I made a group for bi/pan/fluid/queer/etc people in the Grand Rapids, MI area! If you’re from around here and are interested being a member, please check it out here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/357632254336420/
Thank you!
"I want to be alone, and I want people to notice me — both at the same time." Thom Yorke
Posts tagged queer.
I made this for everyone that doesn’t want to use the HRC’s logo, but does want show some support/pride/etc. Like I said in my earlier post, I’m not keen on heteronormativity, marriage, or the HRC, but I am keen on the visibility and potential for dialogue that comes along with this particular situation. And I’m keen on queer rights.
Feel free to use the above graphic on your own Tumblr/Facebook/whatever! And challenge people to do more than simply change their profile picture. (Changing profile pic does not equal an actual shift in thought/language/acceptance.)
—Sara
In regard to today’s talk about marraige equality/the red HRC profile pics
This is what I said on Facebook:
“I have my issues with the emphasis of same-sex marriage as being “the most important” and heteronormative, but I do think it’s a vital stepping stone. I urge y’all to start thinking about other queer issues you can ally yourself with that affect other queers besides those who wish to marry. Mental health support, rights to housing, homelessness, abuse, sexual assault, having resources available, fighting bi/trans*/homophobia…the list goes on and on.
But it is pretty cool seeing all these profile pictures, regardless. Also, the HRC really isn’t so great at being inclusive to those who aren’t L or G/white/middle class/ etc. Just throwing that out there.”
And this:
“Just a friendly reminder that not all queer people are keen on marriage, and that saying “gay” is not the same as “queer/LGBT/gender and sexual minority” when talking about marriage equality/rights. Also, I dig the flood of profile pics, and I’ll participate, but the HRC isn’t really good at representing of queer folk. Aka, it’s really well funded and their priorities reflect that. Just something to keep in mind.”
I like to rain on rainbow parades making their cookies soggy and the punch spiked with angst. But there is potential for new, more awesome and bright rainbows after sassy storms, so that helps me validate my voice.
"
The urbanization of Gay that started rolling after World War 2, while it has benefited us as Queers, has not really happened for, or specifically benefited Bisexuals in a comparable way. And no wonder! What’s the point of migrating to a “Gay City” if you are going to face the same stereotyping and rejection that you can get just as easily in Podunk? Why not just keep your head down and install new drapes in your closet?
If the rejection of Bisexuality by large elements in the Gay/Lesbian Community makes us look smaller by keeping us in the closet (and here I mean both the straight closet that we all start in and the gay closet where we give up and just identify as ‘Anything But Bisexual’), then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Where’s the community to come out to? Nowhere. So I won’t come out, then, I can manage my feelings of threat better by remaining isolated.” Then along comes the next person, who can’t find the Bisexual Community either …
"I’m doing a project. (Art piece, even?)
I’m taking my state’s LGBT newspaper, and cutting out all the identity labels with an Exacto knife Namely, gay, lesbian, bi, trans*, and possibly queer. Really, those are the only identities I’ve come across so far. Hopefully I’ll find some more, but I’m already two newspapers in…
And if you’re curious? A whole lotta G, a little more L than T, and barely and B. It’s depressing as fuck. Some of these interviews/articles too…can you say…gay rights, gay marriage, cissim/trans* jokes, lack of queer diversity (no genderqueer, asexual, agender, pan, etc) and nonmonosexual erasure? Oh, but there’s a ton of content interviewing allies.
When I finish, I’m hoping to put them in plexiglass layers to visually show how the acronym “LGBT” is often used in a token-inclusive way. If your organization, newspaper, pride, etc is only going to be about cis gay dudes, stop using the LGBT/GSM acronyms. Language is important.
Seriously, bi/pan/omni and non-cis gender identities apparently just don’t exist. I literally have 3 bi’s, 1 pan, and a whole handful of gays. The only reason that I have a decent amount of trans* is due to one article about a trans* inmate.
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
"I think bisexuals indeed experience more (personalized) negative response from the GGGG community (note that lesbians are also marginalized), but the overwhelming majority of erasure, pathologization, denial and silencing comes from the straight population and culture. Think of it this way: if bisexuality was accepted by the straight population, then bisexuals wouldn’t at all have need of joining LGBT communities. Seeing as we’re not even close, we seek out those communities as refuge – and subsequently experience rejection and end up heartbroken. But the reason that inner-LGBT biphobia feels more painful to us than straight biphobia isn’t that it’s more common or really worse, it’s simply because it’s more personal, coming from where we least expect it, from where we came seeking support."
— bidyke (2011)
From this great World Pride London 2012 photoset by @BisOfColour.
(via thesunnysideofbeingbi)
Bi radical: My book is now available for pre-order on Amazon!
OMG OMG OMG
Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution
Book Description
Publication Date: May 7, 2013Depicted as duplicitous, traitorous, and promiscuous, bisexuality has long been suspected, marginalized, and rejected by both straight and gay communities alike.Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution takes a long overdue, comprehensive look at bisexual politics—from the issues surrounding biphobia/monosexism, feminism, and transgenderism to the practice of labeling those who identify as bi as either “too bisexual” (promiscuous and incapable of fidelity) or “not bisexual enough” (not actively engaging romantically or sexually with people of at least two different genders). In this forward-thinking and eye-opening book, feminist bisexual and genderqueer activist Shiri Eisner takes readers on a journey through the many aspects of the meanings and politics of bisexuality, specifically highlighting how bisexuality can open up new and exciting ways of challenging social convention.
Informed by feminist, transgender, and queer theory, as well as politics and activism, Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution is a radical manifesto for a group that has been too frequently silenced, erased, and denied—and a starting point from which to launch a bisexual revolution.
(via bisexual-community)
A Heathly Dose of Bi Culture From the 90’s
Check out the archive from this old Bi magazine from the 90’s called “Anything That Moves.”
And people say bisexuality doesn’t have history, culture, or activism. Pftt. There’s a healthy dose of intersectionality too, which is nice.
If anyone knows how I can get my hands on a copy, please let me know!
Ten recommended articles in bisexual theory/studies (including files)
Seeing as my last blog post raised a lot of interest, I figured I’d go ahead and make this amazing field of bisexual theory/studies more accessible for those interested in exploring it. I complied below ten of my favourite articles about this topic (in no particular order) - ones that I found inspirational, influential and exciting. Note that they are just a tiny sample of this huge field, limited not only in scope but also technically (since some very important texts couldn’t be uploaded). This list is neither definitive nor comprehensive - it reflects my taste, associations and limitations in a given moment.
You might notice that most of the writers of these texts are white and cisgender, and that they all write from North American and Western European perspectives. This unfortunate fact reflects an existing set of power relations in academic contexts, and in particular in queer theory and LGBT studies. These fields are both often centered around the experience of white, cisgender, and “western” people, and are written by people from these contexts. Albeit that they have written some awesome shiny theory, this fact should not be ignored and we, as bisexual scholars, should seek to acknowledge and work against it. Much more bisexual research is needed in order to fill in these gaps, and I encourage my readers to join me in doing that.
Also: nothing by Clare Hemmings is on this list and therefore it is flawed. Hemmings wrote the bible and you should read it right now (if you have access to it in any way).
Enjoy!
Kenji Yoshino, “The Epistemic Contract of Bisexual Erasure” (2000)
This article was published in 2000 by Kenji Yoshino, an American legal scholar. In it, Yoshino offers a comprehensive theory for understanding bisexual erasure. He claims that the reason why bisexual erasure happens is that both structures of heterosexuality and homosexuality have a stake in making bisexuality disappear. This article is quite long, but very readable, clear and accessible.
Michael du Plessis, “Blatantly Bisexual; or, Unthinking Queer Theory” (1996)
This article appeared in RePresenting Bisexualities, one of the first academic anthologies about bisexuality published in the US. This is a wonderful introductory text for bisexual theory (and has much to offer even to those who are familiar with the field). In it, du Plessis describes the erasure of bisexuality from queer theory, and positions bisexuality and bi theory in relation/opposition to it. It should be noted that this is also one of the sexiest academic texts I have ever read (OMG hot).
Ann Kaloski, “Bisexuals Making Out with Cyborgs: Politics, Pleasure, Con/fusion” (1997)
This article was published in the Journal of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Identity in the late 1990s, as part of a(n unfortunately temporary) blossoming of bisexual theory in the UK. Along with several other influential bi theorists, Ann Kaloski was part of a research group called Bi Academic Intervention, who pioneered epistemological and politically radical bisexual research. In this article, Kaloski takes on the idea of Donna Haraway’s cyborg and connects it with bisexuality. It is also on the list of sexiest articles ever :p
April S. Callis, “Playing with Butler and Foucault: Bisexuality and Queer Theory” (2009)
This article first appeared in the Journal of Bisexuality, Issue 9:3-4, which later came out as the US anthology Bisexuality and Queer Theory: Intersections, Connections and Challenges. This is the first published collection since the 1990s that is dedicated to bisexual theory and epistemology (as opposed to sociological/psychological bisexual studies). In this article, April S. Callis takes on Judith Butler’s and Michel Foucault’s theories of (homo)sexuality, and demonstrates how they might benefit by the inclusion of bisexuality. She also gives a wonderful introduction to bisexual theory, for whoever wants a quick and painless starter :)
Lisa Diamond, “Female Bisexuality From Adolescence to Adulthood: Results From a 10-Year Longitudinal Study” (2008)
In this article, Lisa Diamond describes the results from her groundbreaking study of sexual fluidity in women. Diamond interviewed and followed up on 75 lesbian, bisexual and unlabeled women over the course of 13 years, and documented the changes in their sexual identities and behaviour. This article was published after 10 years of study and it describes the results concerning bisexuality from 79 women. An important discovery made here by Diamond is that over time, more women adopt a bisexual or unlabeled identity than relinquish it.
Lachlan MacDowall, “Historicising Contemporary Bisexuality” (2009)
This article, written by Australian scholar Lachlan MacDowall, was published in the Journal of Bisexuality in 2009. In this article, MacDowall details the early history of the word “bisexuality”, as it was used in the emerging scientific fields of the 19th century. It provides a really great contextualization of the word along with historical and social perspective.
Esther Rapoport, “Bisexuality in Psychoanalytic Theory: Interpreting the Resistance” (2009)
This article was published in the same mythological Journal of Bisexuality, Issue 9:3-4. In it, my friend and Israeli researcher Esther Rapoport describes the concept of bisexuality in psychoanalytic theory (especially Freud’s) and points out the problems that arise from it. This article gives a very broad background for understanding the roots of bisexuality as an idea, as well as their many influences on current discourses on bisexuality.
Jo Eadie, “Activating Bisexuality: Towards a Bi/Sexual Politics” (1993)
One of the earliest articles concerning bisexual epistemology, this was published in the UK anthology Activating Theory: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Politics in 1993. The anthology itself followed an academic conference by the same name, infamous in UK bisexual writings for the multiple occurrences of biphobia in it. In the article, Jo Eadie discusses bisexual erasure and marginalization in LGBT contexts, and suggests ways of using bisexuality as a method for the deconstruction of sexual - and other - binaries. This is also one of those really sexy articles that make you want to go out and create a revolution.
Amber Ault, “Hegemonic Discourse in an Oppositional Community: Lesbian Feminists and Bisexuality” (1994)
This article, by American sociologist Amber Ault, is a study of lesbian feminist attitudes towards bisexuality - and in particular bisexual women. It reveals some of the ways in which bisexual women have been portrayed by lesbian feminists, and does a very good job at deconstructing and criticizing them. It’s also a wonderful example of accountability, seeing as Ault, as a lesbian feminist, chose to engage with this subject and offer a criticism from within.
Sunfrog, “Pansies Against Patriarchy: Gender Blur, Bisexual Men,and Queer Liberation” (1995)
This article was published in the excellent 1995 US anthology, Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, and Visions. In this article,Sunfrog, a bisexual feminist male crossdresser, presents a revolutionary vision for bisexuality, sex and gender. Since I first read it and to this day, it remains one of the most awesome, powerful and passionate political texts I have ever read - not only in the field of bisexuality, but also in general. It is also one of the best texts about male pro-feminism that I have had the pleasure to read.
just because coming out is brave, doesn’t mean being in the closet is cowardly.
queer existence, queer survival is brave.
(via bisexual-community)
"
This week my fellow queers have reminded me just how not-safe queer spaces can be for bi people, and how we aren’t welcome in them. You douchebags make it harder for me to want to continue activism for the queer community. That’s a pretty awful emotion, considering the hell I’ve been through so all of us could live life a little safer. I’d like to think that the L and G people I’ve helped by putting my body and safety on the line for their rights and liberties could at least be open enough to respect my own definition of myself.
You know who I’ve gotten the most support from this week? My fellow bi women, and STRAIGHT PEOPLE. Yeah, you heard me right. Straight people have been more supportive of me this week on a queer issue than the majority of the gay or lesbian cispeople I’ve dealt with. That should be a big fucking cluebat to the head right there how fucked up the biphobia in the queer community is.
"— @therealkeori (via bisexualftw)
(via bisexualftw)
So when I type in “bi movies” to google I get a long list of porn websites.
When I type in “gay movies” I get something along the lines of “Top 25 Gay Films” from movie/LGBTQ websites. So, you know, not porn.
Gah. I just wanted to find some movies that have bisexual characters.
And they say that biphobia and bi erasure isn’t a thing. Pfft.
This is both amusing and highly irritating.
I feel like this simple fact speaks volumes about how bisexual people and bisexuality itself is treated in our culture.
"
I’d also argue that the stereotypes of bisexuals are damaging in and of themselves. We’re promiscuous, heartless, self-absorbed exhibitionists lacking in empathy and compassion. We’re sluts. We’re “over-sexed” – a phrase deliciously packed with social conditioning.
…
On the other hand, we’re supposed to be happy. Full of laughs, and probably vodka. We should never have trouble getting laid as much as we want, which as I’m sure you’ll be aware is a literal fuckload.
"— Emma Hart (via bisexualftw)
(via bisexualftw)
Brain dead + some free time + wanting to be productive = some more bi graphics. This one is an A4 poster version of this bisexual manifesto. Download, print and spread around at will.
For a full size download, go to this page.
This is Beautiful (yes, capital b. I meant to do that.) I love it. I feel that way—that’s the feedback I get from my uncle, and I hate it. He doesn’t even know that half the time, when I talk about my bi friends…I add me in too. He just hates on them and I have to keep myself from crying, because he’s one of the people whose opinions matter most to me.
It isn’t my fault I’m this way.
It isn’t your fault he’s this way.
:)
BECAUSE we are not real AND our orientation is only a phase AND we’ll just leave for a member of another sex any day AND our way of loving is only a sign of confusion AND when we haven’t changed in 5 or 10 or 20 or 50 years we are still just confused AND when we’re in a different-sex relationship then we are holding onto “straight privilege” AND when we’re in a same-sex relationship then we’ve finally “come all the way out” AND when we’re in a different-sex relationship we’re really just straight AND when we’re in a same-sex relationship then we’re really gay or lesbian AND when we dare suggesting that we have our own identity we are traitors of the community AND if we identify as bisexual we think there are only two genders AND when we identify as pansexual then we’re simply hipsters AND when we don’t self-define then we’re invisible AND because every historical figure or celebrity who has ever had a same-sex relationship was really gay or lesbian no matter how they may have felt about other genders AND we’re told we can’t make up our minds AND that we’re just attention seekers AND when we’re monogamous then we’re not really bisexual AND when we’re polyamorous then we’re reinforcing stereotypes AND because we want to fuck anything that moves AND because it’s okay to sexually harass us and we’re not allowed to choose or refuse or reject it AND because it’s okay to ask us invasive questions about our sex lives AND because every fuck up about our relationships is attributed to our bisexuality AND because we see personal ads that say “no bisexuals” AND for lots and lots of other reasons, WE ARE PART OF THE BISEXUAL LIBERATION MOVEMENT
(via christineleem)
