Faith Cheltenham, chair of BiNet USA, has written a beautiful, sad blog post and a call for the importance of community:
Bisexual community mourns loss of bisexual teen, Adam Kizer Every day I hear from bi, pan, fluid and queer kids, adults and elders that they are encouraged to accept "the privelege" of hiding who they are. They are denied services from gay and lesbian resource centers because "they should be fine, how hard can it be?" And so they die, frequently without none to claim them as their own. The bisexual community claims this young person! YOU WERE PRECIOUS TO US AND YOUR LOSS WILL BE REMEMBERED. We will keep fighting for you and share your story in hopes it is one less often told. Click for full blog post at BiNetUSA's blog.
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Happy #bivisibility day!
I use bi+ to be intentionally inclusive of all non-monosexual identified and behaving people. When I speak to youth, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled are salient ways that many express who they are to others. I hear about the importance of the bisexual identity from many of the elders who tell me about their fight for recognition in straight and gay spaces. For me, as a white, middle class racial justice leader, I feel that bivisibility has to be about making and transforming spaces for ourselves and each other so all of us can thrive and be honored as the beautiful, deep, and complex people we are. So, today and everyday, I'm calling out and making intentional space for bi/pan/fluid/poly/omni/queer/and unlabeled folks with intersectional identities. Bi+ people of color and indigenous people, bi+ people who are transgender/gender variant, bi+ people who speak multiple languages, bi+ Muslims/Hindi/Jews/Budhists/Pagans/Atheists, bi+ people who have crossed national borders, bi+ folks with disabilities, bi+ folks with limited financial resources, bi+ youngsters and elders -- I believe that all of our stories matter! I believe we are stronger and more powerful when we recognize and honor each other. Honoring each other extends beyond just calling out the presence of those whose voices might otherwise be absent. I ask for each of us to get uncomfortable and reflect about the needs of bi+ people everywhere. We won't find easy solutions to the problems bi+ people face, but we won't find solutions at all if we don't listen to those whose voices might be quiet or full of anger. That's the spirit behind the Bi+ Story Project. We have to get creative to make space so we can listen radically to bi+ people. You can improve #bivisibility by sharing your own story. It's quick and easy: STEP 1. Record a video (aim for 7-10 minutes). STEP 2. Sign into your YouTube account through your gmail address and upload your video. Copy the link to your video when you're done loading it. STEP 3. Visit http://www.bistoryproject.org/submit-your-video.html, complete the brief survey, and paste the link into the survey when prompted. #bistoriesmatter Peace, Mary Hoelscher BOP invites anyone who’s interested in building a more inclusive bi+ community to participate in a free four-hour training this Sunday, September 21, in St. Paul. Professional trainers Erika Thorne (of Training for Change) and Irna Landrum will be leading us in exercises and discussions on privilege, intersectional identities, and the ways we can confront harmful dynamics that keep our community from being inclusive and equitable. We will learn and reflect in a non-shaming, non-blaming atmosphere. If you’re interested in participating, please email bop@bisexualorganizingproject.org by Thursday, September 18. |
BECAUSEBECAUSE 2024
October 4th - 6th, 2024 Murzyn Hall Columbia Heights, MN We hope you will join us for the BECAUSE Conference in fall 2024! MissionBuild, serve and advocate for an empowered bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community to promote social justice. Vision
Within the next five years grow Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP) into a successfully-run Upper Midwest nonprofit organization with annual funding of $100,000 that provides community building, education, and advocacy for the bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community and our allies.
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