BBC's Latest Radio Documentary Speaks to the Struggles Bi+ Folks Face

As we all know too well, the B in LGBT is often forgotten. And the few times bisexual folks are represented in the media, it’s not always in the most positive of light. In fact, in November of last year, The Washington Post illustrated the ways in which bisexuals are represented in the media, particularly TV. The Post noted how bisexuals are often depicted as duplicitous and evil. (In case you’re wondering, we’re not...or at least no more than gay and straight people.)

So when I see something positive in the media—something that accurately encapsulates the various challenges bisexual folks face—I feel compelled to shout it from the rooftops. (Or in this case, write an article about it.)

BBC World Service released a radio documentary this week titled Being Bisexual, which explores how bisexual men and women from around the world discovered their bisexuality, grappled with it, and eventually came to own it.

Here’s the summary from the BBC on what the radio documentary is about! You can—and should—listen to the whole thing here!

"More and more people are identifying as bisexual yet bi-phobia is rife and the world's media remains guilty of regular bi-erasure. Journalist and writer Nichi Hodgson who is openly bisexual herself, examines what it is like to be bisexual for both men and women in different parts of the world.

In the 1950s, the Kinsey scale suggested sexuality for many people was not necessarily 100% heterosexual or homosexual, yet understanding of bisexuality among the media and the wider public is still largely unchanged.

As we hear bisexuality can mean different things. There are people who identify more straight or gay but still feel bisexual. Others who feel completely 50:50 and others for whom sexuality is fluid and has shifted hugely over time.

Nichi will reflect on how bisexual men and women are often treated differently and ask if it is more difficult to be a bi man than a bi woman? And she hears how misunderstandings about what being bisexual means often leads to prejudice from both the straight and gay communities.

We head to the world’s first bisexual themed Pride event in Tel Aviv, hear what it is like to be bisexual in Iran and find out how activists are trying to develop safe spaces for bisexual people in South Africa.

As part of the programme Nichi will also challenge her own mother about her perception of her daughter’s sexuality."