We are! We're tired of bisexuals being overlooked, or ignored, or told we need to "be gay" in order to present a united front against homophobia.
Sadly a lot of organisations seem to think that bisexuals are some sort of default. We're either covered by 'gay and straight', or in the case of some LGBT organisations by 'lesbian and gay'.
Hello? Third option here!
The 2006 Equality Act sets out clearly that there are three possibilities for sexual attraction, for the purposes of anti-discrimination law in the UK: attracted to own sex only, attracted to other sex only, and both.
It can be hard for individuals to stand up and say "Hey, what about me?", especially as bisexual invisibility works hard to make us feel alone. But that's where we at the Bisexual Index come in.
Do you use a local service that claims to be for all, and defines 'all' as straight and gay? Does an organisation you belong to say it's LGBT but discriminates against bisexuals? Have you been turned away from a gay club for not being 'gay enough' and been told 'no bisexuals'? Email us, and we'll contact them and explain how they can be genuinely inclusive.
Alternatively, do you want your organisation to give more than lip service to the needs of bisexuals? Would you like your website or literature checked for exclusivity? Do you want to include the needs, opinions and beliefs of bisexuals in your work? We'll happily help you to embrace bisexuals - email us at campaign@bisexualindex.org.uk
Making bisexuals visible isn't easy, but it can be started simply. Come out to someone. You don't have to come out to everyone, all the time, but come out to someone today and chip away at the invisibility!
You could buy one of our t-shirts. You could put out some bisexual leaflets at your place of work or local pub or library. You could subscribe to BCN (see links) and maybe even leave a copy out! You could come to a bisexual event, and meet other bisexuals, and help the people there see the diversity of bisexuality in the UK.
