Denver, September 21, 2015 — Despite comprising more than half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual ( LGBT ) population, bisexual people face high levels of stigma, legal inequality, and a lack of bisexual-specific data that all contribute to poor outcomes for bisexual people in the United States.
The Movement Advancement Project's ( MAP ) new infographic, "Snapshot: Bisexual in America," gives a quick look at state-level laws and policies that impact the lives of bisexual people and provides some key statistics on the challenges bisexual people face. For example:
- Poverty: Approximately 25% of bisexual men and 30% of bisexual women live in poverty, compared to 15% and 21% of heterosexual men and women, respectively, and 20% of gay men and 23% of lesbians.
- Employment: While 20% of bisexual people report experiencing a negative employment decision based on their sexual orientation, almost 60% of bisexual people report hearing anti-bisexual jokes and comments on the job. Nearly half of bisexual people report that they are not out to any of their coworkers ( 49% ), compared to just 24% of lesbian and gay people.
- Violence: Bisexual women experience significantly higher rates of both overall and intimate partner violence compared to lesbians and straight women—and46% of bisexual women have experienced rape, compared to 13% and 17% of lesbian and straight women, respectively. Bisexual men also report higher rates of sexual violence; nearly half of bisexual men ( 47% ) report experiencing sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime.
- Suicide attempts: One study found bisexuals were four times more likely, and lesbian and gay adults two times more likely, to report attempted suicide than heterosexual adults.
"Bisexual people are only about one third as likely to be out to their close friends and family," said Heron Greenesmith, LGBT Movement and Policy Analyst at MAP. "A shown in our new infographic, two-thirds of bisexual people report hearing negative comments at work and bisexual people are more likely to report negative health outcomes."
Readable graphic at the link: www.windycitymediagroup.com/pdf/Snapshot-Bisexual-In-America.pdf .
To read MAP's summary analysis of issues facing bisexual Americans, visit lgbtmap.org/understanding-issues-facing-bisexual-americans .
