Today, May 18, 2018, is a historical day in my community. I took a big step forward in the fight against Bi-erasure in my Midwestern city. I spoke with the director of our local LGBTQ+ community center about starting a Bi-Pan+ support group. The director identifies as Pan herself, so she was very excited about the prospect. This means I am finally practicing what I preach. I have been frustrated for long enough about the lack of programs and services for the Bi+ community in my area, and its time I started to do something about it.
I have spoke about this before, but it bares repeating. The only people the Bi+ community have to blame for our own Bi-erasure and Bi-phobia issues in the places we live, is ourselves! We have been hiding for too long. It is time we picked up the torch and ran with it.
I can hear some of you now, “But I’m in the closet, I can’t do anything.” Yes, you can. There are many things you can do all while maintaining your privacy. You can stay in the closet and still organize and attend support groups which meet in safe places where you won’t be outted. You can create fliers to advertise and advocate in your community anonymously. You can start a blog about bisexual issues that effect us all. You could use your talents to design Bi Pride t-shirts to be worn by those of us who are able to attend pride. Try sharing your story of struggle or coming out on the BiCast or other social media outlets so that bisexual youth and older adults alike won’t have to listen to and read gay and lesbian coming out stories while trying to cope with their own acceptance issues, and the list goes on.
The only way, we as bisexuals, will ever move from invisibility, to tolerance, and from tolerance to acceptance is through education of ourselves, the LGBTQ+ and straight communities, also by fostering environments in our communities for those who are able to be out to do so rather than hiding in plain site, and finally by being the change we want to see in our communities and the world.
Make tomorrow a historical day for Bisexuals in your community!
Woohoo! And good luck to you -- I had the same feeling back in '94 and there's now been a regular bi safe-space meet in my city at least once a month for the last 24 years.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking the time to read my blog! You should be proud of yourself for doing your part to make things better for the LGBTQ+ people in your community!
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