Goodbye from Bi’s of Colour

Bi’s of Colour was formed at BiCon London in 2010 – a year after a racist incident before BiCon 2009 by one of the organisers.  A few of us talked that year about what it would look like to have a safer space for the minority within a minority at the longest running bisexual event in the world. Back then there were only five bisexuals of colour in attendance at BiCon in Worcester, but the following year there were many more.  Twelve of us sat in a room, shared, cried and made connections.  It was the start of something special.  

Jacq produced the Bi’s of Colour History report in 2015; the first of its kind to look in detail at our lives. https://bisexualresearch.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bis-of-colour-survey-report.pdf  We are often erased in studies about Black people, and we are also erased in studies about LGBT+ people too.  We are very proud that the information is out there now.

We spent the next decade bringing the world information about our lives; providing practical support to our members, and having stalls at LGBT+ events where we sadly faced biphobia and racism in droves. But we also found our white allies who supported us and spoke up when others tried to silence us.  We owe a debt of gratitude to those people who did not look the other way, who helped us raise funds, and who spread the word about our work. Special thanks go to UNISON, the trade union who helped us produce a lot of our physical media, Leeds Bi group and BiPride who were supportive during rough times.  The death of Nila, one of our founders, has added to our sadness of closing, but Nila wanted us to go out with something solid, and was actively involved with this event.

Bi’s of Colour is now closed, but as a parting gift to our members, we are offering them free books on bisexuality – of their own choosing, up to the value of £50 per person. We have a link to Wordery (https://wordery.com/search?term=Bisexuality) , a more ethical alternative to Amazon. Choose your bi books, email us at bisofcolour@gmail.com with the details and your address. We will do the rest.

This book gift is for bi+ folks who are Black or people of colour in the UK only. There is no cash alternative.

Please note: If it is unsafe for you to receive bisexuality books in the post, please email us and we can work out alternative methods of delivery – e.g Drop-boxes, E-books etc.

We also have provisional plans for a send off picnic/meal in the Manchester area soon. We will keep everyone posted on this.

Please share this widely.

Image description: Nila sat in Sam’s Cafe in Brixton, modelling a robot pendant I brought back from Spain for them.

Nila, one of the co-founders of Bi’s of Colour died a few days ago. We are all saddened not only by their death, but by the way they were mistreated by people and organisations that were supposed to help disabled, queer People of Colour. We are angry that Nila is yet another example of how a patriarchal, white supremacist society treats the most vulnerable, and how we have to beg and plead for years before we receive the most basic of help. We are tired of seeing bi, trans, queer and disabled Black people and People of Colour having to remind others that we exist; that the help we need isn’t going to be the same as everyone else, and that we are worthy of simply living a life of peace.

Bisexuals of Colour have lost so much with Nila’s death – an activist powerhouse, a compassionate human, and a friend who was there for us, even when they had a lot of issues to contend with themselves.

We will miss you, mate.

There is a fund for Nila’s memorial here:

https://paypal.me/pools/c/8AiqUnnsGK

Paypal Link: paypal.me/bisofcolour

We at Bi’s of Colour are the only group of its kind in the world (please let me know if there are others!).  We have been going since 2010, and were formed to support those in bisexual+ community who are Black and People of Colour.  There is a MASSIVE racism problem in the UK queer communities, and the Bisexual communities are no exception.  Bisexuals of Colour face racism, Islamaphobia, and classism within the Bi+ community.  We also face all of the above, plus biphobia from LGBT+ communities, charities, and individuals.  Straight spaces are no better either, with queer phobia, sexual violence & hypersexualisation of bi+ people of colour.  To put it bluntly, we face a lot of hate and violence.

Donating  to Bi’s of Colour means we can have a presence at Pride events across the U.K.  We can give our much-needed voices to government studies and research.  We can provide resources and practical support to bisexuals who face multiple marginalisations.  Rejection, Alienation, Isolation and the trauma living in a Black bisexual body takes its toll on our mental and physical health.  Donate now, and help us to help others who need it.

Donate now! 

Bi Pride takes place on Saturday 7th September.  All the details including the programme is up on their site: Bi Pride 2019. Bi’s of Colour will be there speaking on a panel about Mental Health in the bisexual communities.  We will also have copies of our report, and copies of our zine, The A-Z of Biphobia, and how to fight back!

Call out for BAME LGBTQ+ couples who want to be interviewed (PAID)

Hey YOU! Do you and your partner have a ‘song’? 

You know, the one that makes you both dance around in the kitchen like idiots or the one you put on when you’re in their bad books to make    them smile at you again?

We’re making a short video celebrating 50 years of Pride for a big-name online streaming service and we’d love to hear your stories. If you’ve   got a spare 30 mins bring your partner along to *** and we’ll chat to you about it on film.

We’ll pay you for your time – if you’re both game and available, just email us on casting@brightsignals.co.uk telling us what your song is and    why. We’ll then send you a few more details. 

Poster reads:

Bi’s of Colour will be at UK Black Pride!  Sunday 7th July 2019, Hagerstown Park, London.

Get a free copy of the A-Z of Biphobia zine

Meet the Bisexual of the Year!

Free copies of the Bisexuals of Colour report: the only one of its kind in the world!

Free badges, flyers and resources from bisexual groups around the UK

for more information, see UK Black Pride

London BiFest 2019 took place at the Kingston Quaker Centre on a sunny, cool Saturday.  The turnout was very good, with an excellent mix of ethnicities, genders and ages.  I was really glad that I didn’t know most of the Bi’s of Colour in attendance, as it showed there are much more of us than anyone would guess!

The centre was very accessible, with lots of refreshments, a lovely garden space, and gender-neutral toilets making it feel even more welcoming.

Katy, the organiser gave a short welcome speech, and then came the first session: Speed Friending.  This was much like speed dating, but nobody was expecting to meet a romantic partner!  In all seriousness, the fact that this session would be welcoming to those on the Asexual spectrum, made it a thoughtful addition.  Often non-bisexuals assume we are only ever interested in sex, so this session may seem like a small thing, but it meant a lot.  Plus I could always do with making more friends.

I spent some time enjoying the sunshine in the garden with my friend’s children.  I also enjoyed the spread of sandwiches that had been placed there too.

I returned inside for the second session I was interested in: Over 50’s bisexuals.  We had an interesting chat about what support we would like to see for older bisexuals.  Some talked about fears of being alone with nobody in their corner, and of having to go back in the closet when in a care home or hospital.  The staff from Opening Doors were really informative.

As well as sessions, there was a craft room, a quiet room, and lots of stalls from a variety of community organisations including Biscuit, who had a great range of badges, and Queer Muslims, who had the best sweets!  One of their volunteers told me that there was a new book about bisexuality in the Qur’an, as well as an ungendered translation of the Qur’an on their site, so I need to look that up!

London BiFest was a great place to network and meet folks from similar groups.  The organiser Katy H was also kind enough to give me a copy of the U.S version of Purple Prose, called Claiming the B in LGBT.

I had a lovely relaxing time at London BiFest.  It was a pressure-free event that made such a change to much of what’s available on the London Lesbian, Gay, Gay and Gay scene.  Just the fact that there was no alcohol present was a welcome addition for me.  Thanks so much to Katy H and all of those who made it a great event!