Hillarys - Bi Visibility Day

Bi Visibility Day or Bi Pride, is an annual event that takes place on 23 September each year, dedicated to raising awareness and celebrating the bisexual community. It also serves to highlight the challenges, stigmas and discrimination that bisexual individuals may face, and provide a platform for individuals to share their stories and experiences and seek support from a like-minded community.

Bisexuality is an umbrella term which refers to the emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to people of more than one gender. Around 385,000 people identify as Bi in the UK, although this figure is believed to be higher.

 

 

One common misconception is that a bisexuals experiences will be the same as a homosexual individual. Bi Visibility Day seeks to combat these issues by promoting understanding, acceptance, and visibility for bisexual people. Bisexual individuals often face misconceptions and erasure, both from within and outside the LGBTQ+ community. Erasure refers to the legitimacy of bisexuality being questioned or denied.

Biphobia is the fear or dislike of someone who identifies as bi based on negative attitudes, beliefs or views about bi people. Biphobia can be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be, bisexual. Biphobia can be displayed by both heterosexuals and the LGBTQ+ community as well as other marginalised groups, which can make someone experiencing biphobia feel like there is discrimination and injustice everywhere they turn. See our previous article on intersectionality for more details.

The impact of Biphobia on individuals compared to others facing discrimination is significantly high, with disproportionate levels of mental health issues and higher levels of hate crimes reported.

Bi Visibility Day typically involves various activities such as awareness campaigns, discussions, panels, and events. Social media is also commonly used to share stories, experiences, and information related to bisexuality, using hashtags like #BiVisibilityDay, #BisexualVisibility, and #BiPride.

"I think people are born bisexual and then make subconscious choices based on the pressures of society," Megan Fox told Esquire in 2011. "I have no question in my mind about being bisexual."

Other famous faces that have spoken out about their bisexuality and personal journeys include Rita Ora, Kristen Steward, Amber Heard and Sara Ramirez, who have each in various public formats aimed to raise awareness and bring normalisation and acceptance to bisexuality.

 

How can you be a Bi ally?

              Believe in bisexuality

                             Believing bi people about their own identity is the bare minimum of bi ally ship

              Make no assumptions based on current or previous partners

                             The gender of someone’s partner doesn’t define them

              Recognise and challenge biphobia

                             Whether it is harassment or harmful generalisations – make sure to challenge it

              Uplift and support marginalised bi people

Sometimes trans or non-binary bi people are invalidated when people question how their bi identity intersects with their gender identity.

              Use inclusive language & celebrate

This Bi Visibility Day take a moment to check your biases and think about how to be more inclusive and a better ally.

Find out more

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/awareness-day/bi-visibility-day/

 

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