to lift your spirits and make you laugh come theses two "Quick Hits" courtesy of the BiNet USA News Blog: Abby Is A Dear and Accurate Too & Out Of The Mouths Of Babes and Students





You can add BiNet USA News and Opinions: News, Essays and Editorials by & for America's Bisexual Community to your friends-list herebinetusa

BiNet USA is looking for ALL bi/pan/fluid groups in the US so that everyone will have a convenient place to find community.

( If you know of such a group, could you please take a minute to check your state's listing and make sure it has been included? )

yes, please DO X-Post this

X-Posted with permission from BiNet USA News and Opinions: News, Essays and Editorials by & for America's Bisexual Community (on LJ as binetusa) from a post by Estraven a Mod from the Westchester Bisexual Group

( First incident: A 'Gay Unity' website says 'Bi Rhymes With Lie and Die' among other repulsive things )

( Second incident: The Tyra Banks Show is running a Poll asking 'Bisexuality Real or Bogus?' )

yes, please DO X-Post this

( In case you missed the original announcement, there is an online peer support group for ALL people who run groups, (both the face to face and the online kinds) for the bisexual, fluid, pansexual, hetro/homo-flexible, omnisexual, et al. community. )
yes, please do pass this info along

( Female Gamers 5 Times More Likely to be Bisexual sez Buzz NewsRoom )

Yes, please Do feel free to X-post this

( The Holiday Season can be stressful enough to drive the jolliest of us around the bend. Click Here for some practical de-stressing tips as well as ways to make your shopping $$'s do double duty. )

Yes, PLEASE Do feel free to repost this

There's been some exciting discussions going on over the past week . . . how BiNet can reach out to the younger generation, how we should handle the same gender marriage debate, how to increase or web presence.

It seems like a good time to remind y'all - BiNet is what each one of you chooses to make of it. We are grassroots and all volunteer. We don't have a big budget or staff.

Consider joining us on the board . . . come up with a nifty title for yourself and i can help set you up with a special name tag ;)

Its funny.. I was having this sometimes exasperating discussion with a binet memeber earlier this month. she has tons of ideas and was confused why we weren't implementing more of them. Eventually, I realized there was an impression that the board secretly meets in dark, smoky quarters to plot our secret agenda . . . one that we don't share with anyone.

I had to laugh. honestly . . . . y'all see all there is to see. I volunteer my hour or so a day maintaining the list and web site, responding to email, and being involved in the glbt leadership discussion groups. Margaret manages our mail. Gary, our funds. Matt keeps us up to date on the Task Force's leadership round table. And that's about ALL we're doing.

If anyone is interested in BiNet doing more, please join us

This essay is X-Posted from BiNet USA President Wendy Curry's Blog curriedspam

Honestly, I've been less enthused about the "gay marriage" vs same sex marriage debate than I was the trans inclusive ENDA; with the ENDA battle, rights were being held up . . . With the marriage debate, it could be argued . . . as some have done . . . that the semantics (word choice) will not result in a lack of benefits. After spending time with the amazing Moira, I got to understand how some decisions are being made and can respect that.

One of the reasons so many "state DOMA" legislation's passed, IMO, was that national figures imposed their beliefs and did not listen to local voices . . . who better knew what would work in their neck of the woods. I am definitely enjoying listening to several CA voices on this list [Note: she means the very lively & interesting BiNet USA Discussion List - Click Here To Join] discuss the strategy pros and cons.

I believe the passion form the bi/trans communities on this issue comes from years of baggage and mistreatment from the gay/lesbian community. Since Stonewall (even before), bisexual and transgender individuals have been the back bone of the gay/lesbian movement. We have marched, planned the first pride marches, spoke before congress on DODT, and volunteered tireless hours to effect change for the entire GLBT community.

Yet, time after time, the gay/lesbian leaders have conveniently omitted us - from press releases, proposed legislation, web pages, magazines, etc, etc. The expressed pain comes from the long history of being welcomes when work is needed, yet shunned when convenient. In this particular case, there appears to be no reason for the omission. Does anyone really NOT know what "same sex marriage" refers too?

The gay and lesbian community does a disservice to it's own cause when they remove us from a discussion. Same gender marriage effects bisexuals and transgender individuals in a different way from gays and lesbians, which they would understand if they included us in the process.

One may argue that 2 bisexual females are in a lesbian relationship. I would counter - your individual experiences, feelings, and yes, sexuality effects your relationship. If not, why would so many gays and lesbians be afraid to date us? it's merely a "gay" relationship, right?

IMHO "bisexual organizing" has become the "new" feminism.

( Read more... )


( and click here to learn about some of the reactions to this piece )