I doubt there is anyone reading this who is not aware of the Covid-19 pandemic facing the world right now. I live in the US and we are but taking baby steps to address, contain and try to control the virus. Other countries are facing the same struggles. I do not wish, in any way, to diminish the severity and importance of this crisis. It is serious and we need a surfeit of sanity to deal with it. My heart and soul goes out to anyone dealing with this. I can only hope this reminds us of the importance of community. Community really matters. Supporting our neighbors makes for warm and caring neighborhoods and it just mushrooms from there.
Community is on my mind due to the pandemic but also because it is Bi+ Health Month. I worry a lot about my Bi+ siblings. We suffer mightily from social isolation. We suffer from a feeling that we are not supported by the larger LGBTQ community. And, we often have the worst health outcomes of any other initial in the LGBTQ acronym.
Bisexuals are much less likely to be out to the important folks in their lives. Only 28% of Bi+ folks are out as opposed to 77% of gay men and 71% of lesbians. This narrowing of our own community leaves us alone and without a supportive cohort. The reason more Bi+ folks don’t come out is rampant and relentless biphobia but the outcome of our unlikelihood to be out means we are isolated. This results in the next extremely sobering statistic that we are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than straights and 2 times more likely to commit suicide than lesbians or gay men. There are many reasons for this and certainly bierasure plays a major role.
My real intention here is to point out that even as we self-isolate to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we can reach out to our Bi+ community. We can learn more about ourselves and find more peace and positivity in coming out, even if it is only to ourselves. The first step in being authentic in public spaces is allowing ourselves to say who we are to ourselves in our private lives.
If we start with elevating and celebrating who we are in private we can start to take a small step from a closeted life to one brimming with connection. Then, while you spend time at home take the time to educate yourself about Bisexual history, notable Bisexual folx and the challenges the Bi+ community faces. There is a college of knowledge out there and you should take advantage of it (links included with this blog post). Knowledge is Power.
Start with Bi.org and the information about notable Bisexual/Pansexual/Omnisexual/Polysexual folks in addition to articles and resouces and ways to get involved in our community and it is there for the reading.
More resources here and an informative blog….along with info and research about the community.
Another excellent site:
http://www.americaninstituteofbisexuality.org/
This gives you a little something to start with as you wile away the hours at home. It is always constructive to learn more about your community.
For my part, I will be spending as much time as possible working on organization and outreach for my own little local group, Bi+ Pride Mke. We are small but we are mighty and growing Bi+ diverse and inclusive community close to home. If you are interested in what we are doing check out our website or our Facebook page.
Beautiful Bi+ Friends, wherever you may be, stay safe, stay strong and stay healthy during this challenging time.
The Bi-Fi Signal 