Co-founded by GLAAD, Bisexual Awareness Week seeks to accelerate acceptance of the bi+ community. #BiWeek draws attention to the public policy concerns, while also celebrating the resiliency of, the bisexual community.
Throughout #BiWeek, allies and bi+ people learn about the history, culture, community and current policy priorities of bi+ communities. Events in major cities around the world take place on September 23rd, the 18th annual Celebrate Bisexuality Day, an event promoting bi+ visibility. But even if you’re far away from places like New York and San Francisco, you are not alone. And for those of you who aren’t bisexual it’s important to understand #bivisiblity.
Glaad has produced a wonderful and informative media guide to all things #BiWeek and #Bisexual. I’ve pulled out some highlights so you can be sure to be #Bi-Educated today and everyday.
Bisexual, Bi A person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.
Bi Erasure: A pervasive problem in which the existence or legitimacy of bisexuality (either in regard to an individual or as an identity) is questioned or denied outright. For example, if two women are married and one is bisexual, others may insist she can't really be bisexual or that her orientation doesn't matter/has changed now that she is partnered
How to be a good friend to the Bisexual Community
Avoid calling bisexual people gay/ straight
If someone clearly states that they identify as bisexual, do not identify them as gay or lesbian instead. Simply because a person is currently in a same-sex relationship, that does not negate one's bisexual orientation. Similarly, if a person is in what appears to be a heterosexual relationship, it does not negate one's bisexual orientation.
Avoid suggesting bisexuality is a phase
Do not imply that being bisexual is a phase and that bisexuals are "on their way" to being gay or lesbian. People who self-identify as bisexual are not confused, indecisive, or lying. Studies consistently show that bisexuality is a distinct sexual orientation and not an experimental or transitional stage.
Avoid equating bisexuality with transphobia
A common misconception is that bisexual means "only attracted to men and women." As a result, many people assume that the term is transphobic and exclusionary towards those who fall outside the gender binary. However, despite its prefix, the term has been adapted by bisexual communities as far back as 1990 to explicitly include nonbinary people, and is now defined to mean attracted to multiple genders. Just because someone identifies as bisexual doesn't mean that they are inherently transphobic.
As noted genderqueer and trans advocate Kate Bornstein wrote in 2013, “Bisexual movements don’t get enough credit for breaking the either/or of sexual orientation. And they did it long before gender scholars, activists, and radicals came on the scene.”
For more information on Bisexuality, please visit The Glaad Bisexual site.