violence against bisexuals
I am not a huge activist about Bi stuff. i am mildly involved with local groups, mainly because they are full of some really interesting people, and it can be nice to talk about stuff with people who share parts of that experience. i support LGBTQ activism, but rarely take an active role. i like the queer community in toronto, i think it is really vibrant and varied and self-critical when it needs to evolve (such as with trans issues). i know that it is an important resource for people who dont have the good fortune that i have had in my life to have always known, and always known it was okay. however, my dream world is one where there is no need for it, where no one cares who youre into.
I have not really experienced violence or bashing related to my sexual orientation, and know far more openly gay or lesbian people who have, at some point. I always felt that for better or worse, I had somehow escaped these things through my ability to 'pass'. So I was really shocked to discover that bisexuals are more than twice as likely to be the victims of violence against those who identify as gay or lesbian. I wasn't expecting that.
I have some guesses as to why: as a threat to neat little either/or boxes; violence at the hands of gays/lesbians as well as hets; perhaps some at the hands of people who can accept the existence of homosexuality, but discount any confusing desires by retreating to their real heterosexual desire, commit violence for the same reasons that someone whos repressing homosexual desire might harm openly gay people -- im confused and uncomfortable, and your very existence is causing that, so i hurt you....
but i dont know. im perplexed and disturbed by this. i honestly thought we were safer, and i think some of my reluctance to be a louder activist was the impression that i and mine had not suffered as greatly...
other theories welcome. why is this so?
Sexual orientation a factor in violence: Statscan
Globe & Mail
The Canadian Press
February 28, 2008 at 8:53 AM EST
OTTAWA - Gays, lesbians and bisexuals reported higher rates of victimization by violence than heterosexuals in 2004 - including sexual assault, robbery and physical assault.
The Statistics Canada study examined victimization rates, perceptions of discrimination, fear of crime and attitudes toward the justice system among gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
Similar studies have indicated some factors typical of the so-called gay lifestyle related to higher rates of victimization - the young, singles or students; those living in urban areas and people who go out at night tend to be at higher risk of violence.
But the agency says sexual orientation still figured in violent victimization, even with those factors taken into account.
The odds of being victimized by violence were nearly two times greater for gays and lesbians and 4.5 times greater for bisexuals than they were for heterosexuals.
Despite experiencing higher rates of violence, however, gays, lesbians and bisexuals did not express more fear.
Overall, more than nine in 10 gay, lesbian and bisexual Canadians indicated they were “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with their personal safety, a proportion similar to heterosexuals.
the Statscan report:
* Statscan: Sexual orientation and victimization
EDIT to add (sthg i posted on another forum):
we talk a lot about being invisible, and yet in the eyes of perpetrators
of violence, apparently we are twice as visible as targets of violence.
this is what i find surprising. i always felt, for better or for worse,
that i had a certain camouflage available to me that many who id as
strictly G or L dont have. im not saying thats good or bad, but i
always felt that being bi as opposed to lesbian made me -less- of a
target, because i could 'pass'. this data pretty much flies directly in
the face of the 'heterosexual priviledges' that we supposedly have (not
that we dont have them, but this seems to be the dark side of that). i
think that makes it pretty significant, and while it may not have
surprised some of us, i think it will surprise those in the rest of the
queer community who prefer to think of bisexuals as queer-lite.
I have not really experienced violence or bashing related to my sexual orientation, and know far more openly gay or lesbian people who have, at some point. I always felt that for better or worse, I had somehow escaped these things through my ability to 'pass'. So I was really shocked to discover that bisexuals are more than twice as likely to be the victims of violence against those who identify as gay or lesbian. I wasn't expecting that.
I have some guesses as to why: as a threat to neat little either/or boxes; violence at the hands of gays/lesbians as well as hets; perhaps some at the hands of people who can accept the existence of homosexuality, but discount any confusing desires by retreating to their real heterosexual desire, commit violence for the same reasons that someone whos repressing homosexual desire might harm openly gay people -- im confused and uncomfortable, and your very existence is causing that, so i hurt you....
but i dont know. im perplexed and disturbed by this. i honestly thought we were safer, and i think some of my reluctance to be a louder activist was the impression that i and mine had not suffered as greatly...
other theories welcome. why is this so?
Sexual orientation a factor in violence: Statscan
Globe & Mail
The Canadian Press
February 28, 2008 at 8:53 AM EST
OTTAWA - Gays, lesbians and bisexuals reported higher rates of victimization by violence than heterosexuals in 2004 - including sexual assault, robbery and physical assault.
The Statistics Canada study examined victimization rates, perceptions of discrimination, fear of crime and attitudes toward the justice system among gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
Similar studies have indicated some factors typical of the so-called gay lifestyle related to higher rates of victimization - the young, singles or students; those living in urban areas and people who go out at night tend to be at higher risk of violence.
But the agency says sexual orientation still figured in violent victimization, even with those factors taken into account.
The odds of being victimized by violence were nearly two times greater for gays and lesbians and 4.5 times greater for bisexuals than they were for heterosexuals.
Despite experiencing higher rates of violence, however, gays, lesbians and bisexuals did not express more fear.
Overall, more than nine in 10 gay, lesbian and bisexual Canadians indicated they were “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with their personal safety, a proportion similar to heterosexuals.
the Statscan report:
* Statscan: Sexual orientation and victimization
EDIT to add (sthg i posted on another forum):
we talk a lot about being invisible, and yet in the eyes of perpetrators
of violence, apparently we are twice as visible as targets of violence.
this is what i find surprising. i always felt, for better or for worse,
that i had a certain camouflage available to me that many who id as
strictly G or L dont have. im not saying thats good or bad, but i
always felt that being bi as opposed to lesbian made me -less- of a
target, because i could 'pass'. this data pretty much flies directly in
the face of the 'heterosexual priviledges' that we supposedly have (not
that we dont have them, but this seems to be the dark side of that). i
think that makes it pretty significant, and while it may not have
surprised some of us, i think it will surprise those in the rest of the
queer community who prefer to think of bisexuals as queer-lite.