Caron Lindsay

Bi-Visibility Day – How Lib Dems can make a difference

By | Sat 23rd September 2017 - 9:42 pm

Today is Bi Visibility Day. This is the day that the B in LGBT+ is emphasised. Sadly, it is too often the only day when bisexual people are even thought about.

It is wonderful to see Stockport Town Hall lit up to mark the occasion:

This did not happen by accident. It was Lib Dem Councillor Lisa Smart who put a motion to Council earlier this month. She said:

As a society, we have definitely made progress on LGBT+ Equality over the past few decades but there is still a distance to travel. On Thursday evening we will be talking about the barriers still faced by those members of our community who are bisexual.

More than one in four bisexual employees hide their sexuality at work, compared with one in six among gay and lesbian employees. Bisexual people are more likely to experience mental health problems in general and are twice as likely to experience depression and/or anxiety.

Often in the council chamber we can have robust debates and strong disagreements about issues. My hope is that we can unite and come together to support the bisexual members of our community, take some steps to celebrate the bisexual community and let them know that they are valued in Stockport.

I have very happy memories of a bi-visibilty flashmob at Lib Dem Conference on Bournemouth Beach two years ago on this day. It was glorious sunshine and we all wore purple. Unfortunately, try as I might, I can’t find any photos of the occasion online. Can someone help me out?

As always, my plea is that if you hear anyone making biphobic comments, that you challenge them gently and help them to change their behaviour. That’s how we change the world – by winning one heart at a time. The same principles apply for other battles we have to fight.

 

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social

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