20 Scene
MEL REEVE
Simply (B)iconic
Rachael Badham on the bisexual+ women who made history ) Despite February being LGBTQ+ History
Month, bi+ culture and prominent bisexual, pansexual and queer figures are often left out of the conversation, with bi+ erasure continuing to be one of the most pressing issues within the LGBTQ+ community. The term bisexuality wasn’t coined until 1892, making it one of the later LGBTQ+ labels to have been introduced into public discourse, perhaps contributing to the lack of historical bi+ visibility A handful of bi+ historical figures were not open about their sexuality during their lifetime due to stigmas around same-sex relationships, and their orientation only became public knowledge after contemporary findings about their lives.
“Bi History was created because of concerns that I had about a lack of bi+ representation in LGBTQ+ history. When I began research, I found that this wasn’t because of a lack of bi+ activists, groups, and people but because of erasure of those lives and that work. I’m an archivist, and in my work with LGBTQ+ archive materials although I’ve seen a lot of amazing representations of bi+ lives and activism, and of hard work to be inclusive and to represent bi+ history, I’ve also seen how records of bisexuality are not being gathered and preserved which are vital to preserving our knowledge of our community’s history.” Mel continues: “I’ve also seen examples of content being described as LGBTQ+ but without any bi+ representation, which is always
They also highlight the importance of preserving bi+ history for today’s LGBTQ+ community, saying: “Having a knowledge of our community’s history can help bi+ people feel more confident in their identities and in their right to have a place within the LGBTQ+ community.” Along with the bi+ community, women’s history
has been subject to erasure. However, many influential, self-identifying women were part of the bi+ community and made history for their role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and their work and legacy deserves to be acknowledged this month. ) Marsha P Johnson is best known for being
a pivotal figure in the 1969 Stonewall riots, and identified as a bi+ trans woman. She grew up in a strictly religious home and was forced to suppress her identity until she moved to New York at 17 with only $15; it is there that Johnson became a much-loved figure in the LGBTQ+ community, despite being discriminated against for her race and gender identity. She was a drag queen, performing with queer group Hot Peaches from 1972 to the early 1990s. Along with Sylvia Rivera, she also set up the STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) House in 1972, a sanctuary for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, particularly those who were gender diverse. She provided the residents with clothes, food and emotional support. To this day, Johnson is considered a major pioneer MARSHA P JOHNSON (L) & SYLVIA RIVERA (R)
Even those who were openly queer have often had their bisexuality erased from historical discourses, with GLAAD theorising that erasure occurs when ‘existence of one’s identity is questioned or denied outright’. With gay and straight historically being thought of as the only two valid sexual possibilities (known as monosexism), and many queer historical figures being married to a member of the opposite sex (as seen with some of the women here), the legitimacy of bisexuality was, and continues to be questioned. Mel Reeve, an archivist and writer who runs Bi History UK, speaks to us about the lack of historical documentation of the bi+ community:
really disappointing. I think this happens for several reasons, among which is a perception that experiencing attraction to the people of the same and of different genders, or to all genders, is somehow more modern than any other identity. I think it also happens because there has historically been so much erasure of bisexual+ narratives that it feels somehow harder to uncover them. There is also the practical concern of applying labels to historical figures, which is something I am very careful about in my work with Bi History. I never describe someone as bi+ if they have not used that word for themselves - however that doesn’t stop us being able to identify and celebrate people with experiences that modern bi+ people can understand as part of our history.”
