Boston, MA — Energized by the historic White House Roundtable on Bisexual Issues held in September 2013, the Bisexual Resource Center ( BRC ) proudly proclaims March as Bisexual Health Awareness Month.
Bisexual Health Awareness Month is the first social media event of its kind to raise widespread awareness about bisexual health disparities using Facebook and Twitter. This year's theme—"Bi the Way, Our Health Matters Too!"—will highlight the unique ways that the bisexual community experiences physical and mental health disparities and will encourage more research and services be developed to address them. The campaign will highlight work that is already being done by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) organizations across the country and urge more action in the future.
Bisexuals have traditionally been misunderstood, marginalized, and discriminated against in both heterosexual and LGBT spaces. Despite actively working within the LGBT equality movement for decades, bisexuals are often erased and considered a small subgroup of the community. Yet, the Williams Institute has found that approximately half of self-identified LGBT Americans identify as bisexual. This reluctance to address the needs of a large part of the community has resulted in many bisexuals feeling alienated and alone, which contributes to a high incidence of depression, substance abuse, suicide and other high-stress indicators.
BRC's president, Ellyn Ruthstrom, stated, "The Bisexual Health Awareness social media campaign will be focusing attention on important health issues that are affecting the bisexual community. With more research indicating that bi people are experiencing severe physical and mental health disparities, we think it is imperative to bring this information out of the shadows so that we can build more effective ways to address them. Our community is suffering and we can no longer afford to be the invisible majority of the LGBT community."
The Bisexual Health Awareness campaign will focus on the following bisexual health issues throughout the month of March:
March 3-7 Mental Health & Biphobia: The BRC will highlight important statistics about mental health disparities in the bisexual community, including the high rates of suicidality, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.
March 10-14 Safer Sex & Sexual Health: The focus this week will be on the incidence of sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) and risky sexual behaviors among bisexuals, as well as bi-specific safer sex practices and resources.
March 17-21 Nutrition & Physical Activity: This week we'll point out cardiovascular-related disparities in the bisexual community, including higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and encourage ways to improve health through nutrition and exercise.
March 24-28 Intimate Partner Violence & Sexual Violence: The final week of the campaign will draw attention to the high rates of rape, physical violence, and stalking experienced by bisexuals via an intimate partner.
Bisexual Health Awareness Month launches on Monday, March 3rd on the BRC's Twitter page ( @BRC_Central ) with a 12-hour Tweet-a-thon introducing bisexual health issues and related topics. The month-long awareness event will continue on both the BRC's Twitter ( with hashtag #bihealthmonth ) and Facebook pages. The BRC invites participants from across the country and around the world to become involved with the discussion and to raise awareness about bisexual health issues in their own communities.
The Bisexual Resource Center ( BRC ) has been advocating for bisexual visibility and raising awareness about bisexuality throughout the LGBT and straight communities since 1985. The Bisexual Resource Center envisions a world where love is celebrated, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. Visit www.biresource.net .
