Bisexuals get their due - San Francisco HRC adopts groundbreaking report on bisexual invisibility!

The San Francisco Human Rights Commission (HRC) recently adopted and released its groundbreaking report that explores Bisexual Invisibility: Impacts and Recommendations. The report released on March 10, 2011, is the first of its kind to explore bisexuality as it relates to advancing greater acceptance and awareness of the existence of bisexuality in our society and culture, reports the SF Sentinel..

The reports explores the serious consequences of bisexual invisibility and the impact this exclusion has on bisexuals’ health, including mental health and HIV and STI prevention, high rates of suicidality, economic well-being, and quality of life issues as well as calls for greater cultural and ethnic competency and funding for bi organizations and programs.

The study defines bisexuality to include the capacity for emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction to more than one sex or gender and the potential for, but not requirement of, involvement with more than one sex/gender. Referred to as an “invisible majority” in the LGBT community, the reports states that Bisexuals experience high rates of being ignored, being discriminated against, demonized, or rendered invisible by both the heterosexual world and the lesbian and gay communities.

Theresa Sparks, Executive Director of the HRC called the report “an excellent first step in fostering greater public awareness and acceptance of the Bisexual community.”