Category Archives: Uncategorized

My invitation to meet the Prime Minister

I was invited to attend the LGBT reception with the UK Prime Minister, representing Bi’s of Colour.

It’s a short story: I chose not to go.

*Sisters Uncut http://www.sistersuncut.org battle daily to support women and girls who are victims/survivors of domestic violence.  The government has cut 32 women’s refuges. (I’m a survivor of domestic violence)

*Broken Rainbow, the only UK charity to support LGBT victims of domestic violence, have to constantly strive to secure funding from the government. (I’m a bisexual survivor of domestic violence – Broken Rainbow were invaluable to me)

*I am a former runaway and homeless person.  (I have been fortunate enough to have been housed,) but the number of homeless people in the UK has risen by huge amounts under the Conservative government.

*Disabled people have had their mobility aids, Carer rooms and independence payments taken away. (I am disabled, with a long-term chronic illness, and various mental health conditions)

*This event is probably being organised by the same person who let the hate group, UKIP, march at London Pride. (I used to be on the community advisory board of London Pride, until they screwed me over)

*Several members of Bi’s of Colour were very worried about how I would be treated if I attended the LGBT reception.

I would like to think I could influence the Prime Minister; tell him to not be such a shitty person, but I doubt I’d even be allowed to get close.  There will be other bisexual activists at the reception.  There will be other People of Colour there too, but there probably won’t be any bisexual people of colour present.  I have mixed feelings about that, but my strong feelings are all about how badly the government has treated people just like me.  I have limited energy, and am at risk of burning out, so I’m quite happy to give this event a miss, and use my spoons to support people like me instead.

Multiple Oppressions in the UK Bi Scenes

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j-applebee:

When a very brief exchange reminds you why you don’t miss the white middle class bicon world that much any more. (by extension all the other white and middlecass ‘alt’ worlds: lgbtq, kink, geek etc etc)

so so much emotional labour of explaining racism (and you know you’ve got problems if IM explaining classism too coz i am one of the people who gets it) of being expected to explain/educate, because an ‘activist’. (activist, not masochist doormat/your personal/community resource)

I had to cut off completely from a scene that I’d worked/loved/fucked/found myself in over ten years.

It became no longer possible to be in that scene without being shut down/told off for being ‘unreasonable’ /angry or being a version of me that fanned my internalised racism.

But there are so few spaces which are not shit for bi people. Basically are there any that aren’t organised primarily by bi people?

That’s part of why I stayed so long, and it was a huge huge loss stepping away.

That’s why bi’s of colour, which Jacq Applebee and I founded, has been a fucking lifeline.

http://bisofcolour.tumblr.com/

SAVE THE DATE!

Sunday 14th of February may be Valentines Day, but it’s also the Bi’s of Colour Celebration for LGBT History Month!

Where: Peckham Library (5th floor) – 122 Peckham Hill St, London SE15 5JR.  Nearest train station is Peckham Rye (has lots of stairs) or Peckham Queens Road (has a lift). The library is very accessible, with decent loos inside and ramps to enter.

When: 1pm – 3pm

Why: LGBT History Month is traditionally not a great time for either People of Colour or Bisexuals.  We tend to get erased, and our history is ignored.  Jacq Applebee will be talking about our history project, and there will be refreshments too!  

If you need any more info, email us at bis.of.colour@gmail.com

Fear In The Lives Of Bisexuals Of Colour

The abstract for this poster:

Fear is an emotion that was raised throughout the first-ever report on Bisexuals who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.  Fear mixed with corresponding negative experiences, which many bisexual People of Colour report, may lead to or worsen adverse mental health, including depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide idelation.  Bisexual People of Colour have spoken of their experiences of racism, biphobia, sexism, abelism and fetishization both within and outside of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans communities.  These intersecting oppressions leads to an ongoing fear of being “out” in daily life. Fear was also raised in connection with family rejection, risks of violence including sexual violence and honour-based violence, which leads the bisexual person of colour to exist in a near-constant state of heightened awareness and dread.  All of these experiences, both lived and potential, places a great mental strain on bisexual people of colour.
There is currently very little information on bisexual people in the United Kingdom, and even less on People of Colour who identify as bisexual; this leads to mental health treatments being unsatisfatory or inappropriate for this group.
The Bisexuals of Colour Report can be read in full at: https://bisexualresearch.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bis-of-colour-survey-report.pdf

Fear In The Lives Of Bisexuals Of Colour

Bis of Colour will be seeing some new changes: we will no longer be meeting up on a monthly basis.  The next Bi’s of Colour meetup will be in February 2016 for the UK  LGBT+ History Month.  We hope to meet up at the South Bank Centre’s Festival Hall, which has good accessibility and is centrally located.  We also hope that the Bi’s of Colour poster exhibition will be ready by then, so stay tuned!