bisexual history archive @bisexual-history-archive - Tumblr Blog

Tags in use:

#bisexual history: general history

#bisexual women: historical bi women + bi women specific history

#bisexual men: historical bi men + bi men specific history

#resources: general related resources

#under construction #will update as necessary

“Margaret Mead in her Redbook magazine column wrote an article titled ‘Bisexuality: What’s It All About?’ in which she cited examples of bisexuality from the distant past as well as recent times, commenting that writers, artists, and musicians especially ‘cultivated bisexuality out of a delight with personality, regardless of race or class or sex.’” — Janet Bode, “From Myth to Maturation,” View From Another Closet: Exploring Bisexuality in Women (1976)

#bisexual history #bisexual women

that-borderline-autistic

Anne Frank was bisexual!!

Her diary was edited and many sections were removed by her father. One passage revealed that she was bisexual. Despite Anne never explicitly giving herself a label, the diary tells of her love for a boy named Peter and also a girl called Jacque.

"Once when I was spending the night at Jacque’s, I could no longer restrain my curiosity about her body, which she’d always hidden from me and which I’d never seen.

I asked her whether, as proof of our friendship, we could touch each other’s breasts. Jacque refused. I also had a terrible desire to kiss her, which I did. Every time I see a female nude, such as the Venus in my art history book, I go into ecstasy.

Sometimes I find them so exquisite I have to struggle to hold back my tears. If only I had a girlfriend!"

#bisexual women

queerwelsh

Photo of May Morris and Mary Lobb in Wales in 1926. (William Morris Gallery.)

Mary Frances Vivian Lobb (1878-1939) came from a prosperous Cornish farming family. She had 4 siblings, went to a girls’ boarding school and was an animal lover. By the First World War, Mary was ‘a lady of independent means’ who was ‘to be seen every day driving a steam roller on the main roads near Launceston.’ A Women’s Land Army volunteer, she encouraged other women to work off the land. A 1916 photograph caption reads ‘Miss Lobb working on her tractor […] before she went to live as May Morris’s companion at Kelmscott Manor.’

Mary ‘May’ Morris (1862-1938), the artisan, designer, editor jeweller and socialist, lived alone in Kelmscott after the deaths of her parents, William and Jane Morris. She founded the Women’s Guild of Arts in 1907, supported the Socialist Movement like her father, and edited William Morris’ Collected Works in 24 volumes, as well as being Director of Embroidery at Morris & Co. She married fellow socialist Henry Sparling in 1890 but had an affair with George Bernard Shaw in 1894 - they officially divorced in 1898.

May and Mary met in Kelmscott in 1916 or 1917 and soon Mary moved to the manor as a gardener, and then stayed there. They worked together in the garden and attended events together, garnering some criticism from friends of May’s, such as George Bernard Shaw and Evelyn Waugh.

In the 1920s, May and Mary travelled the country together, particularly around Cornwall, Wales and Ireland, and visited Iceland together. Certainly, photos show they were in Wales in 1926, in the Cardigan area in 1921, and in Iceland in 1922. They also had watercolours from all over Wales.

When May died in 1938, she left personal items, £12,000 and Kelmscott Manor to Mary, but Mary herself died on the 27th of March, 1939. Mary’s will was to leave Icelandic articles, including those bequeathed to her by May Morris, to the Museum of Exeter, and to have a funeral with a ‘plain oblong box,’ a ‘motor lorry’ instead of a hearse, no religious ceremony and a private cremation, with her ashes scattered on the Cornish Moor.

Mary had already donated some jewellery by May to the National Museum of Wales in 1938, but also left her own collection of scrapbooks and photo albums to the National Library of Wales. The exact nature of the connection to Wales is unclear - perhaps because of the Morris family’s possible Welsh ancestry, or because May and Mary travelled there together. Mary Lobb’s own legacy lives on, as well as May’s, in her varied collection at the National Library, in her photographs with animals, tractors and Icelandic friends, and through her clearly very meaningful companionship of over 20 years with May Morris.

Source: ‘The Eclectic Collection of Miss M.F.V. Lobb’ by Simon Evans.

#bisexual women

woman-loving

The [bisexual] revolution isn’t only confined to the East. In June [1990], ACT UP/San Francisco was offered a chance to address the Lesbian and Gay Freedom Day Parade of the nation’s largest Pride celebration. The Women’s Caucus of ACT UP nominated one of their most outspoken members, Rebecca Hensler. When the decision was announced to the general body, however, an older lesbian objected to being represented a gay Pride by a bisexual, even though ACT UP isn’t a gay, lesbian or bisexual group per se. The debate sparked a heated battle in which other women formerly thought to be lesbian came out to the group as bisexual. The Women’s Caucus ended up falling apart–due in large measure to the tensions between bisexual-feminist and lesbian-feminists, both of whom called themselves “dykes.”

–Carrie Wofford, “The Bisexual Revolution: deluded closet cases or the vanguard of the movement?,” Outweek, Feb 6 1991.

#bisexual history #bisexual women

readingbibooks

“When we talk only of ‘lesbian and gay’ history, I can’t help but think of the bisexual people that have been erased because of the inability - from parts of the LGBTQ+ community as well as from many heterosexual people - to recognise that bisexual identity has a history and legacy. Because of this erasure, bi history is inevitably interlinked with the histories of lesbian and gay people. Promoting the latter is very important, but we should remember and acknowledge that bisexual people existed in those histories too.”

- Mel Reeve, The Bi-ble: an anthology of personal essays and narratives about bisexuality

#bisexual history

readingbibooks

“Ironically, AIDS has perhaps contributed more than any other factor to increasing the visibility of bisexuals among the mainstream population. Unfortunately, though, this publicity has been mostly negative. A cursory search of a basic newspaper/journal database reveals that almost all references to bisexuals and bisexuality were in relation to HIV/AIDS. Particularly stereotypical articles in the mainstream US press scapegoating bisexual men have included: ‘A Perilous Double Love Life’ (D. Gelman, Newsweek, 13 July 1987), ‘The Hidden Fear: Black Women, Bisexuals, and AIDS Risk’ (L.B. Randolph, Ebony, January 1988), and ‘The Risky Business of Bisexual Love’ (S. Gerrard and J. Halpin, Cosmopolitan, October 1989).”

- Liz A. Highleyman, Bisexual Horizons: Politics, Histories, Lives

#bisexual history #bisexual men

Pearl Alcock: The Black bisexual artist who nurtured crucial spaces for the Black LGBTQ+ community in Brixton

Around mid-1970s, Pearl transformed the basement of her clothing store into a lively, underground, welcoming shebeen. It offered half-pints of Heineken for 50p, a Bring Your Own Records to play policy and an atmosphere that was praised for being nonviolent. The shebeen attracted mostly Black gay men from the Caribbean, many of whom were Pearl’s friends, as well as white gay men from the nearby bar, The Brixton Fairies.

As an out and proud bisexual, Pearl nurtured an environment that provided a safe space for the Black LGBTQ+ community. As the only gay bar in Brixton, the shebeen was unique in the way it attracted Black men from beyond Brixton to feel comfortable in a “queer space without the racism” which was common to the white gay scene. To give an idea of the politics at the time, racism and homophobia was rife just on the other side of Railton Road at The George pub which banned Blacks and gays from entering. The George was later burned down in the Brixton Riots.

Alas, with the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and the “heightened moral panic”, the police began to close in on shebeens. Anticipating the inevitable violence that would come with a police raid, Pearl stopped selling alcohol in 1980 to protect the Black and queer community most “vulnerable to brutalisation at the hands of law enforcement.” She eventually closed 103 Railton Road in 1981 due to a lack of business at the wake of the first Brixton uprising.

Full article

She was also an outsider artist. The painting below is Celebration of the Night, painted in 1987.

#bisexual women

b-bisexual

Some of those new to the bisexual community, may not know a lot about our history. This is a short infopost about the symbols used for bisexuality!

The Bi-Angles:

Though the maker and origination of the bi-angles is a mystery, it is theorized that they are based off the symbols forced on prisoners during WWII by the Nazis in concentration camps, specifically the black inverted triangle used for lesbians and the pink inverted triangle used for gay men. The Bi-angles were not used by the Nazis, but rather was made around the same time that the pink and black triangles were being reclaimed for activism purposes by LGBT organizations in the 80′s and 90′s. However, some activists had concerns about using symbols created by the Nazis and forced on prisoners during the holocaust. (And thus possibly being a symbol of trauma for those survivors and their families, particularly, of course, those who are Jewish.)

Since an alternative to the Bi-angles was needed the Bisexual Moons were created:

This bisexual moons were created in 1998 by Vivian Wagner, specifically to provide a less controversial and more respectful alternative to the bi-angles. Currently, this is the most popular symbol for bisexuality. Although, discussions are still happening as to whether it is respectful or not to continue to use the bi-angles. Note: I am not Jewish, and so I’m trying to phrase this as neutrally as possible because this is definitely a discussion that needs to be had between Jewish members of the community.

Another, less well known, Bisexual symbol:

The origin of this symbol is also unknown, and similarly it also doesn’t have an official name. However, you can easily find it by searching “bisexual infinity symbol” which is what I (personally) call it. This symbol is based off of the gender symbols and there’s many different variations of it.

#bisexual history

yourdailyqueer

Malcolm Williamson (deceased)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

DOB: 21 November 1931

RIP: 2 March 2003

Ethnicity: White - Australian

Occupation: Musician, composer

Note: In the 1960s, he was commonly referred to as the most often commissioned composer in Britain, and over his lifetime he produced more than 250 works in a wide variety of genres. At the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held on 19 September 2022, mourners filed into Westminster Abbey to 'O Paradise' by Williamson.

#one of his compositions was an opera called the happy prince #based off of the short story by the same name by oscar wilde #another bisexual man #bisexual men

queertations

"For instance, bisexuality participation was barely tolerated in the 1983 S.F. Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Parade. Our contingent was subjected to being spit upon and having objects thrown at us as we marched. We were also booed and hissed at and called traitors."

The Only Thing Constant . . . is Change by Autumn Courtney (Anything That Moves iss. 4)

#bisexual history

the-penalty-box

I recently learned an old French euphemism for bisexuality. It means to be powered "by sail and steam," and it absolutely comes from a specific flavor of 19th-century ship.

HMS Terror and Erebus were bisexual, you heard it here first.

Happy Pride!

#apparently this expression was in use during the 50s and 60s #its origin is unknown #but a couple of hypotheses exist #bisexual history

radlymona

Okay but no it doesn’t:

We know exactly what these colours stand for because the creator has said so less than 30 fucking years ago!!!

cheesyradfem

What does the Twitter user think “bi” means other than “two”?

girlboss-enthusiast

This is especially frustrating bc the symbolism of the purple stripe is so lovely IMO. We aren't "half-straight, half-gay," hangers-on, or confused. We're bi. Having that stripe to represent attraction specifically to both sexes sets us apart as a distinct group with experiences unique to us. Just wish more bisexuals saw it that way.

#bisexual history

queerasfact

“I know I'm perfectly as capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy. More and more people feel that way and I don't see why I shouldn't.”

Happy birthday to Dusty Springfield, born on 16 April in 1939!

Dusty had a hugely successful music career in the UK spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s - her biggest hits are probably ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ and ‘Son of a Preacher Man’. But what is not sure well known is that Dusty was queer, and spoke openly about it from the 1970s.

#bisexual women

nebulaniggatry

I recommend reading these issues about biphobia in the 1990s here if you haven’t yet. Puts things into better perspective on just how deeply rooted biphobia is in the community.

nebulaniggatry

#bisexual history

wynniecat

Bisexual, biromantic and/or just generally queer flower enjoyers of tumblr, I come forth asking: is there a bi4bi flower? Like the same way mlm ppl have green carnations and sapphics have violets, may we declare one ours?