Can you tell if someone is bisexual just from looking at them?
That’s what a new video from National Student Pride is asking.
The video comes as the pride announces bisexuality is one of their core themes at their February 10 event in London. The discussion will be about underrepresention and erasure of the ‘B,’ in LGBTI.
In the video, a line of young people get questioned, judged and grilled – by someone who goes on to guess their sexuality.
The challenge to work out who is bisexual, and you might be surprised which of the line-up are:
The misconceptions and labels that the bi people face
National Student Pride want to challenge stereotypes about what bisexual people look like with the video. Charlie Mathers from the pride organization, says:
‘Bisexual people experience much higher suicide risks which is really sad and needs to hault. By calling on the world to do better ‘bi’ us, we can make the lives of all bisexual people better’.
But Mathers has also headed up Gay Star News’s Bi+ Manifesto. It is a global call for straight and gay people to take a stand with those who can fall in love with multiple genders.
Bi+ people suffer disproportionately higher mental and physical health issues compared to monosexual people. The manifesto, written by bi+ people, hopes to change that.
‘When speaking to bi people about the manifesto, there hasn’t been a single person who hasn’t said how amazing and important it is.’
What does the plus sign on bi+ mean?
The video is also about bi+ identities, an umbrella term for anyone who doesn’t have a monosexual attraction.
One example is pansexuality. The literal definition of being pan is a sexual or romantic attraction to two sexes. Similar to bisexual, but it goes beyond that to people of any sex or gender identity.
Hatti who is in the video and identifies as pan explains to Gay Star News:
‘For me I guess it’s about falling in love with personality, instead of sex or gender.’
Bi activist Lewis Oakley says this video shows exactly why bisexuals deserve better representation.
‘We need spaces to meet one another, bi inclusive media output and even official representatives who look after the needs of bisexuals.’
Did you guess who was bi+ correctly? | Photo: National Student Pride
The panel will take place on the Gay Star Students stage at the event, as well as being live streamed by GSN.
‘Statistically the majority of people in our LGBTI community will be part of the B – bi, queer or pan. But you wouldn’t know it,’ says Gay Star News editor Tris Reid-Smith. ‘Moreover, they are overlooked by media, government, businesses, charities and organisations – even LGBTI ones. But, with more and more young people saying they are neither gay or straight, the time to talk about this is now.’
Joining Oakely on the Bi+ panel is:
- Nichi Hodgson, a journalist, broadcaster, author and sex educator.
- Jen Yockney MBE, the first Mx to make the Honours List and first MBE for ‘services to the bisexual community.’
- Two more guests TBA
Read more from Gay Star Students:
Why this bisexual woman wore the bi pride flag on her graduation robes
Courtney Act and Calum Scott to perform at National Student Pride
