LGBTQ+
Bl ERASURE IS REAL, AND IT'S
TIME WE DID SOMETHING
ABOUTIT.
Upon hearing the name
Freddie Mercury, you are likely
to remember the amazingly
talented frontman of Queen, who
gave stunning live performances
and had an eclectic fashion
sense. You'll also probably recall
being told, at some point in
your life, that he was gay. Well,
he wasn't. Freddie Mercury
was a bisexual man who had
both male and female lovers
throughout his years- the reason
you don't know this is because
many people still believe that
bisexuality doesn't exist.
Unfortunately, people are usually
under the impression that you
are either straight or gay and
that there is no in-between.
This is, of course, false- there
are dozens of sexualities that
go ignored by the population
and are often even ridiculed.
Take the common media
representation of bisexuality
for example: in an episode of
Glee openly gay character Kurt
states that "bisexual is a term
that gay guys in high school use
when they want to hold hands
with girls and feel like a normal
person for a change': Although
we do not often see characters
in films and TV who identify as
bisexual, when we do they are
portrayed as confused, unfaithful
and greedy- an untrue and
unfair depiction that is nothing
but damaging to the millions
of bisexual people who do not
fit a stereotype. However, bi
erasure and bi-phobia is not just
confined to the mainstream.
As inclusive as the LGBTO+
acronym sounds the B, T and 0
are so often ignored within the
community. Famous journalist
and activist Dan Savage has
openly admitted to telling young
bisexuals "I was too, at your
age': further perpetuating the
idea that they will one day "pick
a side': Some gay/lesbian people
are reluctant to date bisexual
people due to their ability to
"pass" as straight if they are
with a partner of a different
gender, coupled with the
ongoing idea (also held by those
who identify as heterosexual)
that a bisexual partner is more
likely to cheat. This is a
ridiculous and harmful belief that
has a direct effect on the mental
health of many bisexual people.
An Australian study from 2002
found that the rates of mental
health issues amongst bisexual
people were drastically higher
than those of lesbians, gay men
and heterosexual people. A study
was carried out at the annual UK
bisexual conference (2008) and
found that 36% of attendees had
single or multiple mental health
issues, directly linking it to their
sexuality. In a world that claims
to be taking steps to a more
inclusive society, how are we still
failing to recognize an entire
group of people?
There are a number of different
ways you can be a better ally to
the bisexual community- firstly,
when someone tells you they are
bisexual, believe them.
Don’t question their sexuality. It’s
likely to have taken them a long
time to understand how they feel,
and it is never your place to
discredit that. Start to question
media representation of bisexual
people, understand that these
dramatizations are not accurate
and ignore the sweeping
generalisations that are made so
often.
It is also important to
understand that there are
different experiences throughout
the bi community. The term
bisexual is often used as an
umbrella term for anyone
attracted to more than one
gender, so can sometimes be a
term used for bi people, pan
people, queer, fluid, and so on. It
is important to respect
sexualities for what they are and
not try to group people together,
each orientation is valid. Learn
the differences between different
terms. Ultimately, respect
people’s self-identifications. They
know themselves better than you
ever will.
If you’re bisexual and feel like you
need help, there’s lots of support
available online. Try visiting:
https://
bisexuality.supportgroups.com/