September—a month to celebrate resiliency, power, and love. You may be asking: “what’s so special about September? It’s just an ordinary month!” Well, reader, I’m here to tell you that September holds a high level of importance for the LGBTQIA+ community, and more specifically for the bisexual community. September is Bisexuality Visibility Month, an annual celebration for the bi (a shorthand for bisexual) community. This month is a time to uplift the voices within the bi community and bring light to the struggles this community faces, as well as an occasion to admire the strength of the bisexual community and to educate yourself on the different aspects of bisexuality.
Differences Between Bisexuality, PANsexuality, and Biromanticism
To start, bisexuality is a sexual orientation. Those who are sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to more than one gender may identify as bisexual (APA, 2017). Now, sometimes bisexuality can be confused with pansexuality, depending on the definitions being used. That’s okay, which is why I want to address it in this article for you, reader!
Identifying as bisexual means that you’re “attracted to the gender the same as your own, AND to other genders. Some people use it to mean ‘attracted to two or more genders’”. Identifying as pansexual means you’re “attracted to…people of ALL genders. Binary or not” (Minus18, 2023). Another way I like to think of this is that bisexuality, to some degree, considers gender when it comes to attraction, while pansexuality is attraction regardless of gender.
Additionally, some people identify as biromantic, meaning they are romantically attracted to more than one gender, but they may not also be sexually attracted. Romantic attraction involves wanting to connect to another person emotionally while receiving a reciprocal commitment from the other party. This differs from sexual attraction because sexual attraction is marked by a sexual desire to be with another person. While the two sometimes go together, sexual attraction does not correspond to romantic attraction 100% of the time. Romantic feelings can be a part of sexual attraction, but some individuals may experience only one or the other (Barnes, 2022).
History of Bisexuality Awareness Month
Although this article is about the entirety of Bisexuality Awareness Month, it’s important to acknowledge the catalyst for this month: Bisexuality Day. Bisexuality Day has been around for 24 years —how fantastic is that? First celebrated in 1999, Bisexuality Day made its initial appearance at the International Lesbian and Gay Association’s Worldwide Conference. The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA for short) is a worldwide federation that has been fighting against LGBTQ+ discrimination since 1978. At the 1999 ILGA Worldwide Conference, bisexual activists Gigi Raven, Wendy Curry, and Michael Page brought attention to the struggles the bisexual community faced. As Katraju et al. state, “The celebration was out of… frustration among the bisexual community, who still felt invisible despite the Stonewall Riots of 1969”.
For some context, the Stonewall Riots occurred on June 28th, 1969. New York police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, which at the time was a safe space for many queer folks. As the police arrested more and more queer folks, members of the LGBTQIA+ community stood outside the Stonewall Inn and protested the arrest of their community members. Stonewall is now seen as a major event in queer activism. Although bi visibility has improved since Stonewall, there is still room to grow when it comes to inclusivity and fighting against stereotypes that are specifically targeted at bisexuals.
Struggles FACED BY the Bi Community
Bisexual persons face forms of discrimination that invalidate, and to some degree erase their sexual orientation. GLADD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) writes that “Bisexual erasure or bisexual invisibility is a pervasive problem in which the existence or legitimacy of bisexuality (either in general or in regard to an individual) is questioned or denied outright.” For example, when two men are dating, a quick judgment can be made that the two men are gay, but in reality, one or both individuals may identify as bisexual. Another example of bisexual erasure is when comments are made that invalidate the very existence of bisexuals, include things like “oh, this is just a phase” or “you’re not bisexual, you haven’t dated the opposite (or same) gender before.” To reduce bisexuality to a phase suggests that bisexuals are indecisive, which is just not true. And to say that someone is not bisexual simply based on not being with a certain gender reduces a person to their experiences—but experience does not equal orientation.
Society puts a lot of pressure on bisexual folk to prove their sexuality. Eleanor Noyce recounts her personal experience of feeling as though she “wanted to prove that [she] was bi 'enough', not only to [herself] but to the LGBTQ+ community and the outside world.” Her story is about navigating dating apps as a bisexual woman while overcoming fetishization, bisexual invisibility, and hypersexualization—all issues that bisexual people face. Her ending affirmation gives hope to bisexuals who may feel similarly: “We aren’t confused, we aren’t pretending and we aren’t less valid than anyone else on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Uttering the words "I’m bisexual" is enough.”
How You Can Celebrate Bisexuality Awareness Month
So, how can you, lovely reader, go about celebrating the last few days of Bisexuality Awareness Month, or even prepare for next year? First, I would like to acknowledge that you do not need to be bisexual to celebrate Bisexuality Awareness Month. If you’re a friend, family member, or ally, please celebrate those around you—the more the merrier!
Secondly, get involved! Since 2014, GLADD has co-led #BiWeek with BiNet—a nonprofit bisexual advocacy organization —to bring light to some of the previously mentioned struggles the bi community faces. #BiWeek also celebrates the resiliency of the community. BiWeek occurs from September 16th to September 23rd (Bisexual Awareness Week), where it ends on Bisexuality Day. Looking forward to next year, GLADD’s page provides ways to get involved during #BiWeek, along with additional resources!
Thirdly, speak out against any biphobia, bisexual erasure, or any other discrimination the bisexual community faces. Support the voices of bisexual individuals, and listen to how you can best help out the community. (Options may vary depending on your privilege!) Think about any internal biases you may hold—even if you’re great at using inclusive language, calling out those who discriminate, and publicly supporting bisexual persons, you are not immune to how society has conditioned us. Lastly, if this is too overwhelming for you, don’t fret! Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) has a fantastic resource webpage that gives an array of different forms of resources for all different levels of understanding.
At the beginning of this piece, I said to educate yourself on the different aspects of bisexuality during Bisexuality Awareness Month. I still encourage you to do so, but I also want to point out that if possible, your education shouldn’t stop once the clock hits 12:00 A.M. on October 1st. The bisexual community needs our support 24/7/365, so let’s continue the celebration after September. We at Sexual Health Alliance hope that you’re able to celebrate Bisexuality Awareness Day, Week, and Month each year moving forward, however you’re able to. We also wish bisexuals around the globe a Happy Bisexuality Awareness Month—be free, be proud, and lastly be your lovely bisexual self all year round!
Written by Jess Pearse (she/they).