Any views expressed within media held on this service are those of the contributors, should not be taken as approved or endorsed by the University, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University in respect of any particular issue.

The Staff Pride Network is an inclusive network that serves as a resource for the rich diversity of LGBT+ employees across the institution, including PhD students who prefer to attend staff events. We strive to take an intersectional approach to providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for all people who self identify as part of LGBT+ communities, whether or not they are 'out' in the wider world, and to make LGBT+ issues more visible within the University environment. Different organisations use different acronyms to refer to specific groups, and terminology is always evolving. Our definition of LGBT+ includes, among others, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender fluid, intersex, non-binary, asexual, pansexual and polyamorous. It also includes all those individuals and communities whose sexuality or gender identity is a matter of shared personal, political and/or social experience, as well as those who are LGBT+ allies.

I was really pleased to have my first public-facing engagement as newly elected Co-Chair and Bi Rep of the Staff Pride Network as being part of a panel discussion about bi visibility for Bi Visibility Day on 23 September 2019. It was an opportunity for the panellists (myself, Ellen Blair (Bisexual and Pansexual Officer from Pride Soc), Elliot Byrom (EUSA Trans and Non-Binary Officer), Lorna (one of the founders from the Scottish Bi+ Network) and Ellen Desmond (one of the editors from Monstrous Regiment – publishers of ‘The Bi-ble’)) to speak about our personal perspectives on bi-visibility and our identities as bisexual people. This was followed by questions from the audience.

There was discussion on being out at work, assumptions that are made about your identity depending on whether you’re in a relationship with someone of the same gender ‘Oh you must be gay’ or with someone of the opposite gender ‘So, you’re straight now?’. There is so much erasure of bisexual identities from both the straight and the queer communities.

It was a truly refreshing experience to be able to speak so freely and openly, very rewarding and empowering. The room was really engaged in the discussion and I hope that everyone involved got at least as much as I did out of the experience.

Katie Nicoll Baines

Celebrating Bi Visibility / Staff Pride Network by blogadmin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0

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Posted by ckeir

11th December 2019

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