National Day of Bisexual Visibility: Why It Matters | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

National Day of Bisexual Visibility: Why It Matters

Why being bisexual makes you prone to being invisible in society.

28
National Day of Bisexual Visibility: Why It Matters
Wikipedia

The National Day of Bisexual Visibility is coming up this Friday on September the 23rd, and while many of you may not think that another holiday devoted to LGBTQA awareness is really necessary, NDBV is an important day for many people. Bisexuals as a whole are underrepresented in many areas of media, and face unique experiences as individuals who identify as attracted to both men and women.

Because most bisexual people end up in a relationship with only one other individual, it is easy for people to assume that a bisexual person is either homosexual or heterosexual based upon the gender of a bisexual person's partner. Due to this, it is easy for bisexual people to fade into the background and become invisible to society. Being bisexual in a society that assumes that a person is most commonly only attracted to one gender can be ostracizing, and thus NDBV gives bisexuals a chance to say “we are here” not only to all of society, but to each other. Setting aside one day of the calendar year to recognize that a person's sexuality is not entirely defined by the gender of their partner, and to recognize that bisexuality is a real and widely identified with sexual orientation is important.

Furthermore, bisexual visibility is important because our sexual orientation is an important part of our identity, and it does not go away or change just because we become a part of a committed relationship. Celebrating the beauty of attraction being more than just a binary is liberating, and gives people with feelings of attraction to more than one gender the license to be their most authentic self, rather than feel confusion or as if they must conform by giving up a part of themselves. Having bisexuality be visible in society creates the need for the creation of characters in television, cinema, and literature which bisexual people can identify with. By diversifying characters in television, cinema, and literature in this way, we make these forms of entertainment more true to life, and celebrate and educate about the differences that exist among us.

Bisexual people exist and our society, and after having been asked to hide their identities for so long, deserve a chance to say “we are here” to society and to each other. Bisexuals, having fought for people to accept the reality of a sexuality which extends beyond attraction to just one gender, not only want to be considered a possibility in our world, but a reality and an asset. NBVD gives bisexuals the opportunity to be recognized as valuable and real parts of our community, to be represented in the media and in entertainment, and to have the reality of their sexuality, a sexuality which challenges the idea of gender exclusive attraction, be recognized and celebrated alongside all the other, equally real and important, sexual orientations.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14231
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2825
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1703
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments