September 30, 2014 | By Austin Davis
September 23rd, 2014 marked the 15th annual Celebrate Bisexuality Day (CBD). First observed in 1999 by bisexual rights supporters Wendy Curry, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilber, this national day of visibility for those identifying as bisexual celebrates all facets of their sexuality, such as its history and culture.
Along with it being a day of celebration, Celebrate Bisexuality Day is also an opportunity for members of the bisexual community to address the resiliencies and unique challenges surrounding their identity.
In recognition of Celebrate Bisexuality Day, the Spectrum Center invited all those interested in discussing and understanding the bisexual identity to their office for bagels and coffee. At this relaxed session, students took the opportunity to express their thoughts about the identity.
Invisibility of the community was specifically touched upon; students and faculty members alike lamented that bisexuality remains unseen in comparison to the binary sexualities. Students also attempted to share their varying perspectives surrounding their own bisexuality, discussing exactly what it means to them personally to be bisexual . By doing this, students acted as ambassadors of their community, spreading awareness to others about their sexuality and dispelling myths.
During the week of Celebrate Bisexuality Awareness Day, the Spectrum Center took both the messages of our students, and those sponsored nationally, and made them salient across our own social media platforms. The hashtags #BiPride, #BiWeek, and others were used thematically in accordance with the National Bisexuality Awareness Week campaign. To this effect, the UM Spectrum Center allowed itself to be a means of connection between bisexual students and faculty in our direct environment, and those nationally.
Conversation and education aimed at diminishing stigmas, not only surrounding bisexuality, but surrounding all sexual and gender identities, aids in defeating ignorance. That’s something to truly celebrate.
- Austin Davis, Communications and Alumni Relations Student Coordinator, Spectrum Center