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Mel Owusu - University of Leeds alumni speaking on Black Trans Masculinity and their experience 

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Mel Owusu - University of Leeds alumni speaking on Black Trans Masculinity and their experience 

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Why Iran is a hub for sex-reassignment surgery

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Why Iran is a hub for sex-reassignment surgery

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It is not because the regime is liberal

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"I REALISED QUITE early on that I was gay," says Soly, a 25-year-old chef from Tehran. As a young boy, he would strut about the house in his mother's high heels and developed crushes on male cartoon characters. But after he was expelled from school for wearing eye-liner, his parents took him to a psychologist who offered a different explanation. "He told me I was transgender and had to change my sex."

Attitudes towards sexuality can be rigid in Iran. A conservative former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, once declared that the country didn't have any gay people. So it seems an unlikely hub for sex-reassignment surgery. But the procedure has been permitted since the mid-1980s, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini met a trans woman called Maryam Khatoon Molkara, who had been thrown into a psychiatric institution and forcibly injected with male hormones. Moved by her story, he issued a fatwa allowing the procedure, which a cleric later compared to changing wheat into bread. Today the government even helps with the cost.

But the regime's encouragement of sex-change surgery is related to its intolerance of homosexuality, which is a capital offence. Gay Iranians face pressure to change their sex regardless of whether they want to, say activists and psychologists in Iran. Therapists tell patients with same-sex desires that they may be transgender, not gay. "I thought I was trans until I was 18, because the only information online and in newspapers was about transsexuals," says a psychologist in Tehran who is a lesbian. "It is a system where homosexuals are not educated and the law does not protect them."

Before going under the knife, patients must receive counselling to ensure that they have gender dysphoria and are prepared for the procedure. But often this process is rushed and standards are not properly observed. Shahryar Cohanzad, a urologist who performs the operation, received 75 referrals in 2017, but only operated on 12 people, having concluded that 63 were gay or confused due to a lack of information. Questions have also been raised about the quality of the procedure in Iran: the United Nations has detailed grisly stories of botched operations.

Even though the clerics allow it, those who transition say there is still a stigma associated with being transgender in Iran. Some tell of being disowned by their families and having to work as prostitutes, for lack of other choices. "For almost four years after my transition no theatre director hired me," says Saman Arastoo, a well-known transgender actor and director. Soly's father, by contrast, threatened to kill him after he refused to transition, so he fled to Canada, where he enjoys his new freedom. Sometimes he even walks to work in high heels.

This article appeared in the Middle East and Africa section of the print edition under the headline "Why Iran is a hub for sex-reassignment surgery"

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Why Iran is a hub for sex-reassignment surgery

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"I REALISED QUITE early on that I was gay," says Soly, a 25-year-old chef from Tehran. As a young boy, he would strut about the house in his mother's high heels and developed crushes on male cartoon characters. But after he was expelled from school for wearing eye-liner, his parents took him to a psychologist who offered a different explanation.

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Singer Sam Smith has revealed he does not identify as male or female during an interview for an Instagram channel.

The 26-year-old, who came out as homosexual at the age of 10, opened up about being non-binary in a 30-minute discussion with Jameela Jamil on her "I Weigh" show.

He said: "You are just you. You are a mixture of all different things. You are your own special creation. That's how I see it.

"I'm not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between.

"When I saw the word 'non-binary', and I read into it, and I heard these people speaking and I was like, 'that is me'."

The Writing's On The Wall singer revealed he had considered having a sex change, but had decided it wasn't something he really wanted.

He said: "I do think like a woman sometimes, in my head, and I've sometimes say down and questions, 'do I want a sex change?'

"And it's something that I still think about. Do I want to, but I don't think it is.

"I've always been very free in terms of thinking about sexuality. You fall in love with people, not genitals. I've tried to change that into my thoughts on gender... I'm feminine in many ways - and I've resented that."

Many non-binary people do not identify as either male or female and refer to themselves as they or them, rather than he or she.

Smith added: "Now I'm 26, when it comes to money and success I feel like a 40-year-old. When it comes to my romantic life and personal relationships with my body and my head, I feel like a confused 16-year-old boy, so it's hard."

The singer won an Oscar for best original song for the Spectre theme tune in 2016, and dedicated his award to "the LGBT community all over the world".

In his speech, he said: "I stand here as a proud gay man and I hope we can one day still stand together as equals."

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Sam Smith: I don't identify as male or female

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Singer Sam Smith has revealed he does not identify as male or female during an interview for an Instagram channel. The 26-year-old, who came out as homosexual at the age of 10, opened up about being non-binary in a 30-minute discussion with Jameela Jamil on her "I Weigh" show.

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It is the dilemma facing hundreds of well-heeled racegoers ahead of Royal Ascot. How to dress correctly?

According to organisers, 2019 could be the year to think outside the box.

For the first time, visitors have been told to follow the dress code with which they "feel most comfortable".

It means ladies are permitted to dress in gentlemen's clothes - and vice versa - as long as the strict rules are not broken.

The policy is also designed to make sure transgender racegoers feel welcomed at the event. A spokesman said Royal Ascot was "keen to be inclusive".

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Cross-dressing Royal Ascot-goers given free rein to experiment as course relaxes gender rules

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It is the dilemma facing hundreds of well-heeled racegoers ahead of Royal Ascot. How to dress correctly? According to organisers, 2019 could be the year to think outside the box. For the first time, visitors have been told to follow the dress code with which they "feel most comfortable".

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Non-Binary People Confront Piers Over Gender-Neutral Controversy | Good Morning Britain

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A small insight into how RuPaul's drag race has brought drag into mainstream culture

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A small insight into how RuPaul's drag race has brought drag into mainstream culture

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"We're all born naked and the rest is drag." Call it a saying, catchphrase, adage - whichever suits your definition best, it's a mantra close to RuPaul Charles ' heart. Credited with not only coining the phrase, he lives it to the fullest.

A quick rummage through Charles' drag persona wardrobe would reveal ensembles suitable for a supermodel of the world, recording artist, television host, producer, director, two-time Emmy winner, actor, TV judge, comedian, and queen of realness.

"As a kid, I thought: Is everybody getting that this is kind of an illusion?" Charles told Oprah Winfrey in 2017 of the meaning behind the catchphrase. "Then at about 11 years old, I found my tribe on PBS in Monty Python's Flying Circus. I thought, 'Ok, they get it. They're irreverent, they're not taking anything seriously and they're having fun.' That's what this is all about."

Photo: VH1

Drag, according to Charles, applies to us all, regardless of gender, race or social background. It's how we choose to show ourselves to the world, what personas we adopt as we move through life. "Why not make it work for you," he said to Winfrey. "If you have the power to control how people see and interpret you, why not use it?"

Harnessing that power, Charles has built a multi-million-dollar, decades-long show business empire that is currently riding high with the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, a non-stop singing career, inclusion in Time's 2017 Most Influential People list, producer and star of Drag Tots! (premiering on Wow Presents Plus on June 28), and the publication of a third self-written book GuRu (Dey Street Books) set to hit shelves October 23. Not only that, but he's also working on a scripted television series with the director J.J. Abrams based on his own life.

Charles was the first drag artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 16, 2018. "This is absolutely the most important moment in my professional career," he said at the unveiling, which was presented by Charles' close friend Jane Fonda, whom he credits with inspiring his eventual leap into drag after he saw Fonda's Barbarella on the cover of Life magazine in 1968.

"As a kid we'd come up here - they'd drop me off right here on Hollywood Boulevard - so I could look at all the stars and dream that one day, I could be one of the stars," he said during the ceremony, which was also attended by Australian painter Georges LeBar, Charles' longtime partner, whom he married in 2017.

Photo: VH1

Born RuPaul Andre Charles on November 17, 1960, in San Diego, California, he was the only boy of his parents' four children. His parents divorced when he was seven and he spent much of teens living in Atlanta, Georgia, with his sister and her husband. Stints in rock bands followed and in the mid-1980s he headed north to New York City where he became part of the burgeoning drag scene, performing in clubs as a dancer and appearing at the annual Wigstock festival. In 1991 he was signed to Tommy Boy Records, and two years later his debut album, Supermodel of the World, was released. The single "Supermodel (You Better Work)," reached the top 50 of the pop charts and number 2 on the dance charts.

In 1993 the single was nominated for Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. Though not a winner, RuPaul was a presenter at the event. By the mid-90s he was a household name. He continued recording music, received a modeling contract with MAC Cosmetics, appeared in movies such as Blue in the Face and The Brady Bunch Movie, and landed his own TV talk show, The RuPaul Show, which ran until 1998.

The early years of the 21st century saw him continue to produce more studio albums. Then, in 2009, he debuted the reality TV competition RuPaul's Drag Race. The weekly show features competing drag queens who must perform the same tasks that made RuPaul a star: modeling, dancing, acting, appearing on TV talk shows and, of course, creating costumes that must dazzle and entertain. According to RuPaul it's a test of their "charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent."

The show has a revolving table of judges (though RuPaul always has the final say in which queen is cut each week), special guest stars including Lady Gaga, Bob Mackie, Henry Rollins, Jackie Collins, Lily Tomlin, Wayne Brady, Pamela Anderson, Isaac Mizrahi, Merle Ginsberg, Demi Lovato, Marc Jacobs, and Courtney Love, and launched spin-off shows Untucked! and Drag Race All Stars alongside successful international performing careers for the winners and notable contestants. It's also responsible for the creation of the annual DragCon conventions in Los Angeles and New York City.

Skewering gender expectations and perceived norms, the show differs from most reality television in that it celebrates the different, the individual and operates from a place of optimism where contestants are encouraged to be their best selves - on and off the runway.

"We're dealing with people who have been shunned by society and have made a life regardless of what anyone else thinks of them have decided," Charles said to thewhen discussing the show in 2014. "It shows tenacity of the human spirit, which each of us watching relates to. And we root for them. I think that is what is so captivating about it, seeing how these beautiful creatures have managed to prevail."

Photo: VH1

Prior to Drag Race Charles said that "it would take about 10 years for something in gay culture to actually migrate to the mainstream," but, "because of our show, gay pop culture is pop culture in the mainstream. Everybody knows all the terminology. It's really interesting for us to bring a lot of the old ideas and gay culture forward to pop culture mainstream."

Today, Charles notes the evolution of the show in parallel to America's changing relationship with LGBT rights and acceptance. He's aware of a growing number of teenagers with no connection to his "You better work!" persona of the 90s now watching. "I think smart 13-year-old girls see the show as a way to take the pressure off society's expectation of them," he in 2018. "I think the drag queens are able to show them that they don't have to take beauty and fashion seriously."

Loathe to see the show, or himself, as a comment on or representation of where we are as a society, instead, Charles focuses on what he discovered as an 11-year-old watching Monty Python's Flying Circus for the first time: irreverence, not taking anything too seriously and having fun. Though he is aware of the effect he has had and the lives he has changed.

"I never set out to be a role model, I may have set out to be a supermodel, but not a role model," he explained to Vogue. "But I accept the responsibility and it's an honor. The contestants call me Mama Ru."

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The RuPaul Effect: How He Brought Drag to Mainstream Culture

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"We're all born naked and the rest is drag." Call it a saying, catchphrase, adage - whichever suits your definition best, it's a mantra close to RuPaul Charles ' heart. Credited with not only coining the phrase, he lives it to the fullest.

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Indonesia’s Tradition of Cross-Gender Dancing

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/07/my-life-without-gender-strangers-are-desperate-to-know-what-genitalia-i-have

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https://blog.ted.com/7-talks-on-the-transgender-experience/

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"Hide/Seek" considered such themes as the role of sexual difference in depicting modern America; how artists explored the fluidity of sexuality and gender; how major themes in modern art—especially abstraction—were influenced by social marginalization; and how art reflected society's evolving and changing attitudes toward sexuality, desire, and romantic attachment."

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"Hide/Seek" considered such themes as the role of sexual difference in depicting modern America; how artists explored the fluidity of sexuality and gender; how major themes in modern art—especially abstraction—were influenced by social marginalization; and how art reflected society's evolving and changing attitudes toward sexuality, desire, and romantic attachment."

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A summary of the motive behind the hide/seek exhibition - the origin of the name of this topic.

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"Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" was on view at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, from October 30 through February 13, 2011

"Hide/Seek" considered such themes as the role of sexual difference in depicting modern America; how artists explored the fluidity of sexuality and gender; how major themes in modern art-especially abstraction-were influenced by social marginalization; and how art reflected society's evolving and changing attitudes toward sexuality, desire, and romantic attachment. The exhibition was co-curated by Jonathan Katz, Chair of the Visual Studies doctoral program at SUNY-Buffalo, and David C. Ward, Historian at the National Portrait Gallery.

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Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture

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"Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" was on view at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, from October 30 through February 13, 2011 "Hide/Seek" considered such themes as the role of sexual difference in depicting modern America; how artists explored the fluidity of sexuality and gender; how major themes in modern art-especially abstraction-were influenced by social marginalization; and how art reflected society's evolving and changing attitudes toward sexuality, desire, and romantic attachment.

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Judith Butler: the backlash against “gender ideology” must stop

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Judith Butler: the backlash against “gender ideology” must stop

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In the last few years, protests in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere have objected to an "ideology of gender". Elections in France, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Brazil have pivoted on a candidate's account of gender roles. In the US, both Catholics and evangelicals have opposed a host of political positions linked elsewhere with "gender theory" or "gender ideology": the rights of trans people in the military, the rights to abortion, lesbian, gay and trans rights, gay marriage, feminism, and other movements in favor of gender equality and sexual freedom.

Arguably, this backlash against "gender ideology" took shape in 2004 when the Pontifical Council on the Family wrote a letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church signaling the potential of "gender" to destroy feminine values important to the Church; to foster conflict between the sexes; and to contest the natural, hierarchical distinction between male and female upon which family values and social life are based.

In 2016, Pope Francis escalated the rhetoric: "We are experiencing a moment of the annihilation of man as the image of God." The Pope included within this defacement "[the ideology of] 'gender'" and he exclaimed: "Today children - children! - are taught in school that everyone can choose his or her sex!" Finally, Francis made clear what was theologically at stake: "God created man and woman; God created the world in a certain way... and we are doing the exact opposite."

The Pope's point is that gender freedom - the freedom to be, or become, a gender; the idea that gendered life can be an expression of personal or social freedom - falsifies reality, since we are, in his view, neither free to choose the sex with which we are born nor to affirm sexual orientations that depart from those divinely ordained. In fact, the right of people to determine their gender or sexual orientation is seen by anti-gender religious critics as an attempt to usurp God's power of creation, and defy the divinely imposed limits on human agency. And for the Pope, gender equality and sexual freedom are not only excessive, but destructive - even "diabolical".

Gender equality is taken as a "diabolical ideology" by these critics precisely because they see gender diversity as a historically contingent "social construction" that is imposed on the divinely mandated natural distinction between the sexes. And while it is true that gender theorists generally reject the idea that gender is determined by the sex assigned at birth, the account of social construction as a willful destruction of a God-given reality misconstrues the field of gender studies and the notion of social construction in inflammatory and consequential ways.

But if one considers gender theory carefully, it is neither destructive nor indoctrinating. In fact, it simply seeks a form of political freedom to live in a more equitable and livable world.

In The Second Sex (1949), the existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir famously wrote: "One is not born a woman but becomes one." This claim created space for the idea that sex is not the same as gender. And in the simplest formulation of this notion, sex is seen as a biological given, gender the cultural interpretation of sex. One may be born as female in the biological sense, but then one has to navigate a series of social norms and figure out how to live as a woman - or another gender - in one's cultural situation.

Crucially for Beauvoir, "sex" is from the very start part of one's historical situation. "Sex" is not denied, but its meaning is disputed: nothing about being assigned female at birth determines what kind of life a woman will lead and what the meaning of being a woman might be. Indeed, many trans people are assigned one sex at birth, only to claim another one in the course of their lives. And if we build on the logic of Beauvoir's "existentialist" account of social construction, then one may be born a female, but become a man.

A stronger "institutional" variation of social construction emerged in the 1990s, and it focused on the fact that sex itself is assigned. This means that medical, familial, and legal authorities play a crucial role in deciding what sex an infant will be. Here "sex" is no longer taken as a biological given, although it is partly determined within a framework of biology. But which framework is relevant to that determination?

Take the case of "intersexed" infants who are born with mixed sexual characteristics. Some medical professionals seek recourse to hormones to define their sex, whereas others take chromosomes to be the deciding factor. How that determination is made is consequential: intersexed people have become increasingly critical of the fact that medical authorities have often mis-categorised them and subjected them to cruel forms of "correction".

Taken together, the existentialist and institutional interpretations of "social construction" show that gender and sex are determined by a complex and interacting set of processes: historical, social, and biological. And in my view, the institutional forms of power and knowledge we are born into precede, form, and orchestrate whatever existential choices we come to make.

We are assigned a sex, treated in various ways that communicate expectations for living as one gender or another, and we are formed within institutions that reproduce our lives through gender norms. So, we are always "constructed" in ways that we do not choose. And yet we all seek to craft a life in a social world where conventions are changing, and where we struggle to find ourselves within existing and evolving conventions. This suggests that sex and gender are "constructed" in a way that is neither fully determined nor fully chosen but rather caught up in the recurrent tension between determinism and freedom.

So is gender a field of study that is destructive, diabolical, or indoctrinating? Gender theorists who call for gender equality and sexual freedom are not committed to a hyper-voluntarist view of "social construction" modelled on divine power. Neither do they seek through gender education to impose their views on others. If anything, the idea of gender opens toward a form of political freedom that would allow people to live with their "given" or "chosen" gender without discrimination and fear.

Denying these political freedoms, as the Pope and many Evangelicals are wont to do, leads to dire consequences: those who wish to abort would be prevented from exercising that freedom; gay and lesbian people who would like to marry would be denied the option of realising that desire; and those who wish to take on a gender distinct from the sex assigned to them at birth would be prohibited from doing so.

What is more, schools that seek to teach gender diversity would be constrained, and young people would be denied knowledge about the actual spectrum of gendered lives. Such pedagogy in gender diversity is understood by its critics as a dogmatic exercise that prescribes how students should think or live. In fact, these critics willfully misconstrue a class in sex education that, say, introduces masturbation or homosexuality as dimensions of sexual life, as a manual that literally instructs students to masturbate or to become homosexuals. However, the opposite is true. Teaching gender equality and sexual diversity calls into question the repressive dogma that has cast so many gender and sexual lives into the shadows, without recognition and deprived of any sense of futurity.

Ultimately, the struggle for gender equality and sexual freedom seeks to alleviate suffering and to recognise the diverse embodied and cultural lives that we live. Teaching gender is not indoctrination: it does not tell a person how to live; it opens up the possibility for young people to find their own way in a world that often confronts them with narrow and cruel social norms. To affirm gender diversity is therefore not destructive: it affirms human complexity and creates a space for people to find their own way within this complexity.

The world of gender diversity and sexual complexity is not going away. It will only demand greater recognition for all those who seek to live out their gender or sexuality without stigma or the threat of violence. Those who fall outside the norm deserve to live in this world without fear, to love and to exist, and to seek to create a world more equitable and free of violence.

Judith Butler is Maxine Elliot Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender.

This article is part of the Agora series, a collaboration between the New Statesman and Aaron James Wendland. Aaron is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Higher School of Economics and the co-editor of Wittgenstein and Heidegger and Heidegger on Technology. Follow him on Twitter: @ajwendland.

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Judith Butler: the backlash against "gender ideology" must stop

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In the last few years, protests in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere have objected to an "ideology of gender". Elections in France, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Brazil have pivoted on a candidate's account of gender roles.

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Piers Morgan has taken aim at Jameela Jamil after mocking Sam Smith in a gender debate.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, joked he will now identify as the singer to claim royalties after Smith revealed he is non-binary.

Jamil, who conducted the original interview with Smith, slammed "s*** stain" Morgan, accusing him of spreading toxic ideas.

She tweeted: "LOL. Of course England's biggest s*** stain has something mean to say about it. He thinks men who carry babies in a comfortable papoose where they can feel your body heat and pulse, aren't 'manly'. This clown spews constant toxic ideas of 'masculinity'."

Morgan mocked: "Appalling that you just assume I am identifying as male tonight."

Smith told Jamil that he neither identifies with being male or female, saying he sees himself as his "own special creation".

Speaking on Instagram project I Weigh, Smith said: "You are just you. You are a mixture of all different things. You're your own special creation. That's how I take it.

"I'm not male or female, I think I float somewhere in between. It's all on a spectrum. I think the same with sexuality."

Morgan took aim at Smith's comments for a second morning on Wednesday, questioning whether he can now be nominated in male and female categories at awards ceremonies.

"Sam Smith announced he's male and female, he's both, he can't decide and even though he's born to a male biological body he wants to be both," he said.

"Fine. My question is you have been Sam Smith and you have been nominated in 15 male specific categories as a singer and you've won five of them. So what now happens if you're identifying as male and female, do you enter both categories?

He continued: "Can Sam Smith become a female singer for the purposes of winning these awards?"

Co-host Susanna Reid suggested male and female categories be scrapped, to which Morgan replied: "Or do we get rid of gender all together?"
Good Morning Britain is on ITV, weekdays at 6am

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Piers Morgan mocks 'appalling' Jameela Jamil over Sam Smith debate

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Piers Morgan has taken aim at Jameela Jamil after mocking Sam Smith in a gender debate. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, joked he will now identify as the singer to claim royalties after Smith revealed he is non-binary. Jamil, who conducted the original interview with Smith, slammed "s*** stain" Morgan, accusing him of spreading toxic ideas.

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Responding To Bisexual Erasure & Biphobic Comments | Melanie Murphy

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Debunks these myths on bisexuality and shows how they are intrinsically harmful to the Bi community

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David McNew/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Through September 23, many people are celebrating Bisexual Awareness Week, which we still need because sadly, not enough people are truly aware of what it means to be bisexual. While bi people make up 52 percent of the LGBTQ community, they are sometimes excluded from the narrative at Pride festivals and LGBTQ celebrations because of biphobia and bi erasure. Bi erasure is a serious problem that isn't just promoted by straight people, but on occasion, by the non-bi queer community as well. Identifying as bisexual often feels like you're stuck in limbo - not "gay" enough for some, and not "straight" enough for others.

Many people believe the common misconception that bisexual is defined as being attracted to both men and women, and that when someone identifies as bi, they can't be attracted to non-binary folks. Bisexual people have tried to educate others about this issue in recent years. Modern daybi advocate and author Robyn Ochs defines bisexuality as "the potential to be attracted - romantically and/or sexually - to people of more than one sex and/or gender," a definition created to include those who fall anywhere on the gender spectrum.

Another way the bisexual community has worked to combat misconceptions about bi people is by creating the umbrella terms bisexuality+ and bi+ to include a myriad of other sexual identities beyond LG. Some terms included under the bi+ label are pansexual, queer, and fluid. Bi+ can also include people who prefer no label, but fall anywhere in the wide spectrum between heterosexual and gay. But unfortunately, despite efforts from the bisexual community, there are still many assumptions made about who we are, and what our sexuality means. These are five common myths that contribute to bi erasure, and the stats that prove just how wrong they are.

Myth #1: Bisexual+ people face less harmful stigma than lesbian or gay people

According to a brief from the Human Rights Campaign, bi+ people face "minority stress," and have heightened risks of self-harming behaviors and attempted suicide that gay, lesbian, or heterosexual adults. Bi erasure also heightens the risk of mental health issues (like eating disorders) in women, and their quality of life is lower than both lesbian and heterosexual peers. Additionally, a recent study found that 37.3 percent bisexual adults reported experiencing depression, compared to 17.2 percent of heterosexual adults. Bi invisibility stops bisexual people from seeking the support they need, and negatively impacts their health.

Myth #2: Bisexual people are transphobic

Sigh. Why is this still even a discussion in 2017? Sure, a bisexual person could be transphobic, but not because of their sexual orientation. While the traditional definition of bisexual historically suggested a gender binary, which excluded trans and non-binary from using the bi label, since the expansion of gender identity became more visible, that is no longer the case. The Bisexual Resource Center points out that "leaders in the bi+ community uses "bi," "bisexual," and "bi+" to mean anyone who is attracted romantically and/or sexually to more than one gender." Additionally, over 25 percent of trans folks identify as bisexual themselves, and 23 percent identify their sexual orientation as queer.

Myth #3: Bi men don't exist, and are probably just gay

In a recent study, 2 percent of American men identified as bisexual, which means, if you cruch the numbers, that there are over3 million bisexual men in the United States alone. That fact aloneshould be enough to stop this myth once and for all.

Societal biphobia and toxic masculinity has caused serious consequences for bisexual men who are too ashamed to seek out healthcare. A study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found bisexual men are disproportionately affected by HIV, and are at high risk contracting other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) simply because bi erasure and biphobia make them less likely to receive appropriate medical care.

Myth #4: Bisexual people magically become straight when they're in a relationship with a heterosexual partner

Newsflash: I can tell you personally, as a bi woman in a relationship with a man, I'm still queer as hell. My relationship status does not change my sexuality. As openly bisexual actress Evan Rachel Wood has said, "Remember, bisexuality doesn't mean halfway between gay or straight. It is its own identity." While some people like to point out the fact that bisexual people are likely to end up in a relationship with someone of a different gender, this is because biphobia and invisibility shrink the dating pool. When LGBTQ people make up only an estimated 4.1 percent of the population, and many LG people still flat out refuse to date bi people due to biphobia, that majorly limits bi people's options.

Myth #5: Bisexual people are polyamorous

This myth arises in part because queer and bisexual identities are often fetishized, especially by straight men who believe "bisexuality" equates to "threesome." The American Institute of Bisexuality says, "One does not cause the other. Bisexuality is the ability to be attracted to more than one biological sex. Polyamory means that a person is able to maintain a romantic relationship with more than one personat the same time." Basically, anyone of any sexual identity can choose to be polyamorous or monogamous; bi+ people are not more prone to polyamory simply because of their identity.

Bi+ people deserve the same respect, support, and visibility other members of the LG community receive. Our identities are valid, and as we deconstruct these common myths, our life experiences will get the visibility they deserve.

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5 Myths About Bisexuality That Contribute To Bi Erasure

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Through September 23, many people are celebrating Bisexual Awareness Week, which we still need because sadly, not enough people are truly aware of what it means to be bisexual. While bi people make up 52 percent of the LGBTQ community, they are...

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Debunks the whole drop the B narrative and shows why it is so harmful to bisexuals and contributes to biphobia and bi-erasure

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One of the #droptheb campaign posters circulating

Members of the LGBT+ community have responded to the 'biphobic' calls to drop the B from the LGBT acronym.

The movement, which started out on right-wing forum 4Chan, claimed that the B that represents bisexuality in the acronym excluded people who did not identify in the gender binary.

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The hashtag, #droptheb, implores the queer community to reject bisexuality in the LGBT+ acroynm.

A series of campaigning memes have circulated in a bid to remove the letter from the widely used group of letters that represents the breadth of the queer community.

"More than 2 genders! #dropTheB," tweeted @kbjwes77.

"Times have changed and so should the terms we use. #Droptheb," shared @SharonMarmalaid.

"We need a change. There are WAY more than 2 genders. #droptheB #lgbt," added @natelewis1987.

Bisexuality does not just mean an attraction to two genders, but an attraction to people of any gendered or non-gendered persuasion - which has been noted by several members of the community.

"It took me a while to come to terms with who I am as a person and my attraction to women as well as men. Don't fucking take that from me. Don't take it from anyone. Let us have the few things we choose to define ourselves with for fucks sake guys. #DropTheB," tweeted @solarbri97.

"I refuse to be invalidated If youre for #DropTheB you dont belong in the lgbt community. end of story," commented another user.

"Bisexuals face a large amount of prejudice even within LGBT circles. To deny people a right to celebrate or even feel safe in their sexuality is NOT OK. Bisexuals are a valid part of the community and deserve the same love & respect as anyone else. So FUCK #dropTheB," summarised another.

Thousands of people in the UK may identify as bisexual, but the sexuality still faces a great deal of stigma in gay and straight communities alike.

Whether bi people are left to navigate bi-erasure, more prevalent health threats or an increased risk of sexual violence, the unique stakes for bisexual people are still little understood.

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What is #droptheb and why should you care?

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Members of the LGBT+ community have responded to the 'biphobic' calls to drop the B from the LGBT acronym. The movement, which started out on right-wing forum 4Chan, claimed that the B that represents bisexuality in the acronym excluded people who did not identify in the gender binary.

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Discusses what it means to be Bisexual, stereotypes about being Bi, what bi-erasure is and what bi-visibility is 

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Discusses what it means to be Bisexual, stereotypes about being Bi, what bi-erasure is and what bi-visibility is 

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Bisexuality is defined by many as a sexual orientation defined by romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction toward people of more than one sex or gender. People who identify as bisexual have a wide range of experiences related to this attraction. Because bisexuality is an orientation, it encompasses feelings and identity, not just sexual behavior. A person's sexual orientation does not change based on the gender of the person they are dating; a bisexual woman dating another woman, for example, does not "become" gay or lesbian, but is still bisexual.

Many people who are attracted to both sexes or genders choose to use words other than bisexual to describe themselves, including but not limited to pansexual, queer, omnisexual, and fluid. All of these terms have in common an attraction to multiple genders.

Activist Robyn Ochs defines bisexuality as "the potential to be attracted to people regardless of their gender." She expands on this definition, defining bisexuality as the "potential to be attracted, romantically and/or sexually, to people of more than one sex, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree."

Bisexual people may place emphasis on attraction to either sex or gender, as the two are not the same. Sex refers to biological differences, usually chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs. One's gender often refers to one's internal sense of being either male or female, as well as characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.
Further Reading
Bisexual Resource Center, " Bisexuality 101 "

MONASH University, " What is the difference between sex and gender? "

Michael McLeish, " Bisexual VS Pansexual " (2015)

Robyn Ochs, " The Bisexual Movement " (2000)
What are some stereotypes about bisexual people? What is biphobia?
Bisexual people face a number of false stereotypes and misunderstanding from those who do not identify as bisexual.

Harmful and false stereotypes around bisexual people include:

* promiscuity
* an inability to remain committed or monogamous
* an inability to be satisfied unless one is with both male and female partners simultaneously

In addition, bisexuality is often misunderstood as a phase or a confused state, with the expectation that a bisexual person will come out as "truly" gay or straight at a later point. Bisexual people are often told to "choose one" gender.

None of these stereotypes against bisexual people are statistically accurate. Bisexual people are not by definition confused, promiscuous, or non-monogamous, nor do they require multiple partners. They simply have the capability of being with an individual from a range of sexes and genders. The perpetuation of the above stereotypes is called biphobia - an aversion toward bisexuality and bisexual people, based on negative stereotypes or irrational fear.

Sadly, these stereotypes are held against bisexual people by both straight people and by the gay and lesbian community. Some gay/lesbian people are also resentful of a bisexual person's ability to "pass" as straight if they are with a partner of a different gender. Although bisexuality has been included in the common LGBT initialism since the 1990s, misunderstandings and stereotypes about bisexuality still persist in the LGBTQ community.
Further Reading
Janet Edwards, The Christian Century, " Bisexual in the church " (2014)
What is monosexism?
Biphobia persists in both straight and gay/lesbian communities in large part because of monosexism. Both straight and gay/lesbian people experience monosexuality - a sexual orientation towards only one gender. It can be difficult for straight and gay/lesbian people to imagine the capacity to be attracted to more than one gender. This can perpetuate the belief that everyone experiences sexual orientation in the same way. The belief that sexual orientation can only be towards one gender is called monosexism.

The experience of sexual orientation on a spectrum, rather than as only towards one gender, has been documented since at least 1948 with the publication of the Kinsey Reports. Alfred Kinsey and his partners focused on sexual behaviors, and observed that a large number of people experience their sexual attraction and desire along a scale, numbered as follows:

Although behavioral and scientific observation has documented the existence of bisexuality for more than fifty years, biphobia and monosexism persist. Where monosexism exists (in both straight and gay/lesbian communities), bisexuality is treated as an impossibility, and it is reduced to a period of confusion or phase of coming out rather than a legitimate sexual orientation.
What is bi-erasure?
Attempts to invalidate the bisexual label and community is called bi-erasure. Some of these attempts are intentional and rooted in explicit biphobia. Other instances of bi-erasure are unintentional. In either case, situations where bisexuality is disregarded are damaging to those who identify as bisexual.

Bi-erasure can look like:

* expecting any bisexual person to "come out" as "actually" straight or gay/lesbian
* assuming when a bisexual person has a partner, the bisexual person is now gay or straight and no longer bisexual
* using the adjective "gay" for "same-gender", as in "gay marriage"

along with a multitude of other instances.

Sadly, in some cases when bisexuality is actually recognized and celebrated, it is shown in a hyper sexualized and fetishized manner. Much "bisexual" representation in media and culture is actually manufactured for a voyeuristic straight male audience - generally, with straight-identifying women having physical or sexual contact with another woman (as in pornography). Treating bisexuality as an event meant for observation rather than a legitimate sexual orientation perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reduces an individual's identity to only their sexual history. Sexual orientation is defined as encompassing more than one's sexual history or current sexual attractions. It is also about an individual's mental, emotional, physical, and romantic desires.

The continued existence of bi-phobia, monosexism, and bi-erasure has a devastating effect on the mental health of those who identify as bisexual. Bisexual people are four times more likely to commit suicide than lesbian and gay adults. Bisexual women are also at a greater risk of depression and anxiety. Due to stigma attached to the label, many bisexual people are not out and are not honest with their health care providers, decreasing their chances of receiving appropriate help.

Bisexuality should not be reduced to sexual behavior, but instead fully embraced as a queer identity.
Further Reading
Laura Jean Truman, " "So Are You Straight Now?" (And Other Bi Reflections on Sex, the Church, and God) " (2017)

Eliel Cruz, Religion News Service, " How the church perpetuates the 'gay lifestyle' " (2015)

Understanding Issues Facing Bisexual Americans (2014)

National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation (2010)
What is bi-visibility?
Bi-visibility is marked by efforts to increase awareness and acceptance of bisexuality as a sexual orientation. Bi-visibility can be undertaken by bisexual individuals, bisexual communities, and allies who are not bisexual.

It is crucial that the LGBTQ community and the church fully recognize the existence of bisexuality. Acceptance makes it easier for bisexual individuals to accept themselves and live life as their authentic selves. Churches and other faith communities can move beyond simple tolerance to acceptance and affirmation by fully embracing bisexual individuals as members of their congregation.

Creating bisexual visibility in the church is dependent, in part, on creating a more inviting environment for all queer identities. Not everyone may understand bisexuality or the many identities within the LGBTQ spectrum, but we may begin by listening to the stories of queer people (including those who identify as bisexual) and being attentive to our own bi-phobia, monosexism, and bi-erasure.
Further Reading
Danielle Dowd, " Bisexual Issues in Pastoral Counseling " (2017)

Elizabeth Rawlings, " What it means to be bisexual in the world and in the church (and what LGBTQ equality means to me) " (2015)

Eliel Cruz, " Bi the Way: 7 Tips to be Inclusive of Bisexuals in Christianity " (2014)

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What is bi-phobia, bi-erasure, and bi visibility?

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Bisexuality is defined by many as a sexual orientation defined by romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction toward people of more than one sex or gender. People who identify as bisexual have a wide range of experiences related to this attraction. Because bisexuality is an orientation, it encompasses feelings and identity, not just sexual behavior.

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Bisexual Erasure within the LGBT community

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Bisexual Erasure within the LGBT community

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Commentary by JOHNSEN DEL ROSARIO/The kNOw Youth Media

When I came out as bisexual last year, I knew there were pervasive stereotypes and negative attitudes that were attached to the term. The overall support was overwhelming and, while no one flat out refused my sexuality, some did try to invalidate it.

"You're gay, you just don't know it yet."

"Guys can't be bisexual; you're either gay or straight. You can't be both."

"I thought I was bi once, but it was just a pit stop to being gay. It's just a phase."

I heard this from family, friends, folks whom I just met and I even heard this from the mouths of other LGBTQ folks.

Being in a relationship with a guy, I was labeled as gay in the eyes of the public. I didn't have a problem with it at the time because I was in a gay relationship - it was what it was. But when a relationship started forming with a girl a few months later, people couldn't believe it.

"I thought you were gay."

No, I'm bisexual.

Since when is bisexuality determined by the body parts that your partner has? If you're bisexual in a hetero or gay relationship, you're still bisexual. It doesn't change.

Bisexuality is a concept largely misunderstood not only by heterosexuals but the gay and lesbian community as well. You're too straight to be gay, but too gay to be straight. You don't really belong in either community and people begin to see you as an "outsider."

In this article, Eliel Cruz writes, "Bisexuality threatens the heteronormative narrative even more than homosexuality because it destroys the idea of binary." The gray area that comes with bisexuality confuses some people, which causes them not to talk about bisexuality. This feeds into bi-invisibility and erasure.

According to a 2011 report from the San Francisco Human Rights Connection, bi-invisibility is the lack of acknowledgment and ignoring of the evidence that bisexuals exist.

Despite years of advocating for the LGBTQ community, the existence of bisexuals is still called into question.

Imagine being comfortable enough to share something so personal as your sexuality with someone only to have them invalidate your being. Erasure has serious consequences on a person's health and well-being.

According to the same report, "bisexual people experience greater health disparities than the broader population, including a greater likelihood of suffering from depression and other mood and anxiety disorders."

People don't like to talk about something they don't understand and that's the problem. We aren't talking about bisexuality. Media - one of the most influential platforms in our lives - isn't talking about it.

In film and television, having a bisexual character is a rare occurrence. And if there is representation, it's only to intensify a situation or it's only explored for a story arc and it's never mentioned again.

For example, Fox's teen drama The O.C. pursues an arc where main character Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) begins dating Alex portrayed by Olivia Wilde. It could've been something great, even if it wasn't going to last ... until Marissa realizes she's only ever loved Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Alex starts acting like a crazy, jealous girlfriend. Her sexuality is never mentioned again for the rest of the series. RIP.

Netflix Original Series' Orange is the New Black and House of Cards also fall under this misrepresentation of bisexuals in media.

In Orange is the New Black, Taylor Schilling's Piper Chapman has had relationships with both men and women. But the term bisexual has maybe been used once, if ever. Chapman is also referred to as straight, lesbian or "ex-lesbian." Hello, bisexuality erasure.

House of Cards shows Kevin Spacey's Underwood as also having relationships with both men and women. Because his sexuality is never addressed, it comes off as experimentation to many folks. Just because you show a character as bisexual on television doesn't mean you don't have to address their sexuality.

Like mentioned previously, people don't understand it and if the term is continued to be swept under the rug and ignored, you're contributing to bi-invisibility and erasure. When bisexual identities are continued to be rejected, denied and/or ignored in the media, it will continue to be rejected, denied and ignored in real life, further contributing to the health issues faced by bisexuals.

But not all is lost for bi representation in the media. Some get it right, the biggest in my eyes being Grey's Anatomy. The character development of Grey's resident bisexual Calliope Torres (Sara Ramirez) is honest and truthful. The audience went on this journey with Callie as she realizes she's bisexual. She had relationships with both men and women, while eventually having a kid with a man and marrying a woman. She breaks the stereotype that bisexuals can't be monogamous while never making excuses for the complexities that come with her identity. She's a positive representation of what a bisexual woman is.

While we have an accurate representation of bisexuals with Callie, the industry still heavily lacks in bisexuals on screen, especially bisexual men.

Bisexual men and women, while both bisexuals, are still seen as two different entities. Bisexual women are more likely to be accepted by society, but bisexual men are still trying to prove their existence. This could best be explained in a Splinter article written by Samantha Allen.

Because we don't talk about it, the myths of bisexuality to folks who don't understand remain exactly that - myths. Being bisexual doesn't mean you're attracted to both men and women equally. Everybody is on this spectrum; sexuality is fluid. It might vary depending on your preferences. We're not confused, it's not a pit stop, it's not easier than being gay or lesbian. Men can be bisexual.

Talking about bisexuality is only the beginning of the end of bi-invisibility and erasure. We need to educate folks -both heterosexuals, asexuals, gay and lesbian people - that bisexuality isn't a taboo subject that should be ignored.

Bisexuals. We are here and we are visible.

This article originally appeared on the kNOw Youth Media. For more of their content (and to read the original post) go here.

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Bisexual Erasure Is A Thing (Even Within The LGBT Community) - YR Media

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Commentary by JOHNSEN DEL ROSARIO/The kNOw Youth Media When I came out as bisexual last year, I knew there were pervasive stereotypes and negative attitudes that were attached to the term. The overall support was overwhelming and, while no one flat out refused my sexuality, some did try to invalidate it.