[Bi Magazine]: important new research report on bisexuality from BiUK

[bialogue]

As reported in Bi Magazine, on February 15th, 2012 BiUK, a British based umbrella organization for various bisexuality research projects and events, in collaboration with the Open University (OU) has just released "The Bisexuality Report: Bisexual inclusion in LGBT equality and diversity" (pdf).

Comments

[tigerdreams]

That's awful. I'm sorry people have been such shits to you. It's not surprising -- I know that biphobia is very much a thing -- but it shouldn't happen.

[bialogue]

sorry :{ -- but at least you now have research to show you weren't imagining any of this and aren't alone, the first step to fixing a problem is to identify it

[girly123]

It honestly pisses me off how few people think this is an issue worthy of discussion. I remember seeing people jump all over commenters in sf_d about how biphobia wasn't real/was only the homophobia we experience when dating a member of the same gender.

The mainstream gay/lesbian community just...fills me with rage, sometimes.

[strandedinaber]

OU, I freaking love you sometimes.

Looking forward to reading this. Thanks for sharing!

[bialogue]

:)

[lisaee]

Interesting.

I've felt massively left out of my university's 'peer support' LGBTQ/Ally group purely because I'm a female bisexual with a boyfriend. It saddens me deeply, because for years I was single and horribly bullied for being queer. As a result I've almost felt more uncomfortable being bisexual at university than I was at home, as coming out here hasn't done me any good. It really fucks me off because I've struggled with sexuality for years, but I feel that the LGBTQ group only takes under their wings those who aren't in opposite sex relationships/are ~fully~ gay. I'd get more support going to one of the local gay bars in my hometown than I do going to our sodding peer support/activist group at uni.

/csb (really, this post was interesting, I just felt like venting because I'm slightly drunk and have just returned from yet another futile and uncomfortable LGBTQ night).

[girly123]

:c I'm sorry people are being such shitbags to you.

Are there other bi/pan-identified people at your university? Maybe you could get together with them and bypass the whole LGBTQ group.

[lisaee]

Cheers. There are, but they're relatively hard to find. Thankfully at the last social they held I spent most of the night sitting in a corner with another bisexual woman drinking and talking about how much we disliked the atmosphere.

Despite that massive rant I'm not wholly invested in finding a bisexual/queer friendly community (I'm from a liberal city and care nowt much about it all) but I deeply worry about the others there who've come from less welcoming backgrounds, only to be greeted in a hostile manner. On that note I might run for LGBT Union President (ie LGBT equalities student rep) just for shits and giggles and because I like to think a community under someone like myself might be a wee bit more welcoming.

[bialogue]

but I deeply worry about the others there who've come from less welcoming backgrounds, only to be greeted in a hostile manner

This!

[tabaqui]

Very interesting - thanks for sharing. :)

[bialogue]

you're welcome

[pandaseal]

Thank you for posting this.

[bialogue]

so glad people are interested

[pandaseal]

My meds are wearing off so this may not be super coherent, but trust me, I'm all kinds of interested.

The last thing I expected was to get so much shit from the LGBTQ community and I've never dated anybody. I expected the race and disability issues, but not the biphobia.

[bialogue]

I expected the race and disability issues, but not the biphobia.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry. If we could get an idea of Country & City perhaps we can help you find local community. If not there is a thriving Bisexual Community online. Various facebook groups have really taken off, for example here's an international one you might like:

https://www.facebook.com/PBWCNetwork

The good (and interesting - someone should do a study on this) news is that in many places the Bisexual Community is remarkably integrated with QOC in various positions of local, regional & national leadership, so race (& disability) are not so much an issue as elsewhere.