BiTopia Events in July & August
Posted inbisexual BiTopia nottinghamshire pride

BiTopia Events in July & August

I hope you can join us for the following if you’re free: July Pub Social, Thursday 9th July, The Lord Roberts Pub, Broad Street, Nottingham, NG1 3AN. 7:30-11:00pm. Look for the rubber duck on the table to find us! Nottinghamshire Pride Parade, Saturday 25th July. Meet us at the corner of Listergate and Castlegate at 11:00am. […]
#BiVolunteer
Posted inbi ldb

#BiVolunteer

Last week was Volunteers' Week. I was being a "bad volunteer" as some I know see it - too busy being ill, and in bed for a couple of days, so I didn't do much beyond day job, eat and sleep that week.  Oh, I ran a bi social/support group for an evening.  I knew there was something.

But I tweeted:
#ivolunteer with projects working on issues around #bisexuality like @BiPhoria @BiCommunityNews as they're things I needed when coming out
— Jen Yockney (@jenyockney) June 2, 2015
I could have named more projects and expanded on the theme a little but, y'know, 140 characters and all that.

I prefer "bi volunteering" to "bi activism" as a phrase at the moment. It sounds a bit more... accessible?  Anyone can be a volunteer, but activists must have sekrit superpowers.

The main lesson I've learned on volunteeringy activist doodah was from Natalya, whose wisdom is that you should do the volunteering that you enjoy and find least taxing. It is the one you are most likely to still want to do when doing it involves the equivalent of standing in the sleet at a bus stop on an evening in January when you could be warm and dry at home.

What bi volunteering would you like to do?
My Harmful Heteronormative Education
Posted inbisexuality education lgbt My Bi Life Section 28 Sex

My Harmful Heteronormative Education

I was born the year before Section 28 was introduced, so with two exceptions, nothing LGBT+ was ever shown or mentioned by teachers at school. There was nothing in the syllabus either. Before I write about these two exceptions though, let me take you through a brief history of my education… In primary school nothing LGBT+ was ever mentioned. … Continue reading My Harmful Heteronormative Education →
3 reasons why identifying as bisexual will make your life better
Posted inidentity society wellbeing

3 reasons why identifying as bisexual will make your life better

Somewhere between 0.5% and 5% of the population self-identify as bisexual.  Many more people are attracted to both men and women, but choose not to identify themselves as bisexual. Why? The primary cause is social stigma and prejudice.  Our culture doesn’t generally recognise bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.  Bisexual people receive messages from society that […]
3 reasons why identifying as bisexual will make your life better
Posted inidentity society wellbeing

3 reasons why identifying as bisexual will make your life better

Somewhere between 0.5% and 5% of the population self-identify as bisexual.  Many more people are attracted to both men and women, but choose not to identify themselves as bisexual. Why? The primary cause is social stigma and prejudice.  Our culture doesn’t generally recognise bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.  Bisexual people receive messages from society that […]
NO PLACE FOR FASCISM AT PRIDEUKiP aim to march at London LGBT…
Posted inbiphobia homophobia lgbt pride queer racism transphobia

NO PLACE FOR FASCISM AT PRIDEUKiP aim to march at London LGBT…



NO PLACE FOR FASCISM AT PRIDE


UKiP aim to march at London LGBT Pride.  For those not in the know, UKIP are a political party that wants the UK to have laws in place that would stop HIV+ people entering the country.  They want Christians to be able to discriminate against LGBT people.  They want Immigrants out, and whites in.  This party is incredibly poisonous.  However they have a LGBT group, and this group wants to join in pride, complete with UKIP banners and a sense of hatred.

London Pride has a history of being aimed at white gay men, with anyone else pretty much ignored.  UKIP marching at Pride isn’t just something that will affect People of Colour though; it affects everyone.  UKIP may not have a policy on LGBT people, but their councillors have said some very LGBT-phobic things in the past.  There is no place for them at this celebration.

On a personal note, I have recently taken over as the Black and Minority Ethnic persons rep on the Pride Community Advisory Board.  I wasn’t told that UKIP were marching on the parade.  It was only by accident that I found out about it. I feel that the officers of Pride have ignored non-white LGBT folks yet again.  But this time I am not going to be silent, and you don’t have to be either.


Send an email to http://prideinlondon.org/contacts/ and let them know what you think.

You can also sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/the-board-and-senior-team-pride-in-london-board-remove-ukip-from-london-pride-march-2015

Complicated launch

Complicated launch

This month there's another big new bi report out, called Complicated?, about peoples' experiences of biphobia in using services. The results are surprising in a couple of ways!Our June update is out, talks about Complicated and much more, and it's onli...