September is here!! Aside from it being back-to-school time, it also means that Bisexual Awareness Week—also known as BiWeek—is back! BiWeek occurs annually, from September 16-23, concluding on the 23rd with the celebration of Celebrate Bisexuality+ Day.

Having an official week dedicated to celebrating bisexuality is a good opportunity to both spread awareness of some of the common struggles of being bisexual (bi) and inform others on what it means to identify as bi.

What Does It Mean?

Bisexuality refers to when a person is attracted in a romantic and/or sexual way to more than one gender. By the way, it’s normal to take time to question and reflect on your sexual orientation. There’s no such thing as a right or wrong way to define yourself; what’s important is figuring out what feels right to you.

You Don’t Need to Prove Yourself

I identify as bi and am attracted to both males and females. I also identify on the aromantic and asexual spectrum (or “aroace spec”), meaning that I experience reduced amounts of romantic and sexual attraction. “Bi” and “aroace” may sound like they contradict each other, which is why I had a hard time figuring out my sexual orientation. But they are both parts of my identity.

Some people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m bi because I’m currently in a monogamous relationship with a guy. There’s a misconception that our sexual orientation must fit one category just because of our relationship. For example, we can be seen as heterosexual or gay depending on the gender of the person we’re dating at the moment. This is an example of bisexual erasure, which is the tendency to ignore, deny or invalidate the existence and experiences of bisexual people.

Sexual orientation can be fluid. It doesn’t have to be either “this” or “that,” with no in-between. I’ve often felt like I needed to prove to others that I was bisexual, just to feel validated. I know now that our sexual orientation is OUR business and not something we need to prove to anyone!

Left Out of the Conversation

Another example of bi erasure is that sometimes bisexual people are left out of LGBQ+ conversations because we’re considered “straight-passing.” Similarly, we may feel like we don’t fit in with a primarily heterosexual group. There’s no winning when we’re considered “too heterosexual” to be gay or “too gay” to be heterosexual.

People sometimes create their own definitions of bisexuality and in the process, make assumptions. For instance, some believe that having attraction toward more than one gender means bisexual people must always be romantically and/or sexually involved with multiple people of different genders at the same time. This misconception often leads people to assume that all bisexual folks are “promiscuous.”

It can be harmful when people make assumptions about you based on your sexual orientation, especially when those assumptions are based in stereotypes and myths.

Show Your Support

BiWeek is a great opportunity to bust some of these bi myths. You can also do the following!

1. Bring attention to the experiences of bisexual people.
2. Build acceptance and awareness of bisexuality.
3. Bring the bisexual community together.

Now that you know a little more about bisexuality, why not show your support and pride by celebrating BiWeek this year? Get festive and involved by posting on social media with #BiWeek!

Check out more facts about bisexuality!