Happy bisexual visibility day!https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏳️‍🌈" title="Regenbogen-Flagge" aria-label="Emoji: Regenbogen-Flagge">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💗" title="Wachsendes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Wachsendes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💜" title="Violettes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Violettes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blaues Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Blaues Herz">
Why would such a day be needed? There& #39;s no straight visibility day, right?
Because *in*visibility is a huge problem for bisexual people.
It& #39;s almost like we don& #39;t exist...
A thread for #bivisibilityday2020https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">
Happy bisexual visibility day!https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable=https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💗" title="Wachsendes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Wachsendes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💜" title="Violettes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Violettes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blaues Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Blaues Herz">Why would such a day be needed? There& #39;s no straight visibility day, right?Because *in*visibility is a huge problem for bisexual people.It& #39;s almost like we don& #39;t exist...A thread for #bivisibilityday2020https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">" title="Happy bisexual visibility day!https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏳️‍🌈" title="Regenbogen-Flagge" aria-label="Emoji: Regenbogen-Flagge">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💗" title="Wachsendes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Wachsendes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💜" title="Violettes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Violettes Herz">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💙" title="Blaues Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Blaues Herz">Why would such a day be needed? There& #39;s no straight visibility day, right?Because *in*visibility is a huge problem for bisexual people.It& #39;s almost like we don& #39;t exist...A thread for #bivisibilityday2020https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
But first, what do I mean by bisexual?*
My favourite definition comes from the legendary bi activist @robynochs, who writes...https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">

*by the way, can you think of many other sexual orientations where this kind of explanation would be necessary?
Fact is, one of the most pernicious biphobic myths is that this whole sexual orientation isn& #39;t real.
Imagine living your life attracted to people of more than one gender, and then being constantly told that you& #39;re just "confused", "attention seeking", or worse, lying.
Straightness is everywhere.
It& #39;s in almost every film, show, song, book, or poem you ever read.
Bisexuality not so much.
Bisexuals are hardly represented in media at all.
Bi& #39;s in same-sex relationships get "read" as gay/lesbian; in opposite-sex ones, they& #39;re seen as straight.
Bi invisibility is related to the problem of bisexual erasure.
This seminal (or ovarian?) academic essay by @kenji_yoshino outlines the generalised social and cultural erasure of bisexuality:
https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/yoshino_2000_the_epistemic_contract_of_bisecsual_erasure.pdf
If">https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/def... yr feeling lazy check this out: https://www.bustle.com/p/5-myths-about-bisexuality-that-contribute-to-bi-erasure-2418689">https://www.bustle.com/p/5-myths...
There are oodles of famous bi people, plenty you& #39;d definitely know. But I bet you didn& #39;t know half of them were bi.
But even when bisexuals come out, they& #39;re often questioned or disbelieved, and regularly face stigma and prejudice... even the celebs.
https://bi.org/en/famous ">https://bi.org/en/famous...
That& #39;s why it& #39;s important for those bisexuals who can safely be out (many can& #39;t) to stick their heads above the parapet.
I& #39;m lucky to work at a place where the boss did just that a few years ago. It was an important thing for lots of ppl: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41946549">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-w...
Bisexuals are often even invisible to themselves.
It takes many bi& #39;s much longer to understand their own sexuality because we "see" people like us so seldom in our everyday lives or on our screens.
This fantastic pod from @NichiHodgson addresses this https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p059lylf">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programme...
This rather lovely, anonymous, @Medium blog shows what this kind of struggle is like for a middle-aged woman who came out years into her monogamous, opposite-sex marriage.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> https://medium.com/s/story/married-monogamous-and-bisexual-abeaf97ac9cb">https://medium.com/s/story/m...
That piece https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☝️" title="Zeigefinger nach oben" aria-label="Emoji: Zeigefinger nach oben"> challenges another nasty biphobic myth: that bisexuals are cheaters, and can& #39;t stay in a relationship because they can never be satisfied being with only one of the genders.
Here& #39;s more evidence to show this up as BS.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/dating-decisions/201405/3-myths-about-bisexuality-debunked-science">https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/d...
The good news from this research: those "out" bi men who are accepted by their partners seem to make better fathers, lovers, and partners than hetero men.
This is explained by a willingness to think and act outside restrictive sexist gender norms & roles. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zmbn8x/what-its-really-like-for-women-to-date-bisexual-men">https://www.vice.com/en_us/art...
Because of stuff like this, though, it& #39;s no wonder that so so many bisexuals are closeted, and feel unable to live their sexual identity in the open.
75% of gay and lesbian people are "out" to those closest to them compared with just 19% of bi& #39;s.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/18/bisexual-adults-are-far-less-likely-than-gay-men-and-lesbians-to-be-out-to-the-people-in-their-lives/ft_19-06-18_bisexuals_bisexuals-far-less-likely-to-be-out-to-important-people-in-their-life/">https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank...
When bi& #39;s *are* represented, or talked about, it& #39;s often in the most nasty & stigmatising of ways.
We& #39;re used to thinking about white-, male-, or straight privilege. But there& #39;s a "mono sexual privilege", too, as @ShiriEisner has discussed in this piece: https://radicalbi.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-monosexual-privilege-checklist/">https://radicalbi.wordpress.com/2011/07/2...
Lots of the ways bis are marginalised are shared by other groups, but many are unique to people attracted to more than one gender.
The flip-side of privilege is oppression, and this list sheds light on the staggering list of injustices faced by many bisexual people.
The consequence of erasure and stigmatisation is incredibly painful for many.
Bisexual women are staggeringly more at risk from sexual violence and domestic abuse than straight or lesbian women. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/why-bisexual-women-are-at-a-higher-risk-for-violence">https://www.teenvogue.com/story/why...
Bisexual men *and* women have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidality and addiction even when compared with lesbian or gay ppl.
The comparison with the averages for straight people is just tragic. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-features/blogs/detail/special-interest-groups/2020/06/19/bisexual-mental-health">https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-...
Oops I only came in to post a nice pic to #bivisibilityday & I seem to have done a mega-long misery thread instead.
All this nasty stuff doesn& #39;t define us; we& #39;re defined by our pride and uniquely open worldview.
But, like bisexuals, this should be more visible.
Tell yr friends.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✌️" title="Siegeshand" aria-label="Emoji: Siegeshand">
Need help or support figuring out your sexuality? Think you might be bi? check out a local bi community group: https://bicommunitynews.co.uk/local-groups/ 
In">https://bicommunitynews.co.uk/local-gro... Wales, look up @BiWales.
For details abt mental health support for LGBT ppl in Wales go here: https://www.lgbtcymru.org.uk"> https://www.lgbtcymru.org.uk 
You can follow @llantwit.
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