University of Florida is doing a Study on Stress and Sexual Minorities

Folks take a gander at this survey for sexual minorities and how we cope and deal with stress. This survey will also donate to HRC if enough people partake in it. :) So get to it!

"Hello!

My name is Delphia Grandoit, and I am a doctoral student in the Psychology Department at the University of Florida. I am currently conducting a study under the guidance of Dr. Carolyn M. Tucker. The study has been approved by the Insitutional Review Board at the University of Florida (UFIRB # 2012-U-539). The purpose of this study is to examine how stress related to one’s sexual identity affects physical health problems and engagement in a health-promoting lifestyle. Additionally, this study examines what coping styles may adequately address stress in sexual minority adults. It is our hope that this study can inform psychologists and healthcare providers about the influences of stress and coping in the lives of sexual minorities in order to establish more culturally sensitive physical and mental healthcare initiatives for sexual minorities.Your participation is essential to achieving this goal, so we hope that you will take part in our study. 

In order to participate, you must identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or as some other sexual minority; be able to read English; and be 18 years of age or older. If you would like to participate in our study, please click on the link below and you will be directed to the online survey: 

https://ufpsychology.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_e5xqj0XCPyQ5TiA

Please note that Facebook, Yahoo groups, or other online servers may record and use your online activity for other purposes.

Thank you very much in advance for your time! Please feel free to pass on this link to other people who might be eligible. If 250 individuals participate, $250 will be donated to the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization that works to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. If you have any question about this study, please feel free to contact me at dflenar@ufl.edu.

Sincerely, 

                                                 
Delphia Grandoit, M.S.
Carolyn M. Tucker, Ph.D.
Counseling Psychology, University of Florida"

Faith Cheltenham to be on University of California's LGBT Task Force

Many congratulations to Faith on her appointment to University of California's Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion! It's very wonderful that University of California is being so inclusive! Take a look at her official letter of appointment! Just click on the images to enlarge:

Go Faith go! :D

Thank You Mr. President!

BiNet USA salutes President Obama's statement of support for same sex marriage.

FROM ABC NEWS:

"You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and, frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

Roberts asked the president whether first lady Michelle Obama was involved in his decision. Obama said she was, and he talked specifically about his own faith.

“This is something that, you know, we’ve talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do. And that is that, in the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people and, you know, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids and that’s what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a as a dad and a husband and, hopefully, the better I’ll be as president.”

A Very Fluid Conference: Creating Change is a-Changin'

Better late than never! Here is a summary of my Creating Change 2012 experiences. First things first, I have to say that Baltimore was a very interesting place. The weather was very nice and warmer than I had expected, this climate seemed to match that of the conference atmosphere. I checked in right on schedule and after a rest and sight-seeing, attended the opening plenary where NAACP President Benjamin Jealous took a stand for LGBT persons, in the same way that he stood up for his transgendered sibling. His full speech can be viewed on The Task Force's YouTube Channel, as well as a full transcript on their blog.


Now onto Bi/Pan/Fluid juicy goodness! Starting with Thursday's Bi/Pan/Fluid institute, I would say that there were about 30 to maybe 45 attendees, perhaps even more than that so it was a really good turnout! There were five co-facilitators: Ellyn Ruthstrom of Bisexual Resource Center, Robyn Ochs of BBWN, editor of the Bi Women's Newsletter and Getting Bi, Paul Nocera of BiRequest, writer and Huffington Post contributor, Amy Andre and myself of course repping BiNet USA.

From left to right: myself, Paul, Robyn, Amy and Ellyn.

Ellyn and I opened up with the welcoming and the BINGO icebreaker respectively. This activity was a great way of us to meet, greet and find out our other commonalities and differences. Next Paul, who also hosted at the Bi/Pan/Fluid Hospitality Suite, led the introductions of the room and helped us all lay out some of the ground rules, discover each other's backgrounds and preferred pronouns and find out why everyone came to the institute. Next tackled the question, "What's in a name?" discussing our identities, what they mean to our intersectionalities and us.
After a short break, Robyn gave us a lesson on biphobia with ways of recognizing different forms of biphobia such as a lack of information, what she termed "pull of the binaries" and "erotophobia" and how to combat it. She also taught us a new word, "Bi*" pronounced "Bi-star" as a way to include the pan, fluid, and unlabeled aspects of the more "flexible" sexual orientation. Ellyn and I went over how to keep the B visible, using “A Guide to Bisexual/Pansexual/Fluid Etiquette” (FYI, the Creating Change booklet included a Trans etiquette guide!) as an example as well as learning how to create bi-specific activities and awareness without separatism.

After lunch, I initiated a short activity to get us all back into Institute mode in which I would make a statement and those who have done or felt these things would come into the center of the room, another way for us to see how similar and different we are.
We talked about resources for the bi/pan/fluid communities such as the Bisexual Organizing Project, American Institute of Bisexuality and the Trevor Project as well as Facebook. We also shared examples of campaigns for Bi* awareness such as It Gets Better, I Am Visible and the Support Molli Response to find what are effective ways of gaining visibility. Also, if you're not familiar with Molli, check out her video about her bullying experience.

One of the most exciting parts of the Institute was the creation of some new media messages for the Bi/Pan/Fluid communities. Take a gander!
Myths about Bisexuality
Qualifying as an Authentic Bisexual
(The second one features yours truly portraying a cruel character which cannot seem to talk without moving her hands!)
Note: Appearance in these videos and/or photos is NOT an indication that any one identifies as bisexual/pan/fluid/queer or non-heteronormative.
Lastly, Amy led us in sharing our experiences with the process of making the videos as well as to cover the topic of Bi* health. As we wrapped up, we stood in a circle and tossed about the appropriately colored pink, purple and blue yarn to one another as we shared our experiences and feelings about the Bi* Institute. We each snipped a piece the yarn as a reminder of our interconnectedness and of the memories that we will always have from this awesome experience.

The Bi/Pan/Fluid Institute was not the only thing for our community to enjoy outside of the Bi/Pan/Fluid Hospitality Suite, nicknamed, "Bi&Bi." On Friday, Amy co-facilitated the workshop, Bi Compared to Mono, which had a focus on bi/pan/fluid health disparities and what can be done. Saturday, Robyn facilitated both Make the Invisible Visible and Beyond Binaries, a workshop on becoming more familiar with the bi community and an interactive survey on our diversity, respectively. Ellyn covered the Bi/Pan/Fluid Caucus and I peeked on in this one, also assisted her a little bit on sharing some ideas on visibility, combating some of the other issues faced by the bi* community such as funding and coming up with creative ideas for resources.

I also checked out the session, What Are You? Living at Intersections: Power, Privilege and Oppression as Mixed Race People co-facilitated by none other than Morgan Goode, BiNet USA's treasurer and Ryan Li Dahlstrom. This was the first ever of such a space designated for biracial and multiracial persons to come together to address our issues, the room was packed I tell you. There were so many people that time ran out to address all of the issues that we as mix people of color face especially when the LGBT element is added to the intersectionality mix. The experience was overwhelming. This session in the end demanded extended in another room, which eventually led to the group dining at Baltimore's local eateries to further the discussion. Amy Andre, another bi face I spotted in the room, later interviews Morgan about the workshop. I hope this type of workshop develops into a much longer session if not its own Day Long Institute in the future of the Creating Change Conference. Hint, hint, Task Force. :)


Sunday at brunch, I listened to Maryland's Governor, Martin O'Malley came to the Charm City to give a speech on the right things to do such as passing a law that protects transgendered Marylanders from discrimination in the workplace, housing and credit industries.
Finally, I was in amazement as actor and singer Wilson Cruz closed out the conference with a performance, "Love, Child..." working it through technical difficulties, even for a bit a cappella, to some good old jams like rock star. I danced and skipped out of the conference with good feelings about the Creating Change and the change within it, about people, community, progress and the future.

Chiquita Violette~

P.S. I wanted to share some of the Bi/Pan/Fluid themed literature that was donated to the Bi* Hospitality Suite and Paul was so kind enough to make a short video of the "Essential Bi Reading List" for those looking for more works about or by our community. Check it out! Another volunteer, our own Stacey Langely also contributed Unite and Conquer by Kyrsten Sinema and Getting Bi. More humorous and male-centric titled books included: Ask Me Anything, another from Marty Klein, How to Live with a Huge Penis, by Dr. Richard Jacob and Rev Owen Thomas, and Talking Cock, by Richard Herring (described to me as a male version of the Vagina Monologues). I personally would suggest reading the lighthearted Bisexual's Guide to the Universe as well as the groundbreaking, Bi Any Other Name if you have not heard of or had the chance to read them.

P.P.S. I want to thank you all in bearing with me in the delay of this report, while I was dealing with the loss of a very close loved one.
Thanks for the time and support!
xoxo

University of Michigan is Conducting Research, Seeks Bisexual Women for Survey

Forwarding the word! :)

Hello!

My name is Andrew, and I am a research assistant for Dr. Terri Conley at the University of Michigan. We conduct social psychology research about sexual attitudes and behaviors, and inter-group relations. Our research is conducted from a feminist perspective, and we focus on gender, sexuality, and stigma.

For our research, it is important that we have the input of diverse populations, which is why we are contacting your group. We hope you will consider encouraging your group members to participate in our study!

Participation is voluntary and confidential, as we do not know the identities of our participants.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at umsexualitylab@gmail.com. Answers to some of your questions might be found on Dr. Conley's professional website (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/people/directory/profiles/faculty/?uniquename=conleyt).


Here is the link to our current survey.

You are being recruited by ANDREW (please note this when you take the survey). To participate, you must be 18+ years old and identify as a BISEXUAL WOMAN; this survey takes most participants less than 10 minutes to complete.

Link (if unable to click, please copy and paste it into your browser): http://umichpsych.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0UFqbCbOkyFTKra

Thank you so much for your time! We hope that your group members will consider participating in our research!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM FORMER OR CURRENT BI CATHOLICS FROM DIGNITY USA

We have an upcoming issue that will be highlighting minority groups within the GLBT Catholic community, of which bisexuals are a part. I am writing to inquire if any of your members would be interested in submitting a piece for publication. The parameters are pretty open. We would like to hear from a bisexual Catholic (current or former), on what it’s like to be bisexual and religious, or how they incorporate both parts of themselves into their lives. Basically, we want to hear their story—their triumphs or struggles, their questioning or assurance—anything they’d like to speak about in relation to their sexual orientation and their spirituality. As an example, I am attaching a piece that I recently wrote for publication in one of our issues.

Stories are typically 2-3 typed pages in length but can vary. Authors can remain anonymous is they wish to do so. We are looking at a possible publication in July, so would like to pieces by the end of June.

Would you be able to pass this email along to your members or anyone you think might be interested? Anyone interested in submitting a piece for publication can contact me at lauramonroe57@gmail.com with any questions.

Celebrating the wholeness and holiness of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Catholics

Check out http://dignityusa.org/ for more info on Dignity USA

Out Magazine features bisexual couple Neal Boulton and Claire Davis

Check out the funny, cute and damn near adorable bisexual couple plus kids in Out Magazine's 26 Love Stories...

Photograph by Martien Mulder

Says, Claire Davis: "I don’t care about ratios or any of that stuff. People find lots of different ways to define themselves, and bisexuality is one of them. For me, that’s sort of my home base. For others, it might just be a comfortable place while you’re figuring it out." - read more from, "How I Met Your Mother" over at Out.com

Daughter of Farmworker Becomes SF's First Out Bisexual Supervisor

(Photo: Rick Gerharter at Bay Area Reporter)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mayor Ed Lee appointed Planning Commission President Christina Olague as the new supervisor for District 5, replacing Ross Mirkarimi who was elected sheriff. Olague, 50, is the daughter of a Latino farmworker, reports El Mensajero. She is also San Francisco's first out bisexual supervisor, reports the Bay Area Reporter. She is expected to seek a full four-year term in the November election...Read More Over On New American Media

2012 Creating Change Bi Pan Fluid Organizing Institute

2012 Creating Change Bi Pan Fluid Organizing Institute

When: Thursday, January 26, 2012
Where: Hilton Baltimore: 24th Annual Creating Change Conference, 401 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD
Connect with the Institute on Facebook!

***TO VOLUNTEER AND GET FREE PASSES VISIT: http://creatingchange.org/volunteer.php***
***FOR FREE HOUSING VISIT: http://creatingchange.org/housing.php***

Says BiNet USA's Gary North:  [it] would please me as a longtime accidental activist who's no longer a spring chicken and wants to see more activists come forward -- and a helluva lot more people openly parade their sexuality daily (if congenially) as bi-pan-fluid-whatever (bpfw... naw, doesn't work as an acronym). I'm not suggesting that you/we/me do so with chips on our shoulders or with anger at past or current rejection (that attitude never works at changing minds) but in friendly, casual, but consistent, everyday ways -- and to help bridge the world's divides, to be agents of subtle acceptance and change.Ah, but how to do that? Well, now, that's a subject for a future blog entry, isn't it?
But a good place to start to get such tips is at the BPF Institute at Creating Change. So we'll see you in Baltimore -- and the neighborhood store, the schoolyard, the city council meeting, the workplace... - Gary North on HuffingtonPost.com

Living Bi, Thoughts on A Year Straight

By Faith Cheltenham

In between the pages of Marie Claire, I found a lovely review of “A Year Straight: Confessions of a Boy-Crazy Lesbian Beauty Queen”.   From the very beginning it seemed like a bisexual story, but the word bisexual was nowhere to be found.  I emailed the agent and the author to request an interview as I just had to know, is this a bisexual person hidden by society or by themselves?  

“It was Shark Week.  We watched episode after episode until sundown, at which point I dragged myself to the subway and made my back to my brother’s house.  

The odds of being attacked by a shark are one in eight million.  What are the odds of meeting that special single someone in a city of eight million?” – A Year Straight

The HuffingtonPost.com excerpt of A Year Straight has nearly 400 comments.  It’s in the “Women” section of the website, not the cheery rainbow oriented “Gay Voices” area of HuffPo.  Comments from include readers saying “this is a lot like me” as well “this is just another bisexual”.  There’s also a good amount of “she doesn’t have to use a label if she doesn’t want to”.

In contrast, over at afterellen.com, a Lesbian reviewer is outraged at the book and its lack of the word bisexual.  AfterEllen.com Managing Editor Trish Bendix remarks that “the first problem with this memoir is…that author Elena Azzoni ‘goes straight’.”  The second problem according to Bendix is that “Bisexuality is not once mentioned. The idea of either being a lesbian or being straight is the perpetuation of a terrible stereotype.”  As a bisexual activist I can’t argue with that sentiment, but I find it curious that Bendix goes onto say that “Elena doesn't even consider the fact that her attraction to men could mean she's interested in exploring her sexual fluidity instead of a quarter-life crisis indicating she's meant to be with a guy. “  

Is it just the lack of key terms like bisexual, pansexual, fluid and/or sexual fluidity that leads Bendix to assume the heart of Elena’s matter?  In short, are you bisexual if you don’t use the word bisexual to self-identify?  In my opinion, Bendix incorrectly summarizes the earliest content of the book as it’s overarching theme when she says, "In fact, the whole reason she starts dating guys is because she felt a connection with her yoga instructor. And when she shares her crush with a coworker and gets a Brazilian wax, she decides to keep trying to date men because she didn't want to let all that go to waste."

First of all, Brazilian waxes shouldn’t be so lightly discounted!  It’s a huge investment charmingly well described by Azzoni when she says , “I did not recall feeling that exposed during my last wax job, or during any pap smear for that matter”.  All joking aside, it seems to me that Bendix is indeed well meaning in her assessment of A Year Straight; but her assumptions of bi people get in the way of her intended defense of the fluid community. 

“I didn't want to want men.  I didn’t want to end up like those women I overheard in restaurants and bars, catching wind of phrases like ‘He always’ and ‘He never,’ their martinis teetering on active fault lines.  Many of my friends had nothing but horrible luck with men, and there was no reason to assume I'd be spared. – A Year Straight

In my experience the bisexual process of coming out and accepting yourself goes through several stages.  If I had to distill it down to six steps said to a bisexual self at least once, it would go a little like this:

1)    Oooh he’s hot!  Wow, she’s so cute.  Wait?  What is this?  Am I lesbian?  Am I gay? Am I Straight?  What the heck is going on?!

2)    Hey Angelina Jolie/ Evan Rachel Wood/Alan Cummings have said they’re bisexual?  What is this word bisexual?  How do I split myself in half and like each equally?  Do I do it at the same time?  Shall I be gay and then be straight or vice versa?  How long do I get to make up my mind?