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Bisexuality Visibility Day: Proudly Standing Together

WHEN DID BISEXUALITY VISIBILITY DAY GET STARTED?

  • Bisexuality Visibility Day is celebrated on the 23rd of September every year.
  • The day is celebrated as part of Bisexuality Awareness Week which aims to shine a light on bisexual identities and the cultural acceptance of bisexual people within society. 
  • Bisexual Pride Day was first developed by a US bisexuality organisation called BiNet USA which was founded in 1990 following the first bisexual conference in San Francisco.
  • Later came, Bisexual Awareness Week, which is actively supported globally and then Bisexual Visibility Day.
  • BiNet USA held its first event in San Francisco in 1990 and declared June 23rd as Bisexual Pride Day, also referred to sometimes as ‘Celebrate Bisexuality Day’.
  • The day was founded in recognition of the adversities and prejudices that many bisexual people face because of their sexual identities.

WHAT IS BISEXUALITY AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

  • Bisexuality is used to refer to describe a person who is attracted to more than one gender. The attraction can be sexual, emotional or romantic.
  • There is a spectrum of bisexuality identities and a common myth is that a bisexual person is equally attracted to both genders. Worth noting that is routinely not the case!  
  • There are many different degrees to which people experience bisexuality and it is important to think broadly when we ‘think’ sexual orientation.
  • Bisexuality can also be used in the context of romantic and sexual orientation regards of sex, or gender identity, which is called pansexuality. 

WHY IS BISEXUAL VISIBILITY DAY IMPORTANT?

  • Bi-erasure is the phenomenon of erasing bisexual identities on the basis of being confused about one’s sexual orientation.
  • The means that bisexual people are commonly portrayed as confused about whether they are gay, straight, or lesbian.
  • 32% of bisexual people are not open about their sexual orientation to anyone in their family, compared to 8% of gay men and women.
  • 30% of bisexual men and 8% of bisexual women say they are not open about their sexual orientation with any of their friends, compared to 2% cent of gay men and 1% cent of lesbians.
  • This leads to the invisibility of bisexual people in the financial services industry who are often absent from the LGBT+ conversation.
  • An increasing number of the population are identifying as bisexual and this is an identity we must recognise within the LGBT+ community. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

ASK:

  1. Does my organisation, and, or, LGBT+ network, shines a light on bisexual identities equally?
  2. Does my organisation, and, or, LGBT+ network, provide awareness-building education and initiatives for colleagues?
  3. Does my organisation, and, or, LGBT+ network, have specific and visible bisexual role models and allies?

FEEDBACK:

  • We welcome your views on how your organisation is, or is not, building inclusion of bisexuality into its LGBT+ diversity and inclusion agenda.
  • Get in touch with us at: info@LGBTGreat.com