Washington DC, September 23, 2024.- Every year, International Day of Bisexual Visibility offers a crucial opportunity, at the global level, for the recognition of bisexual identities as an important part of sexual and gender diversity. The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) values and honors bisexual human rights defenders who contribute to bisexual visibility, challenging binarisms and stigmas and addressing barriers that limit equal access to opportunities and the exercise of their basic rights.

Despite progress in the fight for LGBTI+ rights, bisexual people continue to face discrimination and violence in various areas of their lives, from access to public office to care in the health sector, to bullying in schools and difficulties in being recognized in activist spaces.

Obstacles to access to public office

Bisexual people often face a notable lack of representation in public office. This deficit perpetuates the invisibility and negative stereotypes that affect their lives. The perception that bisexuality is a “phase” or identity that is less legitimate than others contributes to the exclusion of bisexual people from positions of influence and decision-making. Liandra Paz, Coordinator of the Majorie Marchi Critical Training School project of the Conexão G de Cidadania LGBTI group in favelas in Brazil, gave an example: “A bisexual person who held public office was Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro councilwoman, whose sexual orientation is often mistakenly reduced to that of a lesbian woman, even though she was a bisexual woman. Marielle is constantly referred to as a lesbian, reflecting the difficulty society has in recognizing the complexity and legitimacy of bisexual identities. After her death, Marielle’s own family publicly claimed her bisexuality, fighting against the elimination of this fundamental part of her identity.”

This lack of representation ends up exacerbating structural barriers and limiting the ability of bisexual people to advocate for specific policies. “Therefore, the fight for bisexual visibility, both in the political space and in society in general, is vital. The representation of parliamentarians like Marielle Franco not only broadens the scope of public policies aimed at LGBTQIA+ rights, but also directly confronts the systematic elimination of bisexuality,” she concluded.

Challenges in the health sector

“When it comes to the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, the education and resources available are often not adapted to our realities. When I routinely ask for sexual health screenings, it is assumed that this is because I am bisexual, which means to them “being promiscuous.” Honestly, I prefer to read and look for information on my own; and save myself the trouble or the feeling of being singled out in front of a stranger due to my sexual orientation,” said Ana Gómez, an independent bisexual activist from Colombia.

Across the region, health professionals often lack adequate training to address the specific needs of bisexual people, and health research excludes their experiences, as the 2018 communiqué by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and United Nations human rights experts points out, making it impossible to understand their issues. As a result, bisexual people face inadequate care, misdiagnosis, lack of understanding, and suffer discrimination and abuse. Access to and quality of care in the health sector are critical areas that States still need to work to improve. “Although health is a constitutional right in Colombia, in practice, accessing quality services has become a privilege. (…) for those who live in rural areas, this situation is even more complicated as they face greater barriers to access and such strong stigmatization that there is often no space or energy to self-identify as bisexual,” Ana said. This context not only puts the physical and mental health of bisexual people at risk but also perpetuates inequality.

Biphobic bullying in schools

Bullying of bisexual students often takes the form of derogatory comments, humiliation, exclusion, and psychological and physical aggression, which not only negatively impacts emotional and academic well-being, but also contributes to a culture of silence and fear that reinforces invisibility. “It is very important to include bisexual experiences and to be mentioned in curricula and academic conversations, educating about sexual and gender diversity that has nothing to do with monosexuality,” said Fhran Medina, a bisexual lawyer with Fraternidad Trans Masculino Perú.

It is, therefore, essential that States adopt national policies to ensure that children, adolescents, and young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, can learn and develop in a safe and respectful environment.

Barriers in spaces of activism and social struggle

In many cases, after running away from home to preserve their physical and mental integrity, bisexual people seek refuge in organized LGBTI+ spaces, Cristiana Huerta, President of the Las Malcriadas Feminist Association in Nicaragua, told us. However, they find that they are not fully understood due to the gender binary. They are often excluded or minimized for their contributions to LGBTI+ movements due to the belief that their identity is not “relevant enough”.

The Cuban editor, Karla Ma. Pérez González, agrees, stating that “bisexual people, as in many other countries, are invisible and are lost within the acronym LGBTI+. I would have to say that in recent years there has been a remarkable, social change in attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people.” In addition, she pointed out that Cuban official policy has taken some initiatives, but only to ingratiate itself at the international level and not in the real interest of a paradigm shift. “Discrimination is still something that happens daily and we cannot forget the regime’s repressive history towards sexual dissidents,” she emphasized.

This lack of recognition limits bisexual people’s ability to influence the LGBTI+ agenda and position their demands and strategies in activism. For this reason, at Race and Equality, we believe that only the representation and authentic participation of bisexual people in spaces of advocacy and the struggle for human rights will achieve real progress towards equity.

Recommendations for States

To address the challenges and ensure the rights of bisexual people are respected, the United Nations and various human rights organizations recommend that States:

1. Investigate and prosecute acts of violence, torture, and ill-treatment committed against bisexual people and those who defend their rights, and provide reparations to the victims of such acts.
2. Raise awareness among healthcare providers and ensure that bisexual people and their families have access to safe and non-discriminatory health services that take into account their specific interests.
3. Raise awareness about bisexuality through the education system and dispel negative stereotypes and prejudices through public awareness campaigns.
4. Ensure that bisexual persons and bisexual people’s organizations are consulted in the development of research and the development of legislation and policies affecting their rights and that their participation in such processes is encouraged.
5. Support research that collects disaggregated data on the specific situation of bisexuals, with respect to poverty, employment, housing, health, education, and access to public services.