Bisexual Awareness Week

BY PAUL MASTERSON

Back in 2014, actor Shailene Woodley with great pride announced her bisexuality. “I fall in love with human beings based on who they are, not based on what they do or what sex they are,” she declared. With that she captured the essence of bisexuality.

Meanwhile, seven years later, whilst chitchatting about his most recent MVP award and having scraped his nose hairs for 180 days straight, Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers mentioned, as casually as he did his grueling nose hair grooming regimen, some bombshell nuptial news, namely of his engagement to the very same notable bisexual celebrity, Shailene Woodley.

Of course, the Rodgers-Woodley coupling has since received the fawning press coverage any celebrity nuptials might. In an article on the online rag theknot.com we read in great detail about their fairy tale love story and plans for an environmentally conscious solar powered wedding. Woodley, it seems, is an avid environmentalist (I expect their wedding cake will be baked with windmill stone-ground flour, too). Still, try as I might, I found no reference to the bride’s own bombshell revelation of yore. It doesn’t even seem to have been a matter of a spat on The View.

I suppose Woodley’s bisexuality really isn’t as big of a deal today as it was seven years ago. It’s like celebrity Ellen’s historic coming out during her TV sitcom’s “Puppy Episode” in 1997—we’ve become educated, so we don’t react beyond a “that’s nice.”

NOT OUTLIERS

Back in the day, when the community initials were still but a mere quartet, the “B” for bisexual added to the cadence and flow when saying “LGBT.” But, for many, the letter signified an outlier group, whose members grappled with their identity and, sooner or later, would come out and embrace their gayness or lesbianism. Despite their bitter frustration and insistence of bisexuals that their sexual identify wasn’t “just a phase,” the on-the-fence notion remained pervasive.

In the meantime, science and the ever-evolving realm of gender studies have caught up with bisexuality. In fact, a 2013 Pew Research Center survey revealed 40% of the LGBTQ community identified as bisexual. A more recent Gallup study puts the number at 54.6%. Nowadays, more and more people across the spectrum from celebrities to your co-worker at the brewery are coming out as bi. The New York Times itself recently published an opinion piece by sex expert Zachary Zane entitled “I Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This, But You Are Bi Enough.”

It may be just a sign of the times, but during the Olympics, when the White House was lit in red, white and blue in support of American Olympians, the resulting blend of the lighting appeared curiously reminiscent of the bisexual pride flag’s stripes of magenta, lavender and blue. If one didn’t know better, one might suggest it was intentional. Realistically, though, we’re so aware of bisexuality that, as brains are wont to do, we perceived the familiar hues as those of that now familiar flag.

AFFIRMING IDENTITY

The progress made in affirming bi identity has also been advanced by activists supporting the cause through Bisexual Awareness Week. Established through the collaborative efforts of GLAAD and BiNet USA, the week is dedicated to education, cultural acceptance and advocating for bisexual rights. This year Bisexual Awareness Week (BAW) begins on September 16 and culminates with Celebrate Bisexuality Day on September 23.

Over the years, BAW’s cumulative impact may be seen in the many comings-out we hear about (and the even greater number of those we don’t hear about) and the social affirmation of bisexual men and women. This is not to say, however, that bi-phobia and obstacles to the self-realization of those individuals do not persist today. They do, but great progress continues to be made.

In Milwaukee, various resources are available to the bisexual community. For those seeking information, the local social media group, “Bi+ Pride Milwaukee” offers a full spectrum of resources as well as links to other bisexual groups.

Meanwhile, congrats to Aaron and Shailene.

Paul Masterson is an LGBTQ activist and writer and has served on the boards of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, Milwaukee Pride, GAMMA and other organizations.