by Laura DelloStritto, BRC Board Member
As a card-carrying bisexual, you have probably all too often experienced your bisexual identity being erased, perhaps by people who mention that someone must be “gay now” because they’ve started dating someone of the same gender identity, or by health providers who assume your sexuality and shape their health recommendations based on the gender identity of your current or past partner(s).
Although bisexuals comprise over half of the lesbian, gay, & bisexual community in the US, we are often either understudied or combined with other sexual minorities in research. The latter results in research that on the surface appears inclusive while it actually masks a number of health disparities that affect the bisexual community which are not apparent without parsing data based on sexual orientation. Without data on bisexual health, it’s near impossible to secure funding for health interventions or to advocate for policy changes that would reduce these disparities.
Unlike most research where data on sexual orientation and gender identity are missing, incomplete, or misleading, the PRIDE study highlights these aspects of our identity and understands the necessity of collecting our unique data in order to promote a healthier future for all of us. Join because your health counts, your identities are relevant, and you can make a difference.