Now Playing Tracks

[Ontario, Canada]: As you may know, the data collection period for the Risk & Resilience: Bisexual Mental Health in Ontario is coming to a close.

  • If you have been invited to take the survey but haven’t done so yet …
  • If you have started the survey but haven’t completed it yet …
  • If you have tickets but haven’t passed them on yet …
    • …now is the time!

    This is our chance to get data about our community, and our health. Do the survey, pass it on. Please share this notice with your friends, networks, organizations and communities.

    Academic Survey: North America (resident) + 18+ years + Female Identified + Bisexual/non-Monosexual

    bisexual-community:

    Hello! You are invited to participate in a research study about the life experiences of Bisexual Women, with the purpose of gaining information on identity and body image.

    Participation in this study is limited to Women/Female-identified People who Identify As Bisexual [Ed Note: people who self-identify as queer, unlabeled, or otherwise non-monosexual but also associate with the phrase “bisexual” are welcome to participate], Reside in North America, and are 18 Years of Age or Older. This study is being conducted by a team of diverse LGBTQ affirming researchers at Columbia University and the University of Florida. This study has been approved by the Teachers College IRB (#12-378).

    For each participant who completes the survey, $1 will be donated to the Trevor Project. Please feel free to pass this link on to other bisexual women!


    Please Note: The principals for this research state that they are familiar with/agree with “Guidelines for Researching and Writing About Bisexuality”, “Best Practices for researchers dealing with the bisexual community”, et. al.

    Transcending Boundaries Conference: What's happening in TBCland?

    transcendboundaries:

    Transcending Boundaries Conference (TBC) is a weekend long Conference/Event where we discuss issues around gender, sex, sexuality and relationships, specifically those that don’t fit into conventional cisgender heteronormativity categories. The focus of the conference is our ever-evolving communities, including bisexual/other non-monosexual identities, queer, trans*, genderqueer, intersex, polyamorous, asexual and kinky persons and those who prefer not to use labels, as well as allies, families and partners.

    Transcending Boundaries grew out of a project of BiNet USA, the national bisexual organization. Throughout the 1990’s, BiNet USA helped bisexual activists around the country organize on a local level. In the New England & New York Tri-State Region (Connecticut, New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island, Capitol District/Lower Hudson Valley and New York City) they helped activists sponsor regional conferences. In 2000 the Conference voted to continue the independently; by 2001 the group that ran the conferences formally became a 501(c)3 whose mission is to to run the Northeast regional conference for bisexual, trans* and intersex people and our allies; in 2009, this focus was expanded to include the polyamorous community as well.

    At this time of year we get so busy with planning that we forget to tell you all what’s happening! Let’s catch up.

    • Tomorrow (Sunday September 9) at 1 PM is our monthly organizers meeting. Attending an organizers meeting is a great way to get involved with the conference and you can attend from anywhere worldwide via skype. E-mail info@transcendingboundaries.org if you want to join the skype conference call.
    • Immediately before, at noon, the content committee will meet to finalize this years workshop offerings. If you’re curious what we’ve got so far, check out Our Workshops Page
    • This indiegogo campaign is near and dear to our hearts (for obvious reasons!) These guys are coming a long way to be with us!
    • We’re looking for intersex voices to contribute to our Intersex Awareness Day event at 11 AM on October 26 through speaking live, recording their thoughts to be played, or writing thoughts to be read at the event. Contact melissa@transcendingboundaries.org
    • Registration rates go up on October 1 so if you haven’t registered, now is the time!  As our hotel block last year sold out, we also recommend booking your rooms at the Sheraton as soon as possible

    The Bad 'B' Word: A Need for Bisexual Acceptance

    Why, in this day and age, is the term “bisexual” still a bad word with negative connotations? Why do those who may have identified as bisexual in the past feel the need to find other terms for their sexuality today?

    Trans-Bi Activist and author Julia Serano had her finger on the pulse of this very issue when she wrote:

    “If the word does not resonate with you personally, then simply do not use it. But if you happen to forgo identifying with the word, don’t dare say that it is because you believe that bisexual “reinforces the notion that there are only two genders,” as that claim goes beyond personal statement, and enters the realm of accusation, as it insinuates that people who openly call themselves bisexual (e.g. me) are at best, naive about gender politics, and at worse, oppressing trans people.”

    Using other labels to escape biphobia and monosexism only further divides the LGBT community when we should be trying to unite against greater discrimination overall.

    The Bisexual Mind: Common topics

    bisexualmind:

    Consider this the FAQ for this Tumblr. Most of the questions I get can be answered by reading the links below.

    Definitions of bisexuality:

    Etymology, early theories about bisexuality and misconceptions about “bi = two”:

    Comparing and contrasting bisexuality and pansexuality:

    Identifying as bisexual vs. pansexual:

    Bisexuality and accusations of binarism:

    Girl Panic: What is bisexuality?

    girl-panic:

    These are definitions from several leading bisexual organizations:

    American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB)

    Bisexuals are people who have the innate capacity to form enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender. There may be an individual preference for one gender over others. Bisexuality is not synonymous with being polyamorous. Individual bisexual people may be celibate, monogamous or non-monogamous just as individual straight, lesbian or gay people can be.

    Bisexual Resource Center (BRC)

    The BRC uses bisexual as an umbrella term for people who recognize and honor their potential for sexual and emotional attraction to more than one gender (pansexual, fluid, omnisexual, queer, and all other free-identifiers). We celebrate and affirm the diversity of identity and expression regardless of labels.

    BiNet USA

    Identifying as Bisexual, Fluid, Pansexual or Queer simply means that you were born with the capacity to be attracted to people regardless of someone’s sexual or gender identity.

    Toronto Bisexual Network

    Bisexuality is the potential to feel attracted to and to engage in sexual and/or romantic relationships with people of any sex or gender. A bisexual person may not be equally attracted to men and women. The degree of attraction to any sex can be fluid and may change over time.

    Bisexuals, like all people, have a wide variety of relationships. Sexual involvement with both a man and a woman at the same time is not necessary for all bisexuals. Just like anyone else, bisexuals may be single, have one partner or have more than one partner.

    Self-perception is the key to a bisexual identity. Many people engage in sexual activity with partners of more than one sex over the course of their lives but do not identify as bisexual. People who have had sex with only one gender, or who have not had sex at all, may identify as bisexual because of their attractions, fantasies or openness to a sexual or romantic relationship with someone of any sex.

    UK: The Bisexual Index

    Bisexual isn’t about there being only “two sexes”

    Some people get hung up on the ‘bi’ and protest that gender isn’t binary. They claim that identifying as bisexual is tantamount to saying trans people don’t exist, or that you’re not attracted to them, or that you’re only into masculine men and feminine women. However many people using the identity “bisexual” disagree.

    In traditional dictionaries:

    • Homosexual is defined as “only attracted to the same sex”
    • Heterosexual is defined as “only attracted to the opposite sex”

    So why then dismiss bisexuality as being about “only men and women” when the definitions of hetero- and homo- don’t mention those? And why don’t the critics of the word also have a go at people using “heterosexual” or “homosexual” on the grounds of the words being even more restricted?

    In this modern age with a wider understanding of gender some people choose to re-state those as:

    • Homosexual- “attracted to people of a broadly similar gender”
    • Heterosexual - “attracted to people of a broadly different gender”

    In fact many people say there’s more than two genders, but if two options are either “similar to me” or “different to me” then we think it’s clear that “both” can refer to those two options rather than two perceived sexes.

    Bisexuality isn’t an attempt to pigeonhole gender, it’s the freedom to feel attraction without blinkers! But we agree that ‘both’ is an oddly limiting word for the category of “everyone else” - this is why we say “more than one gender” at the Bisexual Index. Ultimately though, we don’t think anyone is obliged to use the word “bisexual”, and we agree there’s some way to go before our definition is the most common one.

    Bialogue

    What does it mean to be bisexual? It’s simple actually —
    Bisexuals = people who can ♥ people of same gender as themselves + can ♥ people of different genders/gender presentations from themselves

    Formal Definition: Bisexuals are people with the (some include “inborn” or “innate”) capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, (some include “spiritual”) and/or emotional attractions to:

    (1) those of the same gender as themselves
    (2) those of different genders/gender presentations from themselves.

    There may be an individual attraction for one gender or gender presentation which can also be fluid and changeable over time.

    Bisexuality is not synonymous with being polyamorous (some include “or promiscuous”). Individual bisexual people may be celibate, asexual, monogamous or non-monogamous just as individual straight, lesbian or gay people can be.

    No matter what their own gender/gender presentation or the gender/gender presentation of the person they are partnered with, bisexual people remain bisexual. They do not suddenly switch orientation as if by magic when they enter into a relationship.

    To Tumblr, Love Pixel Union