Today is Bi Visibility Day

September 23rd is Bi Visibility Day!

Since 1999, Bi Visibility Day has been celebrating bisexuality, giving opportunities for bisexual people to meet up, addressing issues surrounding biphobia and generally helping the bisexual community to be more visible.

Bi Visbility Day is being commemorated in at least 19 countries across the world. In the UK, large employers such as the Co-operative and Lloyds Banking Group are promoting Bi Visibility.

There is a growing recognition that bisexual people face issues that other members of the LGBTI community do not. Bi Awareness Day aims to promote better understanding of bisexual identity, and in particular challenge some of the common, but ludicrous, assumptions many have towards bi people. Having personally experienced not only prejudice but ill-informed notions of what bisexuality is, often from well-intentioned, liberal-minded people, I find it hard to disagree with Aaron Day, writing for Pink News, that Bi Visibility Day “is about challenging what it is we really value in our struggle for equality”.

Bi Visibility Day is an opportunity for self-expression, to demonstrate positively individual and collective bisexual identity and celebrate diversity – while also taking a look at how barriers to acceptance can be removed.

Minister for Women and Equalities Jo Swinson MP said: “I’m proud that this has been a momentous year for LGBT equality. The first marriages of same-sex couples have taken place in England and Wales, and the UK has once again been ranked number one in Europe for LGBT rights.

“Sadly some prejudice remains, which is why I’m very pleased to welcome Bi Visibility Day. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the lives and experiences of bisexual people throughout the country and tackle the barriers and challenges they can face.

A number of events are planned in the UK – and not all on the day itself. For further information, visit http://september23.bi.org