#Robyn Ochs

[readingbibooks]

“Because of our cultural erasure, bisexuality tends to be invisible except as a point of conflict. Given that studies reveal that only a small percentage of bisexuals are simultaneously involved with persons of both genders (Rust, 1991) and that we tend to assume that a person's sexual orientation corresponds to the sex of his or her current partner, it is difficult to make our bisexuality visible in daily life. As a result, most people usually "see" bisexuality only in the context of uncomfortable situations: a closeted married man contracts HIV from sex with another man and his wife contracts the virus; a woman leaves her lesbian relationship for a male lover. Often, when bisexuality is given attention, it is portrayed as a transitional category, an interim stage in an original or subsequent coming-out process, usually from heterosexual to homosexual. This has the effect of associating bisexuality in many people's minds with conflict and impermanence.

The word bisexual itself may be seen as a product of binary thinking and, therefore, problematic. Many people struggling to understand bisexuality can only imagine the concept as a 50-50 identity. In their minds, if a third category exists, then it must fall midway between the other two categories and have clearly defined, unchanging parameters. Using this measurement, they will find very few "true” bisexuals. Many people also assume that a bisexual must need a lover of each sex to be satisfied, raising the specter of non-monogamy, another hot button for many.”

- Robyn Ochs, Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World

[lightningbisexual]

embarrassing

[robynochs]

Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week! 💚🤍🖤 Celebrated the week after Valentine's Day, ASAW is a great time to learn more about aromantic identities and experiences, as well as the unique challenges aromantic individuals face.

Here's some basic information as well as links to further resources.

What is 'Aromantic' (Aro)?

Aromantic describes people who experience little to no romantic attraction, or whose experience of romance is disconnected from normative societal expectations, due to feeling repulsed by romance, or being uninterested in romantic relationships.

They may or may not experience other types of attraction and many have any sexual orientation

Aro is a shorthand for aromantic that is also commonly used as an umbrella term for people on the aromantic spectrum

Aroace refers to someone who is on both the aromantic spectrum and the asexual spectrum

The Aromantic Spectrum

While some aromantic people feel no romantic attraction at all, some people feel it rarely, experience it only under certain conditions, have trouble distinguishing between romantic and other types of attraction, or have some other pattern of attraction that doesn't fit the norm.

There are many different terms for these different patterns of attraction, but all fit under the broader term aromantic spectrum.

Other Important Terms

Demiromantic - describes a person who only experiences romantic attraction after developing an emotional connection beforehand.

Grayromantic (gray aromantic) - describes a person who feels romantic attraction very rarely, weakly, unreliably or gains/loses attraction in unusual or unknown circumstances.

Queerplantonic Relationship (QPR) - relationships that don't fit into the categories of what is traditionally considered to be a friendship or a romantic relationship. They many or many not be sexual, involve living together, raising children, shared finances & life decisions, etc.

About ASAW

Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (ASAW) is a week meant to spread awareness and acceptance of aromantic spectrum identities and the issues they face, as well as a chance for the community to celebrate its own experiences and existence.

ASAW generally occurs the first full week following Valentine's Day; it began in large part as a way for those in the aromantic community who had difficulty finding space for their experiences in such a universally romanticized event to come together and celebrate their own unique experiences.

More Info & Resources

www.arospecweek.org

www.aromanticism.org

www.taaap.org/

www.aromanticguide.com/

www.reddit.com/r/aromantic/

www.acesandaros.org/

Happy Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week from Robyn Ochs and Alex Runion

[whats-another-song-contest]

In a statement published the same week as the first Melodifestivalen semi-final, more than 1000 Swedish artists ask the EBU to exclude Israel from this year's Eurovision Song Contest, including 2 acts participating in this year's edition of melfest: Jacqline, and both members of Medina. Also among the signatures are former melfest participants Johan Hirvi (Panetoz) and Alvaro Estrella, as well as former winners Eric Saade and Malena Ernman.

Some other notable signatures belong to Robyn, First Aid Kit, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Petra Marklund (also known as September), The Wannadies, Thomas Stenström, Miriam Bryant, Sabina Ddumba, Daniel Adams-Ray, Timbuktu, Kaliffa and many others whose names I recognise but I'm too unfamiliar with the contemporary music scene to know their work.

Below is my translation of some parts of their statement, as well as sources:

Note: The bold parts are also bold in the original statement. I have tried to use the same terminology as the statement, but I'm no expert, so be aware that there can be some mistakes.

The first link includes the full statement in Swedish as well as a list of all the signatures:

[...] What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster and the International Court of Justice in The Hague has recently decided to continue the case where Israel is accused of crimes against the Genocide Convention. Despite this the European radio- and TV-union the EBU intends to allow Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The EBU grounds its position on Eurovision being a competition between public service companies rather than states. But in 2022 the EBU chose to exclude Russia by reason of the invasion of Ukraine, and in 2021 the participating broadcaster from Belarus was denied participation because the country broke the EBU's rules for the freedom of the press. In barely four months about 100 Palestinian journalists have been killed, and foreign press has been denied access to Gaza. It is one of the greatest attacks on journalistic freedom in modern times. We are of the opinion that the EBU by allowing Israel's participation displays a remarkable double-standard that undermines the credibility of the organisation. [...] We expect both the EBU and this year's host broadcaster SVT to be consistent in their approach towards participating countries that infringe on democratic values and human rights.

[...] We who sign this are 1000 artists who believe in music as a unifying force. The Eurovision Song Contest began as a peace project to unite countries and citizens through music. To allow Israel's participation undermines not just the competition's spiritual intent but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without facing consequences. That is why we ask the EBU: Exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

[hellomynameisbisexual]

THE DEFINITION OF BISEXUALITY (ACCORDING TO BI ORGANIZATIONS, ACTIVISTS, AND THE COMMUNITY) - TUMBLR MOBILE EDITION

Bisexual Organizations:

http://www.biresource.net/BRC_Brochure_2010.pdf (Bisexual Resource Center: USA)

“The BRC uses bisexual as an umbrella term for people who recognize and honor their potential for sexual and emotional attraction to more than one gender. We celebrate and affirm the diversity of identity and expression regardless of labels.”

http://bisexual.org/am-i-bi/ (American Institute of Bisexuality)

“A bi person has the capacity for romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one gender.”

http://www.bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/AmIBisexual (Bisexual Index: UK)

“This is how we define it: A bisexual is someone who is attracted to more than one gender. You might care about the gender of your partner a lot, a little, or not at all - but their gender doesn’t prevent you from being attracted to them.”

http://www.biuk.org/ (Bi UK)

“Bisexuality (or bi) is commonly defined as being attracted to both men and women. However, many members of bisexual communities tend to prefer the definition: ‘a changeable sexual and emotional attraction to people of any sex, where gender may not be a defining factor’: the emphasis here is on being attracted to more than one gender or being attracted to people regardless of gender.” (under the FAQ link)

http://binetusa.blogspot.com/2014/03/binet-usa-bisexual-media-guide.html (BiNet USA)

“Bisexual - A person whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to other people of various sexes and/or gender identities. Individuals may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime.”

http://www.torontobinet.org/bi-culture.html (Toronto Bisexual Network)

“Bisexuality is the potential to feel attracted to and to engage in sexual and/or romantic relationships with people of any sex or gender.”

Activists:

http://robynochs.com/quotes/ (Robyn Ochs; Bisexual Activist)

“I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted - romantically and/or sexually - to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree.”

Other Organizations:

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/glossary-of-terms (Human Rights Campaign)

“Bisexual | A person emotionally, romantically, sexually and relationally attracted to more than one sex and/or gender, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.”

Community on Tumblr:

http://bifacts.tumblr.com/faq

“Bisexuality is the attraction to two or more genders, not necessarily to the same extent, not necessarily in the same way, not necessarily at the same time.”

http://bi-privilege.tumblr.com/idingasbipolyorpan

“bisexuality is, broadly speaking, the attraction to two or more genders. bisexuality is not inherently or transphobic or exclusive of non binary genders—note that there are both binary and non-binary trans people who identify as bisexual. it is possible for bisexuals to be attracted to be attracted to anywhere from two to an infinite number of genders. many times, bisexuals will define their own sexuality as the attraction to both similar and different genders (which encompasses all genders). however, it is important to remember that bisexuals can be attracted to multiple genders without being attracted to people of their own gender. for example, an agender bi person may be attracted to women, bigender, and genderfluid people, or a bi woman might be attracted to men and agender people…..”

http://bi-privilege.tumblr.com/definitions

“bisexual: the (sexual) attraction to two or more genders. sometimes defined as the attraction to same + different genders; however, this is not true of all bisexuals.”

http://biphobic-bisexual.tumblr.com/faq

“bisexuality is the attraction to two or more genders”

http://bisexuality-is.tumblr.com/faq

“Bisexuals have been defining bisexuality as the attraction to two or more/same and other for decades. This isn’t some made-up tumblr joke. Words change meaning. Prefixes change meanings. We didn’t even give ourselves the term bisexual to begin with, doctors did.”

http://nonmono-perspective.tumblr.com/definitions

“bisexual- sexually attracted to your same/similar gender and other gender(s), OR sexually attracted to 2 or more genders. Some bisexuals feel that they experience different kinds or degrees of attraction to different genders/gender presentations.”

http://pinkpurplebluepride.tumblr.com/faq

“Bi: attracted to two or more genders. Some people will define it as “attracted to similar and different genders,” but this is slightly less inclusive than the above definition. I’m of the mind that “similar and different” evolved to satisfy bi=2 prescriptivists, but they are insatiable and forever gross.”

http://thesunnysideofbeingbi.tumblr.com/basics

“…being bi does not reinforce the gender binary. And some bi people are only attracted to men and women–and that’s ok! However, bi is not defined as the attraction to men and women, or two genders. It can be for an individual, but not for our entire community. That definition is not only false, but harmful. (This is not to imply that bi people can’t be transphobic!)

This also means that you don’t have to be sexually attracted to people to be bi. There are so many different kinds of attraction, and to just focus on bisexuality would be excluding a lot of people (e.g. being biromantic).”

http://bisexuwhale-pride.tumblr.com/faq

“What does bisexual mean?

Attraction to:

1. Two or more genders or

2. More than one gender.”

http://themeaningofbisexuality.tumblr.com/

“Bisexuality is the attraction to two or more genders”

http://soloontherocks.tumblr.com/post/104877455841/nothing-extraordinary-soloontherocks-got-it

“Bisexuality is not half gay and half straight. Bisexuality is not in between gay and straight. Bisexuality is not gay when dating the same gender and straight when dating a different gender. Bisexuality is not gay-ish or straight-ish.

Bisexuality is its own fully independent self-contained complete orientation.”

http://bifaq.tumblr.com/post/124565262825/i-dont-find-bi-means-2-to-be-offensive-and-im

http://julietburgess.tumblr.com/post/17986625411/bisexual-is-not-oppressive-can-we-talk-about

Other things worth the read about the definition of bisexuality:

Bisexual Manifesto from 1990:

http://binetusa.blogspot.com/2014/01/1990-bi-manifesto.html

“We are tired of being analyzed, defined and represented by people other than ourselves, or worse yet, not considered at all. We are frustrated by the imposed isolation and invisibility that comes from being told or expected to choose either a homosexual or heterosexual identity.

Monosexuality is a heterosexist dictate used to oppress homosexuals and to negate the validity of bisexuality.

Bisexuality is a whole, fluid identity. Do not assume that bisexuality is binary or duogamous in nature: that we have “two” sides or that we must be involved simultaneously with both genders to be fulfilled human beings. In fact, don’t assume that there are only two genders. Do not mistake our fluidity for confusion, irresponsibility, or an inability to commit. Do not equate promiscuity, infidelity, or unsafe sexual behavior with bisexuality. Those are human traits that cross all sexual orientations. Nothing should be assumed about anyone’s sexuality, including your own.

We are angered by those who refuse to accept our existence; our issues; our contributions; our alliances; our voice. It is time for the bisexual voice to be heard“

https://lgbt.ucsd.edu/education/biphobia.html

http://conditionallyaccepted.com/2015/07/14/bisexuality-part1/http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/bi-vs-pan/

http://www.thisisbiscuit.co.uk/but-bi-means-two-and-others-reason-why-we-should-change-the-conversation/

https://somewhatofsomethingother.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/being-bisexual-means-that-youre-only-attracted-to-two-genders-bi-means-two-two-genders/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aj-walkley/the-bad-b-word-a-need-for-bisexual-acceptance_b_1781589.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aj-walkley/bisexual-gender-binary_b_2425081.html

”Defining bisexuality, just like defining any identity label, can be complicated and controversial. My definition of the label “bisexual” is informed by the work of The Bisexual Organizing Project. It includes people who use labels such as “bisexual,” “non-monosexual,” “persexual,” “omnisexual,” “ambisexual,” “pansexual,” “queer” or any other term that people use to identify themselves as individuals who are emotionally, romantically or physically attracted to people of more than one sex, gender or gender identity. I also recognize that not everyone chooses to adopt a label to describe their sexual orientation, and I also include non-labeling people who see themselves as part of a queer, non-monosexual or bisexual community under my definition of “bisexual.”“

Reasons why the prefix/etymology argument is not a very good one against “bi = attraction to 2 or more”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymological_fallacy

http://bisexual-dragons.tumblr.com/post/124749476996/i-love-doing-the-october-is-not-the-8th-month-of

http://bifaq.tumblr.com/post/124565262825/i-dont-find-bi-means-2-to-be-offensive-and-im

http://www.thisisbiscuit.co.uk/but-bi-means-two-and-others-reason-why-we-should-change-the-conversation/

https://somewhatofsomethingother.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/being-bisexual-means-that-youre-only-attracted-to-two-genders-bi-means-two-two-genders/

http://bi-privilege.tumblr.com/post/88492965880/but-bi-means-two-fun-fact-did-u-know-we

http://freelgbtqpia.tumblr.com/post/112776160876/how-couldnt-but-bi-means-two-doesnt-it-its-the

http://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4847343

[colourfulgreyscales]

And some bi positivity today from one more bisexual on Tumblr.

It's never too late to come out.

You can change your mind about your sexuality. If you previously thought you were bisexual and now you feel another identity describes you better, that's okay. It's also okay of you thought you were a monosexual identity and you conclude you are bi. Yes, even of you previously thought you were gay. Sexuality and it's journey is not always simple.

You can be non-binary and bisexual.

You can be trans and any sexuality.

There are no specific conditions or criteria to be bisexual, other than being attracted to two or more genders. The attraction to these genders doesn't have to be the same in quality or quantity. Remember the definition of Robyn Ochs: not necessarily at the same time, in the same way and/or to the same degree.

Bisexual and other multiple gender-attracted identities don't have to be mutually exclusive. Some people identify as bisexual and pansexual, or bisexual and omnisexual (that's me!) And that's okay.

Your partner or partners do not define your sexuality.

Your identity as bisexual and your suspicion of other people being bisexual (unless said people have established their identity) doesn't invalidate or discredit others.

[firsttarotreader]

Bisexual here. I don't find bisexual limiting. I am attracted to all genders and people insist that I should change my label to pansexual. When I explain I am attracted to genders in different ways, they say I should say "omnisexual." Whenever someone tells me "bisexual" (which I consider the general term) is limited, I use this quote by Bi activist Robyn Ochs:  “I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge in myself the potential to be attracted — romantically and/or sexually — to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree.”

Yeah, I think maybe that anon doesn’t understand the bi label so well and that’s why they think that.

[ringneckedpheasant]

apparently phil och’s niece robyn has been a bisexual activist for 30 years. you love to see it

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

hi there, this might be outside of your realm of expertise but I'm working on a personal essay for class and I'm trying to find an essay/treatise/declaration someone wrote about being bisexual and how bisexuality doesn't equate to only two sexes. I can't remember much, only that it is available on her (I'm pretty sure it's a her) website, which I think was either purple or blue and very early to mid 2000s-ish in my brain, and that her first name was Robin (sp.?) and I think her last name started with an O. I also want to say it was maybe first written in the 80s or 90s, but I'm not sure.

I was hoping either you might know, or someone who follows you might know -- you're a bigger blog than mine by a mile and I was hoping you might be able to help.

Thanks for reading.

Hi follow up, bisexuality question person here. Her name is Robyn Ochs (which I found immediately after sending that ask) but I still can't find the particular essay/piece I'm looking for. Here's some quotes from it though: "“For me, the bi in bisexual refers to the potential for attraction to people with genders similar to and different from my own" and "I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted – romantically and/or sexually – to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree.”

Again, I think these are from the piece, but I can't find the webpage and my research isn't turning up anything. I would appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks again for reading.

my brother in christ this quote is PROMINENTLY available, pretty much in the totality of what you typed and without attribution to specific piece of writing, on Robyn Ochs' website under the "Bisexuality" page, one of the very first results that pops up when you google search "robyn ochs bisexuality definition." I don't believe it's from any particular piece of writing so much as something she simply falls back on in a lot of her educational work and promo pieces; she also tweets it pretty often. you can cite personal websites in essays, that's perfectly allowed.

[pinkheartpirate]

What is bisexual?

Bisexual or bi is used to describe someone who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people of more than one gender in a similar manner though not necessarily at the same time. 

The bi in the word refers to being attracted to genders that are both same and different to their own, It does not necessarily mean attraction to men and women. For a long time the word was used in that way, but in 2019, Merriam-Webster made “they” the Word of the Year in 2019. This stemmed bisexual+ advocate Robyn Ochs with the collaboration of GLAAD to write a letter to the company and ask them to update the term bisexual to acknowledge that gender was no longer defined as a binary.

Bisexual or bi+ people still experience misunderstandings regarding their orientation. Others still judge them and say that what they’re feeling is a phase or that they have to choose a gender. There is always a need to improve how we treat our LGBTQIA+ members and it can start with being understanding and listening to one’s experiences and feelings.

Important dates of celebration and awareness:

Bisexual Awareness Week: September 16 - 22

Celebrate Bisexuality Day: September 23

Pride flag:

The bisexual pride flag was designed in 1998 by Michael Page with the purpose of giving the community a symbol similar to the rainbow pride flag and to increase visibility towards this sexual orientation. The three colors of the flag represent the following: pink for same-gender attraction, blue for attraction to the opposite gender or regarding non-binary people, towards a different gender, and purple for attraction to two or more genders.

Sources:

https://glaad.org/reference/bisexual/

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/evolution-word-bisexual-why-it-s-still-misunderstood-n1240832

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_awareness_periods

https://queerintheworld.com/different-lgbtq-flags-and-meaning/

Resources:

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-bisexuality/

https://glaad.org/resourcelist/

Numbers to call or text:

The Trevor Project's 24/7/365 Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386) or TrevorChat, their online instant messaging option, or TrevorText, a text-based support option. If you are looking for peer support, you can visit TrevorSpace from anywhere in the world.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)

[readingbibooks]

“Therefore, it is not surprising that some bisexuals find their bisexual desire more a burden than a gift. They may feel a pressure or a wish to choose between heterosexuality and homosexuality to make their lives easier and avoid internal and external conflict. Many desire the ease they imagine would come with having one clear, fixed, socially acceptable identity. The behavior of individual bi people, as members of a stigmatized group, is frequently seen as representative of all bisexuals. Thus, a bi-identified person may feel a sense of shame when any bisexual person behaves in such a way as to reinforce negative stereotypes of bisexual people. And we can feel an even more profound sense of shame when our own behavior happens to mirror one of the existing stereotypes of bisexuals (such as practicing polyamory, or leaving one relationship for another). Although some bisexual people do behave in ways that conform to negative stereotypes about bisexuals, it is actually the dynamics of prejudice that cause others to use such actions to generalize their stereotyping and prejudiced behavior to an entire group.”

- Robyn Ochs, Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World

[ven8s]

“I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted romantically and/or sexually to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree. For me, the bi in #bisexual refers to the potential for attraction to people with genders similar to and different from my own.”

— Robyn Ochs

[parkerbombshell]

Cobwebs And Strange Radio Show #369

Cobwebs And Strange Radio Show  Mondays 12 noon EST , 5pm BST , 9am PDT COBWEBS AND STRANGE #369   - Angelic Upstarts - Woman In Disguise (Reason Why?, 1983) - Modern English - I Melt With You (After The Snow, 1982) - Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8 - Love Connection (single, 2024)* trip8.bandcamp.com - Ocean Colour Scene - Sway (Ocean Colour Scene, 1992) - Keeley - Trans-Europe 18 (Beautiful Mysterious, 2024)* keeleyband.bandcamp.com - My Life Story - Girl A, Girl B, Boy C (Mornington Crescent, 1995) - A Certain Ratio - Clockwork Orange (single, 2024)* - The House Of Love - Love In A Car (The House Of Love, 1988) - Phil Ochs - One Way Ticket Home (Phil Ochs Greatest Hits, 1970) - Sofie Royer - Schweden Espresso (Harlequin, 2022) - Ennio Morricone - Metti, una sera a cena (Metti, una sera a cena (Gold Tracks), 2006) - BMX Bandits - Setting Sun (Dreamers On The Run, 2024)* bmxbandits.bandcamp.com - Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Youth - Butterfly Sky (Spaceship To Mars, 2024)* - The Darling Buds - Shame On You (Pop Said, 1989) - Lorna - Papi Chulo… (Te Traigo El Mmmmm) (single, 2003) - Wilfred y La Ganga - La Abuela (La Abuela Y Otros Tantos Raps Latinos, 1990) - The Sacados - Ritmo de la Noche (Te pido más respecto, 1990) - Vilma Palma e Vampiros - La pachanga (La Pachanga, 1992) - Lael Neale - Electricity (single, 2024)* laelneale.bandcamp.com - The Wonder Stuff - No For The 13th Time (The Eight Legged Groove Machine, 1988) - Tamar Berk - That’s Not A Lie (Good Times For A Change, 2024)* tamarberk.bandcamp.com - The Mighty Lemon Drops - Fall Down (Like The Rain) (World Without End, 1988) - Kevin Robertson - Subway Hold (The Call Of The Sea, 2024)* kevinrobertson.bandcamp.com - Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis) (Globe Of Frogs, 1988) - Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart (World Clique, 1990) - Elephant’s Memory - Band Of Love (Elephant’s Memory, 1969) - Nation Of Language - Weak In Your Light (Strange Disciple, 2023) - HUMANIST - Brother (On The Edge Of A Lost And Lonely World, 2024)* humanistmusic.bandcamp.com - Charli XCX - Guess (single, 2024)* - Doechii - NISSAN ALTIMA (single, 2024)* - Thee Sacred Souls - Live For You (Got A Story To Tell, 2024)* theesacredsouls.bandcamp.com - Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On (What’s Going On, 1971) - The Proctors - Summer Begins (Snowdrops and Hot Air Balloons, 2024)* theproctors.bandcamp.com - The Go-Betweens - Bachelor Kisses (Spring Hill Fair, 1984) - MC5 - Can’t Be Found (Heavy Lifting, 2024)* - Crazyhead - I Can Do Anything (Some Kind Of Fever, 1990) - Teenage Tom Petties - Kissed Me In Seattle (Teenage Tom Petties, 2024)* safesuburbanhomerecords.bandcamp.com - Sultans Of Ping F.C. - Stupid Kid (Casual Sex In The Cineplex, 1993) - The Interlaken Tapes - Montreal (The Interlaken Tapes EP, 2024) - NEU! - Hero (NEU! ’75, 1975) - Connie Converse - Roving Woman (How Sad, How Lovely, 2009) - Vashti Bunyan - Glow Worms (Just Another Diamond Day, 1970) - Population : 5 - Candy (Population : 5, 1014)* population5.bandcamp.com - Wasted Pretty - Rabbit Hole (Wasted Pretty, 2024)* wastedpretty.bandcamp.com - The Chills - Heavenly Pop Hit (Submarine Bells, 1990) - The Vibrators - Petrol (Pure Mania, 1977) - Au-Turn - Cable Dream I (Staithes Sessions EP, 2024)* au-turn.bandcamp.com Read the full article

[robynochs]

“In order to be recognized, I have to actively come out. I can be fairly certain that if I don’t, I will be misread. Bi folks share the challenge of holding a non-binary identity in a culture that leans heavily on binary assumptions.” – Robyn Ochs robynochs.com/linktree

Happy Bisexual Awareness Week!

[hellomynameisbisexual]

"For bisexuals specifically, media representation has a long history of portraying us negatively," said Dr. Nora Madison, a media professor at Chestnut Hill College, told CBS News. "The most common stereotype is that bisexuals cannot be fully satisfied with only one partner because half of their desires must then obviously be denied. This is problematic on so many levels, but it begins with the definition of bisexuals as being attracted to both men and women, but with assumptions that bisexuals are only attracted to men and women, and are always equally attracted to men and women at the same time."

"Both of these assumptions are incorrect. The far more accepted definition is one made popular by Robyn Ochs, a prominent bisexual educator and author, who said that bisexuality is the potential to be attracted – romantically and/or sexually – to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree."

Bisexual individuals make up almost 50% of people who identify as part of the LGBT community, according to research from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Nearly 3.5% of adults in the U.S. identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, which translates to approximately 9 million LGBTQ+ Americans. However, accurate media portrayal of bisexuality has long dragged behind data.

Gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters make up almost 8% of television characters, according to GLAAD's "Where We Are On TV" report from 2019. However, representation for bisexual people becomes far less likely in the breakdown. Not only do bisexual characters make up less than 26% of all LGBTQ+ characters, but there has been a steady decrease in representation since 2016. According to the Annenberg Report from USC, there were eight bisexual characters in the top 1,200 films of 2018 and only three in the top films of 2019, far less than what appears on television screens.

"Alongside these persistent connotations with excess and perversity, another factor challenging bisexual representation is that, unless a character explicitly identifies as bisexual, we tend to assume someone is straight or gay based on their current partner, something real life bisexuals also contend with," said Maria San Filippo, an associate professor and author of The B Word. "Television offers bisexuality more potential for representational legibility in this regard, I find, because its serial form allows for more expansive, ongoing narratives."

A year fraught with tropes that characterized bisexual people as flighty, unwilling to choose, in a phase, or worse, killed for the plot of the straight protagonist, 2016 marked a turning point in LGBTQ+ characters. It wasn't just enough to have them, consumers wanted them to be accurate. In the past four years, series like "Sex Education," "The Politician," "Stumptown," "Greys Anatomy," "Brooklyn 99" have all been praised for their accurate portrayal of bisexual characters, films like "Call Me By Your Name," "Colette," "Atomic Blonde," and "Booksmart" have featured explicitly bisexual characters.

For bisexual individuals unsure of their sexuality, experts say the representation they see on screen could make the world of difference. Bisexual people are more likely to have depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses, according to a study from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Another Human Rights Campaign health brief found that bisexual people were more likely to commit substance abuse, have less emotional support and hide their sexual identity. The reason? One researcher points to minority stress theory, a model that says multiple public stressors and societal expectations can manifest negative reactions in minorities.

"I think (more accurate representation) is a big improvement because it's part of a larger move in more recent television which tolerates non-binary identities," said Katherine Sender, a professor with Cornell University's Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. "I see it as part of that bigger idea. In the past, being trans or being bisexual was extremely problematic within those binary categories. One of the things that's happened, particularly in the rise of original programming on streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon, is there's a much greater tolerance or acceptance of people being on spectrums and not having to fit into one or another end of a binary."

Streaming programs have produced more bisexual characters than ever, but cable programs are still the most likely to show the most bisexual characters, according to the GLAAD report. The inconsistency can most likely be attributed to the more common nature of bisexuality on screen. Shows on original streaming services are more likely to portray more than one LGBTQ+ character, while cable shows, which portraying more LGBTQ+ characters overall, are more likely to feature one character per show, the report said. In all, representation, just like bisexuality, is a fluid spectrum. The decision to feature bisexuality, accurately or not, comes down to a myriad of factors, including writers, actors, show-runners, and industry heads. And while television might not intrinsically cover real life, experts say positive representation does have positive impacts.

"Diverse representation is important for everyone," said Madison. "The more people are exposed to a variety of sexualities, especially in positive or affirming contexts, the more opportunities individuals have to figure their own identities out as well as broaden their viewpoints about others. Media content producers are products of the society they grow up in, and historically many were white, straight males. I don't think positive bisexual representation was a priority until more individuals started asking, demanding, and celebrating it."

[meanbitchydyke]

perhaps a controversial opinion but I don't think compartmentalizing your romantic vs sexual attraction is helpful or healthy if you do indeed experience both

also a good reminder that the definition of bisexuality already acknowledges that attraction to different genders may feel different depending on the gender (at least if you listen to Robyn Ochs, which I do)

the split attraction model erases gay people and bisexual people and is oftentimes used to try to include men in lesbianism, which is horrendously homophobic