Bisexual/pansexual+ individuals are students, faculty, staff, library colleagues, community members - family & friends.
This guide shares information that can help you learn about and be more supportive of members of the bisexual/pansexual+ communities.
- Bisexual+ people make up the majority of the LGBTQ community, but receive less than 1% of all funding that supports LGBTQ advocacy.
- They experience significantly higher rates of physical, sexual, social, and emotional violence and disparities than gay and straight people, as well as poorer physical, mental, and social health.
- Despite comprising over half of the LGBTQ community, only 29% of people report personally knowing a bisexual person, compared to 73% of people who report knowing a gay or lesbian person.
- The bisexual+ community includes a wide variety and many intersections of identities. Our community is at its healthiest when we are inclusive and affirming of everyone under the bi+ umbrella, and discrimination against BIPOC, transgender and those living with disabilities within the bi+ community has been eliminated.
Statistics from the Bisexual Resource Center's Bisexual+ Health Awareness Month (#bihealthmonth) Shareable Campaign Information.
Edited March 2022 by Melinda Brown
This guide originally created for "The B in LGBT is Not Silent: Supporting Bisexual/Pansexual+ College Students", Roundtable Discussion held at ACRL 2019: Recasting the Narrative, Cleveland, OH. Moderated by Melinda Brown, Deborah Lilton & AJ Robinson.
Friendly URL: http://bit.ly/acrl_bi
Widely Used Definition of Bisexuality: "I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted - romantically and/or sexually - to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree. Activist - Robyn Ochs
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History of the Word 'Bisexual'The Bi History Project's presentation of the development of our current understanding of the word 'bisexual'.
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History of PansexualityAn excellent look at the ways the word "pansexuality" has been used throughout the decades.
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Defining Bisexuality: Young Bisexual and Pansexual People's VoicesFlanders, Corey E., et al. “Defining Bisexuality: Young Bisexual and Pansexual People’s Voices.” Journal of Bisexuality, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 39–57. Taylor and Francis+NEJM, doi:10.1080/15299716.2016.1227016.
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What's in a Name? Exploring Pansexuality OnlineBelous, Christopher K., and Melissa L. Bauman. “What’s in a Name? Exploring Pansexuality Online.” Journal of Bisexuality, vol. 17, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 58–72. Crossref, doi:10.1080/15299716.2016.1224212.
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Bisexual Umbrella link in blogIncludes permission to use by Shiri Eisner, plus Hebrew version.
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Second bisexual umbrella image by Shiri EisnerIncludes permission to use image.
