This viral tweet lays down crucial truths about bisexual people
Everyone needs to absorb these facts (Pexels and kaitlinmaarie/twitter)
During Pride Month, it’s important to remember to celebrate bisexual people.
After all, bi-erasure is alive and kicking, with a movement this month proving just that as it sought to literally erase bisexuality from the LGBT acronym.
The #droptheb campaign, which started out on alt-right trolling forum 4Chan, tried to spread the false message that bisexuality excluded people who don’t identify within the gender binary, when being bi actually covers attraction to people of any gendered or non-gendered persuasion.
The anti-bi campaign #droptheb (4chan)
Study after study has also revealed the unique challenges which come with being bi, despite new polling revealing that bi and queer people now make up a majority of the US LGBT community.
We should be doing all we can to debunk harmful, biphobic lies – which is exactly what Twitter user Kait set out to do.
The 19-year-old provided her followers with a simple list of attributes which they should and shouldn’t associate with bi people.
She wrote: “Things bisexual people aren’t:
-cheaters
-half gay half straight
-going through a phase
-confused
Things bisexual people are
-bisexual
-valid.”
Easy, right? (kaitlinmaarie/twitter)
Pretty simple, really.
The tweet attracted more than 62,000 retweets and likes, securing it viral status.
Commenters loved the post, with one response in particular standing out for its hilarity.
Its composer, Ocean’s Kate, wrote: “Other things bisexual people are:
-powerful
-strong
-immortal
-philanthropic
-lycanthropic
-systematic
-hydromatic
-greased lightning.”
Yep, that all checks out (kateleth/twitter)
It’s hard to disagree with that assessment.
Bi-erasure is a real issue, both on TV and in the real world.
So it was good to see another bisexual meme go viral in May, playing with the ‘Is this a pigeon?’ format to shine a spotlight on biphobia.
International pop sensation Halsey also went viral explaining the same concept to her followers last year.
Halsey performs (Timothy Hiatt/Getty)
The American singer-songwriter, 23, has repeatedly released explicitly bisexual love songs, such as Strangers, which she sang with Fifth Harmony star Lauren Jauregui, who is also bisexual.
On Twitter, she wrote: “So if I’m dating a guy I’m straight, and if I date a woman, I’m a lesbian.
“The only way to be a #True bisexual is to date 2 people at once.”
Preach. (Twitter/halsey)
A host of studies have shown that bi people suffer in a variety of ways, with one piece of research last year finding that bi people have worse relationships, on average, than straight or homosexual people.
Bi people have consistently been found to have the lowest life satisfaction among LGBT people.
They feel less worthwhile and happy – and much more anxious – than other people too, according to a study from last year.
A study published earlier this year showed that bi teenagers are five times more likely to get pregnant than their straight counterparts.
It was revealed last year that bisexual people sleep worse than everyone else, with bi women being especially affected.
Bi teens are five times more likely to get pregnant than their straight counterparts (Pexels)
Bisexual women are also more promiscuous, confused and neurotic than anyone else, according to straight people.
A study published in The Journal of Sex Research earlier this year found that straight people also think bi women are less inclined to be monogamous, less agreeable and less conscientious than people with other sexualities.
