It has been a while and enjoying virtual BiCon has left me feeling like being more in touch with friends.
[BiCon being the yearly national get-together for bisexuals and friends]
I found BiCon felt a lot like a BiCon this year. It was my 27th and 2nd time it was virtual.
I found Discord noisy but OK. I’m not sure what I’d replace it with. The virtual format allowed easier participation by internationals who may or may not have travelled and also some folks with limited energy.
I facilitated one workshop session: “Bisexuals working in education or who are students”
Bit of a clunky title but hopefully clear. It was an informal chance to chat and didn’t need a lot of prep.
I had a few people attend: folks working in schools and universities as well as university students. Issues included trying to make sure people are paid for expertise and labour about bisexuality, isolation (often being the only out bi at work or one of a small number), great improvements in younger people’s knowledge and empathy, section 28, cross cultural working, challenging the idea that bisexuality is just a young person thing, being within a teaching institution with a religious ethos, making resources and support available to people who aren’t out so they at least know of the concept of bisexuality and dealing with biphobia amongst pupils or students as well as colleagues, particularly straight ones. I ended noting we were involved with sites of learning and change. I’d like there to be some form of useful ongoing connection between isolated people but I’ve tried to organise that before and don’t want to do that again right now.
I also did some of the sessions which were chances to chat 1-1 and make friends (or see people I already know and like)
I went to the BiCon Continuity session as a former trustee, member and interested person. Leaving space for people to organise rather than gathering more and more things to do (and power) was a theme.
BiCon has a decision making bit which I chaired an unusual version of last year. This year I was just a participant and liked how the pre-DMP (Decision Making Plenary) and DMP dealt with difficult intersections of disability and race and live documents being modified and improved by a good number of people. I’m proud we have progressed with issues of racism and how we organise while recognising there is plenty more to do which should be done now. I thought the chair was good.
Spoonie Sex! was a double session on sex for people with disabilities that mean energy is more limited. I found it useful to hear about a number of issues and mitigations and remain curious how rope can be used for support as well as amusement.
Queer literature was run by some with great passion and interest and also with a catholic approach to words being literature rather than leaning to fine art. I picked up some good recommendations. I’ll probably read Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night by Katherine Fabian and Iona Datt Sharma soon. One ace / kink story I like and recommended is “This Time It’s Personal” by Powpup in the comic compilation Anything That Loves. I see little bi fiction that is as interesting as my friends’ lives but perhaps I’ve just not read much bi literature.
Making Rope Intersectional had a room with some clearly happy people and demonstrations of ties but didn’t have so much discussion or demonstration of making kink more diverse and dealing with bad power relations when trying to make fun ones.
Anti-Ziganism was a presentation on the topic which was comprehensive and there wasn’t time to get much into the crossover of being in GRT community and bisexual. I had to look up what Anti-Ziganism was before deciding to go to the session and I wonder how wanting to use “GRT” without expanding it because one of the words can be a slur fits with making writing more accessible.
Craftalong has some quite deep and personal conversation and I also worked out how to progress with a project that has been in a box for some time.
DBT Skills to Survive a Crisis was particularly interesting and well presented. It fits with work interests.
I ran an unofficial Zoom chat for kinksters and we had fun talking and doing some toy show and chat.
Bring a Bi Object was quite small so we had time to share and talk about a number of things each from flyers to dresses to books to badges from the past few decades. One of my favourite sessions last year and this.
I dropped in with E to be part of the group photo photos (which will be combined later) and the closing meeting was a happy end.
I did Zoom tech support for a couple of sessions which was easy this time and had a tech helper for mine so I could concentrate on the people and content. I was also on the listening team and spoke with a couple of attendees. We were quite a small team so I covered quire a few hours but that was easy since it was quiet.
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