Let’s talk about the ‘B’ in LGBTQ+
Mental health and the bisexual community.
Of all the letters in the LGBTQ+ acronym, the B is often the one that’s talked about the least. Those identifying with being bisexual, regardless of gender, are often the most misunderstood and forgotten about in our community. It is easy to see how Bisexual people may have been forgotten - in the early days of the civil rights movement in the West, the primary focus was on gay men and lesbians, and over the years it seems bisexuality was left behind.
We don’t understand all the reasons but many studies show that bisexual people have worse mental health than lesbian and gay communities. They have a higher risk of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidality and substance use than the general population, as do lesbian or gay people.
Some relevant matters:
Whilst lesbian, gay and bisexual people share several common experiences, it is important to remember the ways in which being bisexuality is different. The bisexual community has a unique set of issues, including, but not limited to:
Lack of visibility: There is a lack of bisexual-identifying people in our media and they often considered as an afterthought of the LGBTQ+ movement. Although milestones such as the Bisexual Day of Visibility which takes place every year on 23 September, and platforms such as BiCon are important ways to raise awareness, I think there is still a long way to go with this.
Erasure and privilege: In the mainstream at large, the experiences of bisexual people are commonly assumed to be the same as lesbian and gay experiences, and their identities are frequently dismissed as something that doesn’t exist. In its most extreme form, bisexual erasure can include the assumption that bisexuality is merely a process, and that people will ultimately choose between heterosexual and homosexual. This list of what not to say to bisexual people really resonated with me.
Bisexual privilege is the idea that bisexual people have the option to avoid the stigma by pursuing fulfilling relationships with the opposite sex. On the other hand, ‘passing’ as heterosexual in this way can come at the cost of erasing their own identity, and so is a double-edged sword.
Biphobia: In both heterosexual and homosexual communities, bisexuality is stigmatized. This involves stereotypical perceptions about bisexual people, such as hypersexuality, disregarding their sexuality in favour of the belief that they want to be more promiscuous. They are also seen as less likely to remain loyal in a relationship. According to surveys, the public have a more hostile view towards bisexual people than lesbians or gay people. Gladly, this is changing over time to become more optimistic, in line with public perceptions of homophobia.
Bisexual individuals can also experience internalised biphobia, shame and identity confusion as a result of wider cultural attitudes. This can generate a sense of isolation - feeling not gay enough to be comfortable in LGBTQ+ communities, and not belonging to mainstream culture either. As a result they often feel less comfortable accessing either mainstream or LGBTQ+ mental health services.
Lack of investment and funding: Despite many studies saying bisexual people make up half of the LGBTQ+ community, bi and pansexual issues are seemingly underfunded or not funded at all. And according to the LGBTQ Foundation, neglecting to fully acknowledge bisexuality as a valid, distinct sexual identity means we are in danger of not fully dealing with the particular difficulties they face.
The value of learning from people’s lived experience:
I have learned a lot by reading the lived experience of bisexual people. I really like these blogs written by people identifying as bisexual on their experiences. In Pippa’s story, she addresses some of the myths and misconceptions about being bisexual and how she has come to terms with this.
In this blog on the Mind website, the writer talks about their journey and what steps they took to get their mental health in a much stronger place.
What can I do :
The most basic thing we can do to help bisexual people is to better understand the issues facing them.
This is particularly true for mental health professionals, who may see bisexual people at a particularly challenging time in their lives. Professionals can support their service users by not adopting negative attitudes that are found in wider society.
As with other sexual minorities, bisexual people can benefit from support within the bisexual community, as well as bi-affirmative support from outside of it. Information and resources are available online through groups such as LGBT Foundation, Bi Community News and The Bisexual Index.
Finally, there is a paucity of research on bisexual mental health, further research is required to understand the causes of mental distress in this population, as well as what can be done to help.
Resources:
MIND – the mental health charity.
Stonewall - resources and support for LGBTQ+ people.
LGBT Foundation on 0345 330 30 30.
For the bisexual community specifically:
BiCon – the UKs main bisexual gathering and its longest running LGBT+ event.
Bi Community News – online portal.