Bisexual Awareness Week, also known as #BiWeek, takes place annually between the days of Sept. 16 to Sept. 23. The week ends with Bisexual Visibility Day on Sept. 23, a day meant to commemorate and recognize bisexual members in the LGBTQ+ community. More than half of the LGBTQ+ community identifies as bisexual. This year will be the 24th annual year of celebrating Bi Pride.
Bisexuality is often overlooked within the LGBTQ+ community. The definition of being bisexual is an attraction to more than one gender. This can be the same sex or the opposite sex. Bisexuality is often seen as a “phase” and many people who identify with this label are invalidated by both heterosexual and queer people. Bisexual individuals can sometimes find themselves outcasted in both straight and gay communities, as they sit in the middle of these two sexual orientations. They are sometimes excluded from Pride festivals which are more so centered around the gay and lesbian communities. They are told frequently to “pick a side” when it comes to who they are attracted to and are written off as just being confused about their sexual orientation.
These comments can be seen as biphobia, a form of homophobia towards bisexual community members. Biphobia has led to adverse effects, such as the phenomena of bisexual erasure. This occurs when being bisexual is seen as illegitimate, a phase or simply not existing when it comes to defining sexuality. Bisexual people feel this the most when people perceive them as not a part of the straight community, but also not a part of the gay community. Many people never come out as bisexual for fear of judgment and being invalidated. This is especially common if they have only dated or shown interest in people of the opposite gender.
Consequently, this can cause bisexual people to invalidate themselves as well. They may feel uncomfortable using the bisexual label if they have no experience with those of the same sex. Bisexual Awareness Week is meant to uplift those who identify with this part of the community and remind them that no matter if they have only dated men or women, their sexuality is still valid. Sexual orientation does not change based on who someone is dating. How a person defines themselves is sacred, and dating history does not determine sexuality.
It is important to note that bisexual people do not often experience equal attraction to certain genders. Some prefer men, some have a preference for women, some it is indeed equal, and they experience attraction evenly regardless of gender. Bisexuality is fluid and how people experience it is different depending on the person. This can blend into gender identities as well, as bisexual people can be attracted to cis, trans or non-binary people. Being bisexual means different things to different people.
Whether you identify as bisexual or not, Bisexual Visibility Day is an important day that deserves recognition. Biphobia and bi-erasure are quite common in our society, and this day serves to counteract these phenomena and promote the validity of bisexual individuals in the LGBTQ+ community.
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