Here at Touchstone, we like to eat cake! So celebrating Bi-Visibility Day on 23rd September will be a great opportunity to also eat our favourite food.
Another reason to support Bi-Visibility Day is that whilst the profile of Gay, Lesbian and Trans people is at last on the up, the visibility of the Bi community is much less so.
Bi-Visibility or Bisexuality Day is the brainchild of three American bisexual rights activists: Wendy Curry, Michael Page and Gigi Raven Wilbur. It was developed in 1999 as a response to the perceived discrimination and marginalization of Bi people by both heterosexual as well as the Gay and Trans communities. Wilbur said,
“Ever since the Stonewall rebellion, the gay and lesbian community has grown in strength and visibility. The bisexual community also has grown in strength but in many ways we are still invisible. I too have been conditioned by society to automatically label a couple walking hand in hand as either straight or gay, depending upon the perceived gender of each person”.
Bi-Visibility Day is growing in popularity and, in the UK, more and more organisations are marking the day, like the Equality Network.
“The Bisexual Visibility Experiment”
To celebrate Bi Visibility Day, 23 September 2015 the Equality Network is running an experiment. They are inviting people to wear a bisexual T-shirt and send their stories about being very visibly bisexual to share.
Even if you’re not bisexual, you can still take part and find out what it’s like if people think you are bisexual.
- Why are they doing this?
- Many bisexual people are afraid to be out as bisexual. they hope these stories will inspire and inform people about what they can expect.
- Many people do not understand the differences between homophobia and biphobia. The Equality Network hopes that these stories will demonstrate some of these differences and similarities so that people can better understand different points of views and experiences.
- Biphobia is a serious issue. Reactions captured during the experiment will be used to provide case studies for activists and trainers assisting organisations to become more inclusive of bisexual people.
- It’s an exciting experiment. The Network wants to see what will happen. Will people feel safe and happy or scared? What will the reactions be from the public? Will unexpected interesting conversations take place? How will gender, race, disability, age and class shape the reactions?
Find out more and take part here.
Whatever you are doing to support Bi-Visibility Day this September, all that is important is that you do.
Among those who’ve stated publically either that they consider themselves bisexual or that they’re attracted to both men and women are writers Alice Walker and William Burroughs, artist Frida Kahlo, singers David Bowie and Me’Shell NdegéOcello and actor Megan Fox.