US: Bisexual pride day could officially become a reality in Berkeley
Bisexual Pride Day, separate from other LGBT pride events across the globe, could officially come into existence in the city of Berkeley, North California, if approved by the council there.
Kriss Worthington, City Councillor, proposed the pride day, saying that he hopes it will encourage people to organise social events, forums, or other events, SFGate reported.
“Bisexuals can experience prejudice from both directions,” said Councillor Worthington, “increasing bisexual visibility is a way of saying, yes, they do exist, and they deserve our support and acceptance.”
If approved by the City Council, the event would take place on September 23, the same day as bisexual pride events in other US cities, but Berkeley would be the first to officially recognise the day.
Martin Rawlings-Fein, a director of the Bay Area Bisexual Network, said that bisexuals can get flak from the gay community because of a perception that they have ‘straight privilege’. He said:
“We get pushed to the side in the LGBT community and told we don’t exist, that we’re actually gay or lesbian and just not totally ‘out.’ ”
The executive director of San Francisco Pride, Brendan Behan, also commented:
“Berkeley’s doing a great thing,” he said. “Unfortunately, even in our own community, bisexuals can be invisible. I’ve seen bisexuals outright dismissed because of their sexuality.”
A former Berkeley zoning board chair, Nancy Carleton, who is also bisexual, emphasised the importance of the potential change:
“Certain parts of the LGBT community get lots and lots of attention, and certain parts just get lumped in,” she said. “We’re just a tag-on on the longer list.”
“The more we can learn about each other, the more tolerance grows,” she said. “This gives the LGBT community a little spark.”
