Miguel Obradors sent a message to the members of Global Bisexual Network.

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Subject: Bisexual Day 2009!

Dear folks of this group!

Today is the Bisexuality day, which is celebrated worldwide with thousands of political and cultural events!

For those of you that you are not bisexuals, you would like to know more about Bisexuality the best option is by leaving assumptions on one side and asking a bisexual about himself/herself. Most LGBT networks have many bisexuals; however bisexuals tend to be closeted in such networks because we experience a non-welcoming atmosphere where prejudices and general ignorance on human sexualities sometimes become ubiquitous. So in stead of feeling finally cool and relaxed sometimes we experience anxiety in such LGBT networks

This is the reason why it is very important to create spaces only for bisexuals and work on awareness through workshops and other events.

Basic notions about bisexuality are:

1) Bisexuals are attracted in a sexual and/or affective way to human beings REGARDLESS OF their gender. This does not mean that gender may play an important AND CENTRAL role. It just means that gender is not a framework where other characteristics are attached such as race, age, power exchange, fetishes and so on. Gender is a concept that can be combined on equal conditions as all the other ones can.
For a bisexual if you say you are only into either “men” or “women”, it is like saying you are only into “tall persons”, “white persons”, “old persons” and so on. It is understood but it sounds in a way chocking for us.

2) It is a wrong assumption to say that bisexuals only recognise two genders. Monosexuals (homosexuals or heterosexuals) take two genders for granted, of which their affection or sexual desire is targeted towards one.

Human beings are divided into men and women by heterosexualism. Therefore by saying you are bisexual you are saying you are Pansexual, or just easier that you are SEXUAL, you are just attracted to hot and gorgeous PERSONS. So this dualism related to bisexuality is just a myth.

3) Bisexuality cannot be defined in QUANTITATIVE TERMS. A woman that has been with one woman and one man may be perceived as 50% lesbian and 50% straight (= 100% bisexual) one day, whereas if the following day she is together with two more women she might be perceived as 75% lesbian and 25% straight, and if the day after she is with two men, she becomes 100% bisexual again (being with three men and three women in total). This reasoning is certainly absurd but broadly assumed by monosexuals, so drop it.
Bisexuality is an independent sexuality on its own; it is not a mixture of heterosexuality and homosexuality.

4) Gender performance and sexuality are two different variables. For example bisexual men are not necessarily more masculine than gay men or gay men more masculine than straight men, mutatis mutandis, same situation for women.

5) Bisexuals are represented by a tricolour flag. You would like to know more about this flag go to: http://www.facebook.com/l/422ce;en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisexual_pride_flag

6) Bisexuality and polyamori are two different variables. You can be bisexual and monogamous and straight or gay and polyamorous. Sexual orientation and sexual activity is not the same.

7) Biphobia and homophobia are by no means the same. If two bisexual men go hand in hand in the street and they are beaten down, it is because the hate criminals assumed they were HOMOSEXUALS. If a bisexual woman and a bisexual man kiss in a gay bar and they are looked in weird twisted way by others, it is because people around thought they were STRAIGHTS.

So Biphobia by analogy with homophobia and heterophobia can be hard to deal with, but biphobia in itself is also about:

a) The non recognition of Bisexuality beyond the bipolar system of hetero/homosexuality: Bisexuality does not exist!

b) The recognition of Bisexuality but the non recognition of a Bisexual person as Bisexual: Show us you are bisexual!

c) The recognition or bisexuality and bisexuals but the lack of understanding and will to integrate bisexuals in LGBT networks: Let us be bi-inclusive, sounds cool, but we do not have a clue on what this is all about.

d) The will to integrate bisexuals but the lack of understanding about what bisexuality really is about, henceforth being bisexuals trivialised through all kinds of comments or patronised by other groups.

Keep your ears open more than your eyes, never assume another person’s sexuality or gender identity and leave room in your networks for the development of alternative structures. Let bisexuals to voice their opinion and to represent themselves, same with LGT persons. In this way you will ensure a richer framework where there will be room for everybody and a clime of mutual respect and awareness.

Happy Bisexual Day 2009!

Wish it to all the Bisexuals you know

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