.uk.
  10. ^ "BECAUSE Conference 2018". BECAUSE 2018.
  11. ^ a b "The Fence". www.thefence.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  12. ^ a b "Bi Women Quarterly". biwomenboston.org.
  13. ^ "BiNet USA". www.binetusa.org. Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  14. ^ "Bisexual Resource Center". biresource.org.
  15. ^ "The Magazine for Bisexual Britain -". www.bicommunitynews.co.uk.
  16. ^ "Bi.org » In Focus Blog". bisexual.org. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015.
  17. ^ "Bi Social Network | Touching lives when it matters". Bi Social Network.
  18. ^ "lnbi_berichten". community.livejournal.com.
  19. ^ "Bi Writers Association". www.biwriters.org. Archived from the original on 2009-12-19.
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ Maria, August 11, 2009.Micah Kellner, New York's Openly Bisexual Assemblyman Archived 2009-09-25 at the Wayback Machine,BiSocial News.
  22. ^ "Mental Health In the Bi+ Community" (PDF). biresource.org.
  23. ^ Hemmings, Clare (2013). Bisexual Spaces: A Geography of Sexuality and Gender. Routledge. p. 161.
  24. ^ "Bipride LA". www.ambilosangeles.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-02.
  25. ^ "Bipride NYC". Facebook.
  26. ^ "Yes, 23 is everywhere. Here are 23 examples in the GTA". Toronto Star. Toronto. February 15, 2007.
  27. ^ "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)
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ Michael Musto, April 7, 2009. Ever Meet a Real Bisexual? Archived April 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, The Village Voice.
  30. ^ "Lesbian Life About Bisexuality". lesbianlife.about.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  31. ^ "We Have Some Bones to Pick About the end of Angela and Roxie". www.afterellen.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-05.
  32. ^ "Queers United". queersunited.blogspot.com.
  33. ^ "Task Force Report On Bisexuality". www.thetaskforce.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-16.
  34. ^ "HRC article on bisexuality". www.hrc.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  35. ^ "GLAAD TV Report" (PDF). glaadbackup.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-19.
  36. ^ a b Maria, September 24, 2009. "How Far Have We Come?"[permanent dead link], Bi Social Network
  37. ^ "Thirteen On House". ausiellofiles.ew.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02.
  38. ^ 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
  39. ^ "Bi Social Calendar". bisocialnetwork.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-30.
  40. ^ "BiNet USA's Blog". binetusa.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  41. ^ Maria, May 7, 2009. Bisexuals, the Hetero-Privilege Myth Archived 2010-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, Bi Social Network
  42. ^ "Bi/Pan March Contingent". upcoming.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11.
  43. ^ Maria, October 15, 2009. "My Experience at the National Equality March", Bi Social Network
  44. ^ "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.
  45. ^ "SF Pride at 40 | Oakland Local". archive.oaklandlocal.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013.
  46. ^ Adrienne Williams, October 19, 2009. Interview with Amy Andre: New Bisexual Executive Director of SF Pride, BiSocial Network.

Further reading

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General

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Magazines

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