Bialogue = Bisexual/Pansexual + Dialogue

The "Side Effects" of Hollywood Biphobia

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:02:17 GMT

Every single review for Steven Soderbergh's new thriller 'Side Effects' has praised the film for three things: Soderbergh's knack for building suspense, great performances by the four lead actors (Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum), and the pulse-pounding impact of the final twenty minutes that reveal a surprise twist in the plot.

Every single review has also been tight-lipped about this 'surprise' because they don't want to "spoil the movie" for those who haven't seen it yet. While I agree with the first two assessments in these reviews,I am going to reveal the surprise as a public service favor and call for action to LGBT audiences, particularly bisexuals.

The 'surprise' plot twist in the final act is that Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is bisexual.

I am not saying that every LGBT character in every film should be a sympathetic character. I am objecting to four things:The way in which 'Side Effects' reveals the sexuality of this character, as some sort of a shameful secret, adds to the negative stereotypes in which most LGBT characters are portrayed in films. Furthermore, Siebert is a one-dimensional character with no redeeming qualities. Showing her falling for a much younger woman - a client of hers, no less - adds to the misconception that LGBT people are pedophiles and cannot be trusted in certain professions like teaching or counseling.

The film gives no reason or explanation for why the character of Siebert had to be a bisexual woman. I can imagine the studio pitch where some exec suggests changing Victor Siebert (maybe Clive Owen was considered for that part) to Victoria Siebert. "Wouldn't it be more interesting if it was a female therapist being seduced by another woman?" One reviewer even used the word "titillating". Our sexual orientation - one that we have reconciled with after agonizing inner turmoil and at the risk of societal rejection - is a source of titillation for Hollywood.

When I was a young activist, I remember activists with placards and leaflets to protest movie theaters screening 'Basic Instinct'. Twenty years later, we have 'Side Effects', an equally, if not more, disturbing mainstream movie selling biphobia as intrigue and suspense.

Are we going to remain silent? Are we going to support this movie with our queer dollars? Online social media has taken the place of placards and leaflets. Activism is much easier these days, and much more powerful. I implore you to do your part. Spread the word.

Anil Vora reviews from the perspective of a queer man and a person of color. It helps him cut through a lot of bulls**t that movies try to spoon feed their audience. He has reviewed movies for Bi Magazine, GayRadio.com and written a blog. He is also an actor, playwright, and a lifelong fan and expert on Bollywood films.
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Source: Bi Magazine: The "Side Effects" of Hollywood Biphobia

More on "What Part Of Bisexual Don't You Understand?"

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 04:49:57 GMT

Whenever (some) content providers are feeling lazy but need to (1) turn in some sort of promised work product on something ASAP and (2) want to up their hit-count without bothering to do anything original or useful there is nothing like dragging out the the old (completely false ... but who really cares? because do bisexual people even exist?) tired tropes about bisexuality.

A situation some commercial writer called Daniel Warner obviously recently found himself in, because he managed to pen something so spectacularly obtuse and foolish that even the mysterious cabal that runs HuffPo noticed that something was wrong.

First a direct response entitled "We're Not Bicurious - We're Bifurious!" was posted by two National Union of Students (NUS) LGBT Campaign members Lauren Connors, Bisexual Representative and Matt Stanley a campaign committee member. Then a HuffPo Live segment What Part Of 'Bisexual' Don't You Understand? was assembled and aired.

The segment was hosted by Ahmed Shihab-Eldin with a panel of bisexual writers, researchers and activists including:
● A.J. Walkley bisexual author & blogger;
● Neal Boulton bisexual magazine editor/publisher (and a Married Bi Parent);
● Ellyn Ruthstrom of the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC);
● Allen Rosenthal an American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) research scholar

It's not the final word on the subject but both responses are worthwhile and are a further indication of the growing annoyance and public presence of the Bisexual Community. A population that has historically always been an active and contributing part of the modern LGBTQ movement, but that has had a tendency to play the part of the good foot-soldiers rather than hog the limelight. However increasingly stung by a lackadaisical attitude (or in some well know cases even a dismissive & hostile attitude) exhibited towards the "B" in LGBT bisexual people seem to be increasingly coming forward and demanding equal respect and representation.

Much of this more spunky attitude has been jump-started by some of the bisexual movements 'young turks' such as Bisexual-Queer Theorists including Israeli Genderqueer Academic Shiri Eisner; Bisexual TransActivist Julia Serano; blogger and researcher Patrick RichardsFink; Bisexual campaigners including BiNet USA president Faith Cheltenham; Bay Area Bisexual Network's Martin Rawlings-Fein; Biisexual Gender Varient Student Activist Aud Traher; BiUnity's Denise Ingram; the Bisexual Organizing Project's Lauren Beach; European Bisexual Activist Miguel Obradors; and Lindasusan Ulrich principal author of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission's Bisexual Invisibility Report; along with a raft of critical research spearheaded by organizations such as the American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) especially it's well respected Journal of Bisexuality; BiUK, BiReCon and the Bi Research Group.

And in the end the major LGBTQ Groups may come to rue the day that their colonial mentality woke the sleeping giant, because as pointed out by places like the Williams Institute fifty percent of people more or less who identify as either Gay/Lesbian or Bisexual actually identify as bisexual, making us the largest portion of the Queer Community.

Source: HuffPo: Bisexuality: Is It Fun, Non Committal or Just Plain Greedy? then We're Not Bicurious - We're Bifurious! + What Part Of 'Bisexual' Don't You Understand?, LipstickLori: Bisexuality: Myths and lazy journalism, Bi Radical, Whipping Girl, Eponymous Fliponymous, Closets and Criticisms of LGBT Research (Part 1) (Part 2)

A Double Life: Bisexual Bias in the Gay Community

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:16:01 GMT

“If you say you’re gay, very few people say, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ Bisexuals have to come out every time they walk into a room . . . I get it from both communities. We like to joke that’s the one thing straights and gays agree on: They don’t understand bisexuals" . . .

. . . . When the bigotry comes from the straight community, it’s hurtful. But when it comes from the gay community, it’s worse—because they should understand. This is the experience of the gay community—having the straight community tell them they’re wrong, they don’t exist. For me, it feels like personal betrayal. I feel like ‘I was there with you, in the beginning,’ and then I hear ‘What has bisexuality done for the movement?’ That just floors me. The history has been rewritten.” ~Denise Ingram

Ingram, 41, grew up in Jamaica—where being anything other than straight is punishable with jail time but is more often handled by mob violence—and she spent the ’80s and ’90s advocating for gay rights in New York City, where she identified as a lesbian before coming out as bisexual. Ingram met her husband of three years, James Klawitter, at a meeting of BiUnity, a Philly-based bisexual support network.

She feels connected to the LGBT community—entitled to the connection even—and she remembers the times when no one in the movement was accepted by the mainstream, when no one thought to check her gay credentials . . .

Linda A. Hawkins is a counselor and research coordinator at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she works with LGBT youth. She previously worked as a counselor at the Attic Youth Center and sees some gold at the end of this rainbow. But even in her field, she says, there were sometimes issues among colleagues when she disclosed her bisexuality (she’s in a long-term committed relationship with a woman—who, yes, also initially had some reservations about dating someone who’s bisexual).

But what Hawkins—and nearly every other person interviewed for this article—has found is that the kids, or at least the younger generation, seem to have a lot fewer hang-ups about being bi, gay, gender non-conforming or whatever. “I see more acceptance from youth,” she says. “I’ve worked with young people for the last 15 years in Philadelphia, and I can tell that the flexibility around gender and sexuality has expanded. And that leads to kids being more accepting of themselves, of others and of bisexuality.”

Read the rest of this article from PhillyMag.com

All Five Bisexual US State and National Office-Seekers Win In 2012 Elections

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:42:41 GMT

Election night 2012 was a happy occasion for the bisexual community in the United States as all five openly bisexual candidates on the national and state ballots swept to victory.

Leading the charge was Arizona Congresswoman-elect Kyrsten Sinema representing a new Phoenix-area Congressional District. When she takes her seat in January 2013 she will become just the second out woman and the first openly bisexual member of the US Congress. Sinema released the following statement following the AP’s calling of the AZ09 race in her favor:

“I am grateful for the honor and the opportunity to serve the people of Arizona again. My job is to represent all of the people in CD9 whether they voted for me or not. The voters have given us a clear ‘to do’ list – work to fix our economy, reduce our ballooning debt and better protect the middle class. I am eager to get to work and I intend to team up with anyone of any party who is willing to help change Congress and move our country forward.”

Sinema's victory was achieved by building a diverse coalition of supporters including the Victory Fund who backed Sinema’s campaign. Said Chuck Wolfe, president, “We’re thrilled for Kyrsten. She’s a dynamic leader and she’ll be a strong voice for her community and for all LGBT Americans.”

The 113th Congress Sinema will be joining will have the largest class of openly LGBT lawmakers to-date on Capitol Hill including Senator-elect Tammy Baldwin the first openly lesbian US Senator; incumbent Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI) and Jared Polis (D-CO.); as well as fellow freshmen Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Mark Takano (D-CA), who will also be the first openly-gay person of color in the US Congress.

Also re-elected were all four out Bisexual state officials including:

State Senator Angie Buhl (D-SD) First elected in 2011, Buhl is not only bisexual, but she’s also the youngest woman to ever serve in the South Dakota Senate. Her efforts can be seen in a variety of arenas, including working as a small business consultant, advocating for women’s rights, protecting employment for seniors and veterans, and serving on Judiciary, Commerce and Energy, Retirement Laws, and Interim Rules Review Committees.

Secretary of State Kate Brown (D-OR) After Sinema, Brown is the highest ranking out bisexual official in the U.S. (since Oregon has no lieutenant governor, Brown is second only to the governor). Brown has served Oregonians for more than 20 years, working in family and juvenile law, teaching at Oregon State University, and working with the Juvenile Rights Project. Her legislative achievements since 2009 include leading efforts to reduce health care costs, ensuring education dollars reach classrooms, and pushing to get legislative meetings held in communities to ensure political transparency.

State Representative Micah Kellner (D-NY) First elected in 2007 Kellner, the winner of PFLAG Queens 2009 Brenda Howard Award, has pursued environmental and socially-conscious legislation, including affordable housing, mass transit, animal rights, marriage equality, and increased funding for New York City’s public schools. Kellner, who was born with cerebral palsy, is also a strong advocate for rights of persons with disabilities.

State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-WI) First elected in 2010 as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, from Milwaukee's District 8, she made history by becoming the first Latina to be elected
to the Wisconsin Legislature. After being retuned to the legislature in 2012, her collegues signalled there respect for her work by electing her Vice Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus for the coming session. Before taking office, Zamarripa worked as a nonprofit professional as educator and community outreach coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

"It is important that there are so many openly bisexual persons in positions of leadership on this level," said American Institute of Bisexuality's Denise Penn. "By being open, these elected officials provide positive role models for our youth and help educate the general public."

Source: BiMagazine, The Victory Fund, AZ Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema, SD State Senator Angie Buhl, Secretary of State Kate Brown, NYS Assemblyman Micah Kellner,WI State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa

BiNet USA Wins Over Google in Search Term Dispute

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:21:26 GMT

After a campaign by BiNet USA and bisexuals worldwide, Google has removed “bisexual” from its list of banned words.

Los Angeles CA, September 4th 2012 - BiNet USA is pleased to confirm that Google Inc. has unblocked the term “bisexual” from its search algorithm. Now that “bisexual” is allowed, terms such as “bisexual quotes”, “bisexual rights”, and “bisexual parenting” are automatically suggested to Google users.

“It’s not every day one of the biggest companies in the world changes its mind, but we are thankful that Google now sees bisexual people just like everyone else,” said BiNet USA President Faith Cheltenham. “It will take time for bisexual search terms to be ranked as they were before the ban, but now bisexual people and their allies have a fighting chance to be seen, heard, and understood.”

Since late 2009, Google has had “bisexual” on a list of banned words; such words were de-prioritized by the Google search algorithm, leading to a drop in search rankings for all bisexual organizations and community resources. Since its search engine would not auto-suggest or auto-complete any term with the word “bisexual”, Google made it harder for any user to find bisexual content, whether that be on coming out as bisexual or finding local support groups across the United States and elsewhere.

BiNet USA spearheaded a campaign to get Google to unblock the word and stop harming a deeply marginalized community even further.
Click HERE for full Press Release

Source: BiNet USA, BiMagazine, BiMedia

America’s 6 Out Bisexual Elected State Officials

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:17:36 GMT

Former Connecticut Democratic State Rep. Evelyn Mantilla came out as the nation’s first bisexual state official in 1997. Since then the number of bisexual state-level officials who have come out during their term has slowly grown to six.

According to the Victory Fund, there are more than 7,000 state-level legislators in the US, about 90 of who identify as LGBTQ. In her book “Bisexuality in the United States: A Social Science Reader”, author Paula C. Rust describes the discrimination that bisexuals face from the gay and straight communities, resulting in exclusion and lack of recognition.

Evelyn Mantilla, Connecticut, State Representative The nation’s first out bisexual state official, who came out in 1997, was in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1997 to 2007. Mantilla received several awards from the Connecticut Institute for Community Development and from the National Association of Social Workers, among others. Mantilla came out at a June LGBT Pride festival; in her speech she also proposed to her partner, Babette. In 2006, Mantilla decided not to run for reelection and her term expired in January 2007.

Angie Buhl, South Dakota, State Senator First elected in 2011, Buhl is not only bisexual, but she’s also the youngest woman to ever serve in the South Dakota Senate. Her efforts can be seen in a variety of arenas, including working as a small business consultant, advocating for women’s rights, protecting employment for seniors and veterans, and serving on Judiciary, Commerce and Energy, Retirement Laws, and Interim Rules Review Committees.

Micah Kellner, New York, State Representative First elected in 2007 and currently up for reelection, Kellner has since pursued environmental and socially-conscious legislation, including affordable housing, mass transit, animal rights, marriage equality, and increased funding for New York City’s public schools. Kellner, who was born with cerebral palsy, is also a strong advocate for rights of persons with disabilities.

Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona, former State Senator, now running for Congress Sinema is running to represent Arizona’s 9th Congressional district. Defeating her Republican opponent would make Sinema the first out bisexual member of Congress. Sinema has said her impoverished childhood ultimately propelled the desire to run for state senator in 2011. During her first term in state office, Sinema secured funding for veterans, fought against budget cuts toward health care for children and the elderly, and prevented budget cuts in education.

Kate Brown, Oregon, Secretary of State Brown is the highest ranking out bisexual official in the U.S. (since Oregon has no lieutenant governor, Brown is second only to the governor). Brown has served Oregonians for more than 20 years, working in family and juvenile law, teaching at Oregon State University, and working with the Juvenile Rights Project. Her legislative achievements since 2009 include leading efforts to reduce health care costs, ensuring education dollars reach classrooms, and pushing to get legislative meetings held in communities to ensure political transparency.

JoCasta Zamarripa, Wisconsin, State Representative First elected in 2010 as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, District 8, Zamarripa is now running for reelection. Before taking office, Zamarripa worked as a nonprofit professional as educator and community outreach coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin.

Three of the legislators Hon. JoCasta Zamarripa, Hon. Angie Buhl and Hon. Micah Z. Kellnerer are all currently Obama delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Charlottee NC.

Exerpt from in The Advocate Magazine

[USA]: Bi candidate Kyrsten Sinema's bid for US Congress from AZ Continues after primary win

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 03:16:08 GMT

A long-time out & active member of the LGBTQ community, Kyrsten Sinema is running for the US Congress in Arizona’s new Congressional District 9, based in Phoenix, Tempe and the East Valley. She had previously served in the Arizona State Legislature. First elected in 2004, she was re-elected in 2006 to continue serving central Phoenix in District 15. Having just won a hard fought Democratic Primary, Sinema will run against Vernon Parker, a local councilman and a rare African-American Republican candidate, in the general election .

Sinema was born in Tucson, Arizona, and has lived in Phoenix since 1995. She holds a Juris Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University, and is an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. She also practices criminal defense law in the Phoenix community.

Prior to her work at the Legislature, she was a social worker in the Washington School District. She created and directed the Sunnyslope community’s first Family Resource Center. She focused on community development and organization, adult and community education, grant writing and administration, and advocacy for low-income, minority, refugee, and undocumented families.

She is a member of the Governor’s Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women. Recently, she served as the Chair of Arizona Together, the first group in the country to defeat a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot. She also works for the Center for Progressive Leadership, teaching tomorrow’s political leaders about leadership and the political process. She was honored with the 2005 Stonewall Democrats Legislator of the Year Award, and Time Magazine named Kyrsten one of the “rising stars of American politics” and one of its “40 under 40” in 2010.

Sinema has been endorsed by an impressive list of groups including the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, EMILY’s List and the Human Rights Campaign. After her primary victory Sinema also made the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)’s list of Red to Blue races – a list of the top races to watch in November.

Originally from in Bi Magazine and reposted with permission

[USA]: Bisexual Wisconsin State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa Wins Primary

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:28:12 GMT

Wisconsin State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa, a Latina of Mexican-American descent has joined a growing list of out bisexual-identified LGBTQ politicians when she came out in an interview with Georgia Pabst in her “Latino Connection” blog in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

JoCasta Zamarripa defeated challenger Laura Manriquez in the Democratic primary on August 14, 2012 by 66.7% to 33.3%. No Republican has filed to run for this seat for the general election which takes place on 6 November 2012, so it seems all but certain that Representative Zamarripa will go on to fill a 2nd term.

State Rep. Zamarripa (known to her friends as Joey) was born and raised on the south side of Milwaukee. In fact, she continues to live in the house that has been owned by her grandmother for over 30 years. She is a graduate of St. Joan Antida High School and holds a BFA from UW-Milwaukee.

She was 1st elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010 from the 8th Assembly District a a densely Hispanic area on on Milwaukee’s south side, where she succeed Pedro Colón, who is now a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge. Prior to her election Zamarripa worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. She served as Board Secretary for 9 to 5 Milwaukee and was a Board Member for Equality Wisconsin.

Hon. JoCasta Zamarripa is also an Obama delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte NC where she will join a record-setting 534 LGBT participants.

Originally from in Bi Magazine and reposted with permission

[USA]: Moms with young children and nursing babies need your help with the DNC!

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 22:56:06 GMT

We're answering a call to action from the National Organization for Women ~ Pacific Shore OC branch and their venerable (and out bisexual we're mighty proud to say) organizer Zoe Nicholson. It seems that children will not be allowed access on the floor of the Democratic National Convention and that daycare will not be provided for delegates who bring their kids.

Says Nicholson, “This is the year for the Democratic leadership to demonstrate comprehensive support of women, ending this outdated practice and to state publicly that it supports true family values.”

The Democratic Party is refusing to allow moms who are elected delegates onto the floor of the Convention if they must bring breastfeeding babies or small children in tow. There are no accommodations for on-site childcare, leaving women with very few options.

When you refuse to allow children into an event, you are by default refusing admission to their caregivers, most of whom are women. By not offering childcare, you are privileging mothers and fathers who have partners and/or money, and therefore excluding single parents and/or poorer families. It is a form of disenfranchisement that must end.

One mom, Susie Shannon, a California delegate from Los Angeles, is fighting the DNC rules so her four-year-old daughter Gracie can accompany her onto the convention floor. “It’s either allow children on the floor or provide child care,” Shannon said. ”You can’t expect that every single woman who is a delegate can leave their child at home in another city for week and go to the convention.”

Dear Democrats don’t you see? Words are not enough. The degree of difficulty = how little some people matter actually matter.

Please sign this petition to the DNC to make the convention accessible to All Women including those who have small children.

Source: ABC News/Amy Bingham, Charlotte Observer, Pacific Shore OC branch NOW Petition

AZ Bisexual Politician Sinema Among Those Praised For Standing Against Anti-immigrant Demagoguery

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 22:51:14 GMT

"Many brave people have fought back against Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s anti-immigrant campaign. Now, with a lawsuit under way in Phoenix, their work is finally being recognized.'" ~Lawrence Downes 21 July 2012 NY Times

Among the eight prominently featured in a major Sunday New York Times article on the foolish right-wing xenophobic mess currently unraveling in Arizona is Kyrsten Sinema an out bisexual politician who came to prominence in Arizona for her many years of leadership in the fight for LGBTQ rights, most notably marriage equality. In 2006 she chaired "Arizona Together Coalition", the statewide campaign that defeated Proposition 107 which would have banned the recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Arizona. In 2008, she also led the campaign against Proposition 102 a less draconian law that still banned same sex marriage & civil unions that unfortunately did pass.

In 2010 Sinema was one of only two out LGBTQ elected officials picked as one of Time Magazine's "40 Under 40" where they said, "In an epic election cycle, a new generation of civic leaders is already at work trying to fix a broken system—and restore faith in the process. Meet the rising stars of American politics".

In Arpaio’s Arizona, They Fought Back In the Arizona Legislature, an elective body of astounding dimness, one of the few bright lights was Kyrsten Sinema, who as a state senator gave a blistering critique of S.B. 1070, the state’s radical, Arpaio-inspired immigration law. (She sponsored several bills to rein in the abuses of Sheriff Arpaio and his ally Mr. Thomas, the county attorney, though her colleagues didn’t go along.)

Ms. Sinema, who is a lawyer and on the faculty of the Arizona State University School of Social Work, debated the law for hours with its sponsor, Russell Pearce, ruthlessly exposing its many legal flaws. The law was later eviscerated by the United States Supreme Court, too. Arizona voters eventually recalled Mr. Pearce.

Today, Ms. Sinema [Ed Note: who is being actively supported by the Victory Fund ] is running for US Congress.

Look everyone. This is what a Bisexual Political Leader looks like!

Sources: NY Times, Time Magazine,Sinema For Congress, Victory Fund

Robyn Ochs: BI MEN a call for submissions in Writing and Art

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 19:50:31 GMT

When introducing Bi Women Newsletter, I am frequently asked whether there is a parallel publication for bisexual men. Sadly, there is not. To help remedy this, I have decided to put out a Special Men's Issue of Bi Women. This will be in Addition To the regular quarterly issues of Bi Women.

FOR BI MEN: A CALL FOR WRITING AND ART

If you identify as a bisexual (or anthrosexual/ambisexual/fluid/no labels/multisexual/omnisexual/pansexual/pomosexual/pollysexual or in some other way as non-monosexual) man/male-identified person, I hope you will consider submitting your work.

You are welcome to submit essays, fiction, images, cartoons, poetry, or any combination of these. This publication will be electronic and available online, so there are no fixed word limits. However, suggested length for submissions is 500-1500 words.

You can write about anything you want, as long as it is somehow related to bisexual identity. Suggested topics include: why you identify as bisexual; where you find support and/or community; how your experience of identity is shaped by other aspects of your identity (race, ethnicity, class, geography, religion, age, gender identity, etc.); stories about falling in (or out of) love or about relationships; when and how you came out to yourself; when and how you choose to come out to others; being a bi-identified man in Straight Communities; being a bi-identified man in LGBTQ+ Communities.

I'm also hoping to include a few resource lists. If you are interested in working on one of these, please let me know right away. Some ideas: bisexual men's fiction, bi men's nonfiction, bi men's website; websites (bisexual or not) of particular interest to bi men.

I am hoping that the final project include a diverse range of voices and perspectives. If you feel that you rarely see people like yourself represented, please consider writing for this issue.

Submissions are due by August 1st, but it would be very helpful to get a sense now of your intentions.

Please write to me at biwomeneditor@gmail.com

Thank you,
Robyn Ochs

IMPORTANT: PLEASE SIGNAL BOOST AND X-POST THIS CALL FOR WRITING

[USA]: Eight Bisexual Activists To Attend White House Reception

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 05:15:14 GMT

Since 2009, his first year in office, the American President Barack Obama has officially declared June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month and he and his wife First Lady Michelle Obama have hosted an annual LGBT Reception at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.

The bisexual community’s past attendees have been:
2009: Robyn Ochs
2010: Ellyn Ruthstrom, Faith Cheltenham, S. Billy Jones
2011: Lani Ka’ahumanu, Kuwaza Imara, Sheela Lambert, Paul Nocera, Adrienne Williams

This year, the annual White House Pride Reception will be Friday, June 15th at 4 PM. Eight American bisexual community leaders and activists will be going, and several U.S. national and regional bisexual organizations will be represented. From Dallas, Texas, Chiquita Violette, and from New York City Morgan Goode, both Members of the Board of BiNet USA; from the greater Los Angles area Denise Penn and Regina Reinhardt, both members of the Board of Directors of American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB); from the Twin Cities Lauren Beach, a Co-Chairperson of the Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP) Board of Directors; also from the greater NYC area Estraven from the New York Area Bisexual Network (NYABN); and from San Francisco Emily Drennen and Lindasusan Ulrich, a married couple who are both longtime bisexual organizers. Ulrich is also the principal author of the 2011 San Francisco Human Rights Commission report “Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts and Recommendations.” Robyn Ochs from the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) and the Boston Bisexual Women’s Network was the bisexual community’s liaison to the White House.

Source: Bi Magazine

[USA]: Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2012

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:11:08 GMT

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2012

By The President Of The United States Of America

A Proclamation

From generation to generation, ordinary Americans have led a proud and inexorable march toward freedom, fairness, and full equality under the law ‑‑ not just for some, but for all. Ours is a heritage forged by those who organized, agitated, and advocated for change; who wielded love stronger than hate and hope more powerful than insult or injury; who fought to build for themselves and their families a Nation where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is denied basic rights, and all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story. From brave men and women who came out and spoke out, to union and faith leaders who rallied for equality, to activists and advocates who challenged unjust laws and marched on Washington, LGBT Americans and allies have achieved what once seemed inconceivable. This month, we reflect on their enduring legacy, celebrate the movement that has made progress possible, and recommit to securing the fullest blessings of freedom for all Americans.

Since I took office, my Administration has worked to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities. We have fought to secure justice for all under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and we have taken action to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We expanded hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, and under the Affordable Care Act, we ensured that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Because we understand that LGBT rights are human rights, we continue to engage with the international community in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT persons around the world. Because we repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans can serve their country openly, honestly, and without fear of losing their jobs because of whom they love. And because we must treat others the way we want to be treated, I personally believe in marriage equality for same-sex couples.

More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending ‑‑ the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

[USA]: BREAKING: NAACP Endorses Marriage Equality

Sun, 20 May 2012 01:56:43 GMT

The Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the United States of America’s largest and oldest civil rights organization, today endorsed marriage equality at an meeting on Saturday, 19 May 2012. The organization had originally been founded in 1909 to improve the lives of the country’s African American citizens.

The NAACP’s move comes as attitudes in the African American community towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are changing rapidly. A recent poll found that 54% of African Americans supported US President Barak Obama’s recent decision to also personally endorse marriage equality in the USA and his additional remarks that he favors the repeal of DOMA, the misnamed “Defense of Marriage Act” that codified anti-marriage discrimination into law on a federal level.

The Decision Affirms Opposition to Government Efforts to Codify Discrimination

“The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people,” said Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NAACP. “We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.”

“Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. The NAACP’s support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people” said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP. “The well-funded right wing organizations who are attempting to split our communities are no friend to civil rights, and they will not succeed.”

Below is the text of the resolution passed by the NAACP board of directors:

The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, education, social and economic equality” of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Further, we strongly affirm the religious freedoms of all people as protected by the First Amendment.

Source NAACP, Bi Magazine, Democratic Underground, TransGriot

Please check your own privileges at the door

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:21:58 GMT

Sometimes we don’t have to look too far to find the people who persecute members of the LGBTQ+ Community(s).

Be honest. How many of these have you used? And how many of these have been used against you?

♥ a little poem and comic about gender ♥

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:28:48 GMT

says Alex on Tumblr, "When I was with James this week I wrote a little poem about gender and decided to draw a comic for said poem. Hope you guys enjoy!"

Women are Women Regardless of Sex	and Men are Men in the Same Respects
You can be Both or a Mix of the Two	or you can be Neither if that's what Suits You
but People are People Whatever Their Parts	because what Really Matters is Inside of our Hearts

Morgan Goode: On Board with the Future of the Movement

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:56:54 GMT

As part of a recent wide ranging interview with NYC based bisexual & genderqueer photographer, writer and activist Morgan Good, well know bi-identified Bilerico columnist Amy Andre asked Morgan, a Board Member with BiNet USA to give a quick snapshot on the bisexual community in the USA right now:

Amy: Where do you see the bi movement headed?

Morgan: Hmmm...it's really hard to say. Most bisexual activists are hard at work in movements and organizations that are not explicitly bisexual. Even working at LGBTQ+ organizations, I had to be very vocal in order to be out, otherwise I would just be absorbed into whatever identity I was assigned based on my current partner's actual or perceived gender identity, or mine for that matter.
I think if organizations want to be genuinely bi inclusive, they have to actually understand bi issues on an institutional level. They can't just keep saying "oh, we have bisexual people working here." Because even if you do, that doesn't necessarily mean that the organization, the policies, the decision makers, are bi-affirming.
And I think this continues to happen because most people still think that a bisexual person is just a part-time gay - half gay/ half straight. People don't have an understanding of the fact that being bisexual is as different from being gay as it is from being straight and we have our own issues - like poor health, higher prevalence of suicidal ideation, greater stigma.
My pet peeve is the claim that bisexual people have it easier or that some people come out as bi because it sounds more palatable than being gay. In the future, I would like to see greater understanding of bisexuality as a separate identity, which would hopefully result in more resources being out toward addressing issues of discrimination that bisexual folks face, because it's literally killing us!

Read Ms. Andre's full interview with BiNet USA Board Member Morgan Good in The Bilerico Project where Morgan also discusses topics including Mixed race issues and queer activism in general.

Advice Columnist Smacks Down Biphobe: Dear Lady A: Skeptical about the B

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:11:19 GMT

There is not a bisexual person anywhere on the planet who hasn't at one time or another been subjected to this type of insulting nonsense. And while we all know not a word of it is true, usually we are too busy being horrified/hurt/angry to think of the just the right stinging retort that will not only put the boorish person in their place but will also let in actually truth and light. Well no worries, bisexual heroine Lady A, the advice columnist for the Chicago Phoenix has done it for us in this polite, factual but stinging retort to an obnoxious ignoramus.

DEAR LADY A: The people I know who claim they’re bi are attention-seeking and creepy. I honestly think, of the “bisexuals” I know, the guys are just gays who can’t emotionally handle being gay, and the women are trying to keep potential boyfriends interested with the promise of threesomes. Are actual bisexuals even real? If so, where are they hiding?~~ Real Homo, Skeptical About The B in LGBT

DEAR DOUBTING HOMO: I’m not hiding and I’m bisexual, so your statement is really more about your own mistrust, isn’t it? It is the worst kind of queer self-sabotage to imply that a sexuality simply cannot be, because you can’t personally imagine it. It’s also ironic. Normally, I have a special contempt for assholes who attempt to inform me that my bisexuality is an urban myth promoted by terrified queens or an affectation I employ to impress my boyfriends. But I will try to exercise patience with you. I will even try to see it from your perspective for a moment.

To pretend like some haven’t used bisexuality as a “gateway drug” to gay or a boy-bewitching sexual tactic, would be disingenuous. Yes, there are folks who, for reasons including self-delusion, hipster trend-grubbing, or maybe just an attempt to earn better money at the stripper pole, might be bisexual pretenders. There are also straight pretenders and gay pretenders, but that doesn’t make you any less gay, does it, sir? And those gay pretenders, by the way, are sometimes boys and girls who love both boys and girls, but felt so unfairly judged by members of their own LGBT community that they actually went back into the bi closet by “picking a side.”

But for the most part, people who call themselves bi, flexible, curious or any other similar designation, are telling you the truth. You know how I know? Because it’s hard to be bi. Society immediately thinks the boys are lying and the girls are sluts, they’re queer but they’re not, they’re straight but they’re not, and they are generally just assigned the convenient homo or hetero sexuality that happens to coincide with their most current partner. They’re also some of the least supported queers in terms of organized help and education … And that’s not fun. So they must have a damned good reason (like the fact that they’ve realized they don’t give a fuck what you or society thinks they ought to be) for standing up and saying who they really are. Just like you had a damned good reason for telling the world who you really are, sir.

So, in answer to your question: Yes, bisexuals are real, and yes, they’re sometimes hiding in your ranks, and could possibly be one of your closest friends or lovers. Being fearful of something you don’t understand and can’t control is scary, isn’t it? On the bright side, now you know how homophobes feel.

I’m bi. No lie. Get used to it.

Lady A is a headmistress with an emphasis on head. She may even spank you. But only if you like that kind of thing. She can be found in the Chicago Phoenix, on Facebook, Twitter as well as all the best places to see and be seen (and sometimes even do), in Chicago.

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

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:24:57 GMT

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).

This in-depth report, conducted by Meg Barker, Rebecca Jones, Christina Richards, Helen Bowes-Catton and Tracey Plowman of BiUK with Jen Yockney of Bi Community News and Marcus Morgan of The Bisexual Index is the first of its kind in the UK. Meg Barker the senior researcher explained that the 2011 "Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts and Recommendations" (pdf) report by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission was one of a number of factors instrumental in the decision to move ahead with this research.

As with the 2011 SF report, the 2012 BiUK report began by focusing on the key areas of biphobia, bisexual invisibility, and their impact on the bisexual community, As with other recent research, it also found attitudes towards bisexual people both within the mainstream gay/lesbian community as well as the straight over-culture were more negative than those towards other minority groups, with bisexuals often incorrectly being stereotyped as promiscuous, incapable of monogamy, a threat to relationships and spreaders of disease. Not surprisingly, both reports show that these experiences combined with generalized homophobia (and in some cases transphobia) may be a correlating factor in contributing to bisexual people having worse mental health problems including higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide than those who self-id as lesbian/gay.

Additionally this report includes an updated version of recent analysis of media depictions and how these often erase bisexuality by suggesting that people can only be gay or straight. Also the report spends more time fleshing out the different groups who can fall under the ‘bisexual umbrella’. Diversity is a big theme in the report as they consider how issues may be different for different groups who may define (or be defined as) bisexual, and there is a section specifically on intersections between bisexuality and other aspects of identity, background and practice (including race, gender, age, geographical location and several other aspects).

Another unique aspect of the 2012 report is that it concludes with a section on the positive aspects of the bisexual experience. Despite the many challenges of being bisexual in a culture which generally doesn’t recognize bisexuality and which discriminates against bisexual people, being bisexual obviously brings rewards as well as difficulties.

This 2012 report is a very welcome and important addition to the cannon of Bisexual Studies, Bisexual Theory & general Queer Theory as well as contributing to the fields of Queer Studies, LGBT Studies, Feminist Studies and Gender Studies. Additionally it serves as another important step along the road to ultimate understanding of the total spectrum of the human condition.

you knew it was only a matter of time until . . .

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:26:15 GMT

[Baltimore MD]: Bisexual/Pansexual & Queer-identified Organizing Day at Creating Change 2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:50:42 GMT

Don't miss the 3rd Annual Bisexual, Fluid, Pansexual and otherwise & Queer-identified Organizing Day at this year's Creating Change Conference in Baltimore MD USA on Thursday January 26th 2012

Come meet, network, brainstorm and strategize with other activists (and friends) from around the region, country and world.

Swap Volunteer Hours for Free Registration

Get help Finding Low Cost or Free Housing

Have questions? Need more assistance? Talk to Paul@BiRequest.org coordinator of this year's Bisexual Hospitality Suite and a CC2012 Host Committee member

[USA]: Bisexual Softball Players, a Cautionary Tale

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:13:01 GMT

When someone is tempted to ask "why should we bother to mention bisexual people (or as recently happened biphobia) separately? Everyone knows that when you say 'Gay' it really means the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum", it may be useful to point out the sad, humiliating and ultimately expensive saga of the 2008 North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance's "Gay Softball World Series".

The 1st thing to know is that despite it's name the actual stated mission of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) was declared to be, in writing (yes I noticed the hastily edited deletions to some areas of their website removing bisexual and transgender people), that of promoting “amateur sports competition, particularly softball, for all persons regardless of age, sexual orientation or preference, with special emphasis on the participation of members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.”

The 2nd thing to know is despite all the spiteful online gossip about "straight ringers" being snuck in, i.e. heterosexual ball players being secretly placed onto "gay" teams in order to win championships, (because as we all know REAL gay and bisexual men are congenitally bad at sports *rolls eyes*) this particular group had been playing together for several years. As long as they weren't in championship contention, this team of various queer-identified men had played together unmolested and even gone to the Gay Softball World Series before, but had never finished better than fourth place.

And the 3rd thing to know is that according to recent statistical studies of the USA, most people in the LGBTQ+ Spectrum are not actually monosexual and that this large bisexual community demographically "looks" much more like the rest of America than just the traditional Gay and Lesbian only portions. As per Russell K. Robinson, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, “A number of studies have shown that men of color [Ed note: actually all QOC regardless of gender identification] are more likely to identify as bisexual as opposed to gay.” Additionally the founders of the bisexual rights movement were extremely diverse and included queers of colour (QOC) as well as well as trans* and gender non-conforming individuals. And unlike the mainstream gay and lesbian rights wing, they were never forced out. In fact the current leadership and membership of the bisexual community is extremely diverse and has no need to scramble about looking for people to fill in the ranks to look properly PC when picture taking time comes around.

Back in 2008 the San Francisco-based D2 softball team came to Seattle to play that years "Gay Softball World Series". They were an established squad that had been steadily improving each year and now advanced to the finals playing against the established teams who usually won each year, beating the Atlanta Mudcats in the semi-final round and were matched against the Los Angeles Vipers when the commissioner of the league’s Atlanta affiliate filed a protest under Rule 7.05 (“maximum of two heterosexual players are permitted” on a world series roster) of the NAGAAA Softball Code against five to the SF D2 players.

The Softball League then convened a hearing described as "truly Orwellian" where members of the protest committee and at least 25 lookie lous and gawkers jammed themselves into a a room and asked the embarrassed ballplayers a series of highly personal questions to determine their “predominate” sexual interest. This was important because “gay” and “straight” are the only classifications that matter under the NAGAAA’s curiously binary system for defining sexuality. When the players protested they were bisexual (that would be the "B" in that same "GLBT" the league claims in their own literature to represent), one of the inquisitors made the now-semi-famous quote "This is not a bisexual world series. This is a gay world series."

Ultimately, the predominantly-white committee voted that Steven Apilado, LaRon Charles and Jon Russ, all men of color, were not gay. The committee also declared that the other two players, both white—one of whom had given precisely the same answers as Russ—were gay. The league must have supposed that was the end of it and the now humiliated payers and team would just go away. But they didn't. They took their case to the powerhouse LGBTQ+ public interest law firm the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) led by Legal Director the bisexual trans* Shannon Price Minter Esq. who among his many other accomplishments lead attorney arguing before the California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, and in April 2010 sued the NAGAAA for sexual orientation discrimination under Washington State's public accommodations laws.

To their eternal shame the gay men in the leadership of at NAGAAA chose to defend their right to discriminate against bisexual men on the basis of sexuality using the same legal strategy that the Boy Scouts of America did in seeking to keep out all LGBTQ+ people. While they did succeed in having one portion of the case thrown out by using dubious arguments including trying to convince the Court that bisexual people are not actually part of the LGBTQ+ Community and are actually just closeted men or straight day-trippers in gay-land (it is believed to be the first time that the organized gay community has actually tried to prove that too common slur in court) the rest of the case was allowed to proceed to trial.

Finally in November 2011 the NAGAAA threw in the threw in the towel and settled. The far reaching and costly agreement should stand as an example that being a sore looser and a bigoted fool is not only wrong, but expensive. In the settlement the League agreed:

that all bisexual and transgender people are welcome to play at its tournaments as full members of the LGBT community

the D2 team will be awarded the second-place trophy that it was denied at the time and all the leagues stats will be updated to reflect same

the three ballpayers will be compensated for the distress caused them

that the league will participate in an ongoing dialogue about making sports at all levels more inclusive of the entire LGBT community

While still whingeing on about alleged "straight people" and the sanctity and purity of gay only this and that, the truth in hard cold legal facts is the league has had to formally agreed that disqualifying D2 was not consistent with its goal of welcoming bisexual players saying in part, "NAGAAA regrets the impacts the 2008 protest hearing had on plaintiffs and their team." Victorious D2 team member LaRon Charles summed it up nicely when he said, 'It means a lot to me that NAGAAA is going to recognize our second place finish in 2008, I look forward to continuing to play ball with my friends, teammates and community in NAGAAA's tournaments."

So next time that you are told to just take someone on their good word that 'Gay' includes you, ask if you can please get that in writing, most preferably signed, witnessed and notarized too.

[USA]: Its tough growing up whether youre Gay Lesbian Trans or What???

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:29:01 GMT

We're giving the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus an "A for Effort" but only an "F for Execution" after they put out their own variation of a "It Gets Better Video":

that unfortunately included the spectacle of freshman Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) prattling on about how it will get better "If you are Gay, Lesbian, Transgender or just Not Sure"

"Not Sure"? So, to the official LGBT Caucus of the Congress of the United States the entire Bisexual Community has disappeared and been replaced with "Not Sure"?

Now it does seem as if the members of the LGBT Equality Caucus were:

(1) simply relating personal experiences of coming out as Gay Men and Lesbian Women and
(2) only one of them, newly minted US Congressman Cicilline from Rhodes Island not only pulled a complete "Perry" and didn't remember what that pesky uh, uh "B" in LGBTQ was for and instead turned us all from LGBTQ to LG_TQ and ... umm ... err ... "NS"?

However as Arizona Bisexual Activist Halina Reed said, "Growing up, I KNEW I was bisexual, but CONVINCED myself I wasn't sure thanks to people like this."

So . . . in addition to leaving comments on their YouTube Video, can we suggest that we all write directly to him and (kindly & politely) let him know that there are actually Bisexual People who are "Sure".

Contact Congressman Cicilline's Staffer Jessica Lemos email: jessica.lemos (at) mail (dot) house (dot) gov phone: 202-225-4911. People from Congressman Cicilline's district can email him directly.

and if you wish you can also "cc" the LGBT Caucus, (nicely - remember they meant well) pointing out what happened, suggesting a better eye to more inclusive editing and (them being politicians and all) explaining that the Bisexual Community actually Volunteers, Donates and Votes!

Quick Hits: hey Salon, did you know that this is what Biphobia looks like?

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 03:08:46 GMT

"A minority group has 'arrived' only when it has the right to produce some fools and scoundrels without the entire group paying for it." ~Carl T. Rowan

The usually evenhanded online magazine Salon has taken the low road with a column title that is both rather misleading as to contents as well as being (unintentionally we presume) biphobic.

The title of Cary Tennis' August 16th 2011 "Since You Asked" lonely-hearts column is "A bisexual sociopath wrecked my life". However a reading of the letter reveals this woman's ex was many things of which being bisexual was totally insignificant as far as their problems went.

According to her complaint the guy was a two-timing cad who cheated on her with a number of people (including many women) as well as telling his ex one story and everyone else another. This has Nothing To Do with his Sexual Orientation at all. And yet that is what was blaring from Salon's rather misleading caption.

Salon needs to realize that "Bisexual" is actually not a modifier for "sociopath" any more that "gay" is for "pedophile" or "lesbian" is for "crazy murdering". But back in the bad old days before the rise of the LGBT Rights Movement and organizations such as GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) they routinely were.

Bisexuals are simply people with the capacity to form physical, romantic, spiritual and/or emotional attractions to:

(1) those of the same gender as themselves
(2) those of some other genders/gender presentations.

Bisexuality is not synonymous with being polyamorous or promiscuous. Individual bisexual people may be celibate, monogamous or non-monogamous just as individual straight, lesbian or gay people can be.

As the noted bisexual-genderqueer-feminist academic and activist Shiri Eisner points out in Item 18 in her recent essay "The monosexual privilege checklist" it seems that bisexual people still have not reached the state where, "I can cheat on my partners or act badly in a relationship without having other people put this down to my sexual identity or have my behaviour reflect badly on all the people in my sexual identity group."

Concerned people may want to stop by Salon and leave a comment pointing this out.

thoughts from Lani Ka’ahumanu: the 2011 White House LGBT Pride Reception - Getting there . . .

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 04:30:00 GMT

Lani Ka’ahumanu bisexual educator, organizer, strategist, author and co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Bisexual Network invited her old friend and colleague Kuwaza Imara to be her guest at the White House festivities and policy briefing on June 29th. Kuwaza is from Oakland CA and actively in the SEIU Lavender Caucus, Pride at Work, the AFL-CIO GLTB labor group and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

LGBT Pride Month Policy Briefing -- Insights and commentary coming
Personal note: I will be writing my experience and insights at much greater length. I intended to today, but am choosing to go see an old friend and lover who lives in DC and who just finished her chemo therapy. Please do stay tuned and be assured that this little cab driver story is only the beginning of the grand adventure and I will tell all… Thanks for understanding, I appreciate it. xo
Lani

2011 White House LGBT Pride Reception: Getting there . . .
Kuwaza and I caught a cab at Dupont Circle. The White House was a short mile and a half ride from the SEIU Building where I’d changed clothes and picked up the two flower leis I had sent from Hawai’i. We had a quick stop at a Radio Shack beforehand as Kuwaza needed to purchase a chip for his camera. I waited in the cab with the driver who asked, “What is the celebration was about?”

When I told him it was the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Reception he said “Oh that’s right, there‘s been a lot of gay things going on this month.”

Our conversation was relaxed, and sincere. When he inquired, “How does it work?” I understood what he meant - how does it work without a man in the picture?

“I’m bisexual. I fall in love with a person – love is love. The quickest way to understand bisexuality is that it’s about the electricity not the plumbing.”

I thought he was going to fall out of the cab laughing. It was a deep joyful appreciative belly laugh. “That’s right!” he said, “It’s the chemistry.”

He went on to say that when he arrived from Bangladesh a couple years ago he had a hard time with gay people; he didn’t understand or like the idea. But now that he’s been around so many they are just like everyone else. “Yep, we’re in this together,” I replied, “and if anything is going to change we have to work together.” He agreed, but said he’d met some gay people who are not very nice.

I shot back that, “I understood. I’ve met many heterosexuals who are not very nice.”

“Yes of course,” he said laughing, “of course.”

As Kuwaza and I got out of the cab I told him to remember what I’d said. Smiling he assured me he “would not forget.” “Perfect,” I said, “then please make sure to relay that information to people who sound confused about bisexuality.”

More to come . . . Policy Briefing, Dan Savage, VP Biden, the Ladies Room, Bisexual Hapa buttons, flower lei for Obama, confronting the top lesbian in the White House, and post-White House strategies to name a few topics . . .