I think in the pride of this here 20biteen, we should stop sweeping bi people and the very real realities of living in this world as a bi person under the rug.
Here is an article detailing how bisexual peopleâs problems are often overlooked, in case you donât want to read it yourself here are some highlights:
Poverty is one of the main issues facing bisexual people. But nobody ever talks about it.
When it comes to poverty rates, in the United States, bisexual men are most likely to report a household income that falls below the poverty line.
Almost a quarter of American bisexual men are poor, compared with 12 percent of gay men and 6 percent of straight men.
The numbers were similar for bisexual women, with 21 percent reporting living in poverty, compared with 14 percent of straight women.Â
Bisexual women experienced the greatest material disadvantage.
Poverty rates for bisexual people, who experience multiple types of oppression, may be even higher.
As bisexual activist, Heron Greenesmith, points out, the lack of family support (which again, is an area where bisexual youths are more vulnerable than their gay/lesbian peers) is a significant contributing factor.
This intersects with bisexual people being less likely to graduate from high school in the United States, and how they experience  shockingly high rates of homlessness.
Here has some of the unique issues that bisexual people face. Highlights:
In addition to biphobia, bisexual people are often excluded or rendered invisible in LGBTQ spaces and conversations about LGBTQ issues.
Bisexual people often are misidentified because of the gender of their romantic partner.
Bisexual people suffer significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety, domestic violence, sexual assault, and poverty than lesbians, gay men, or straight cisgender people.
Bisexuals also face major health disparities and poor healthcare outcomes from a lack of adequate preventative care.
Here is a study on bisexual mental health in Australia. Highlights:
Study on bisexual mental health found there are significant links between poor mental health and the following factors: bisexual people in heterosexual relationships; bisexual people perceiving their sexuality to be bad or wrong, and bisexual people thinking their partnerâs support for their sexuality is low.
It also found one in four cisgender bisexual people had attempted suicide, and nearly 80 per cent had thought about self-harm or suicide.
Nearly 60 per cent said they had high, or very high, current psychological distress, while 40 per cent said they had experienced depression.
Research has consistently shown bisexual people have poorer mental health than gay, lesbian or heterosexual people, the paper says.
Transgender and gender diverse bisexual people experience even poorer mental health, and these findings will be released later this year.
Here is a great resource in the ways you can actively help bisexual people in your life.
Thanks for listening and happy pride đ