Bialogue
Encyclopedia
Bialogue, a portmanteau of the words bisexual
and dialogue
, is an American
activist/political group that started in New York City
, working on issues of local, national & international interest to the bisexual, fluid, pansexual, queer-identified communities
and their allies. Bialogue's mission is to dispel myths and stereotype
s about bisexuality
, address biphobia
and bisexual erasure
, educate the public on the facts and realities of bisexuality and advocate for the bisexual community
. Its slogan is "Taking Action not just Offense".
based activist/political groups BiPAC and the Coalition for Unity and Inclusion..
BiPAC the "Bisexual Political Action Committee" (founded in 1989), was an explicitly militant activist political group dedicated to confronting & eradication biphobia
and Bisexual erasure
wherever it was found. In addition to working on issues exclusive to NYC's
bisexual community
, BiPAC also worked in conjunction with other NYC
LGBT
& progressive groups of their day including ACT-UP, Queer Nation
, Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, Children of the Rainbow, Por Los Niños, Coalition for a District Alternative (CoDA), etc.
The Coalition for Unity and Inclusion (founded 2000) was a coalition of bisexual and transgender
activists who drew support from reform minded directors of the more traditional LGBT
organizations, liberal politicians as well as the grass-roots bisexual and transgender
community. They used such tactics as letter writing campaigns, petition drives and an innovative "feedback campaign" to achieve their goals.
Interestingly enough, the original impetus for founding both BiPAC
and the Coalition for Unity and Inclusion was to combat instances of blatant biphobia
within the larger NYC
LGBT community
. Bialogue, which emerged in response to the flap over the 'Bailey Study'
which attempted to invalidate bisexuality itself, has always worked closely with such established bisexual organizations as BiNet USA
, the Bisexual Foundation and the Bisexual Resource Center
as well as mainstream LGBT
groups such as GLAAD.
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist/political group that started in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, working on issues of local, national & international interest to the bisexual, fluid, pansexual, queer-identified communities
Bisexual community
Bisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...
and their allies. Bialogue's mission is to dispel myths and stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s about bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, address biphobia
Biphobia
Biphobia is a term used to describe aversion felt toward bisexuality and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation can experience such feelings of aversion...
and bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources...
, educate the public on the facts and realities of bisexuality and advocate for the bisexual community
Bisexual community
Bisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...
. Its slogan is "Taking Action not just Offense".
History
Bialogue founded in 2005, and is the merger of two older New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based activist/political groups BiPAC and the Coalition for Unity and Inclusion..
BiPAC the "Bisexual Political Action Committee" (founded in 1989), was an explicitly militant activist political group dedicated to confronting & eradication biphobia
Biphobia
Biphobia is a term used to describe aversion felt toward bisexuality and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation can experience such feelings of aversion...
and Bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure
Bisexual erasure is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources...
wherever it was found. In addition to working on issues exclusive to NYC's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
bisexual community
Bisexual community
Bisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...
, BiPAC also worked in conjunction with other NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
& progressive groups of their day including ACT-UP, Queer Nation
Queer Nation
Queer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
, Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, Children of the Rainbow, Por Los Niños, Coalition for a District Alternative (CoDA), etc.
The Coalition for Unity and Inclusion (founded 2000) was a coalition of bisexual and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
activists who drew support from reform minded directors of the more traditional LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organizations, liberal politicians as well as the grass-roots bisexual and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
community. They used such tactics as letter writing campaigns, petition drives and an innovative "feedback campaign" to achieve their goals.
Interestingly enough, the original impetus for founding both BiPAC
BIPAC
BIPAC was formed in August 1963 by officials in the National Association of Manufacturers with seed funding from that organization, with the goal of electing business-friendly candidates...
and the Coalition for Unity and Inclusion was to combat instances of blatant biphobia
Biphobia
Biphobia is a term used to describe aversion felt toward bisexuality and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation can experience such feelings of aversion...
within the larger NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
LGBT community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
. Bialogue, which emerged in response to the flap over the 'Bailey Study'
J. Michael Bailey
John Michael Bailey is an American psychologist and professor at Northwestern University. He is best known among scientists for his work on the etiology of sexual orientation, from which he concluded that homosexuality is substantially inherited...
which attempted to invalidate bisexuality itself, has always worked closely with such established bisexual organizations as BiNet USA
BiNet USA
BiNet USA is a national bisexual/pansexual civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. It was founded to formalize communication between U.S...
, the Bisexual Foundation and the Bisexual Resource Center
Bisexual Resource Center
Bisexual Resource Center is a 501 non-profit educational organization that has served the bisexual community since 1985. Originally known as the East Coast Bisexual Network, the BRC is headquartered in Boston MA and provides education about bisexual and progressive issues and support for bisexual...
as well as mainstream LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
groups such as GLAAD.
See also
- Bisexual communityBisexual communityBisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...
- New York Area Bisexual NetworkNew York Area Bisexual NetworkNew York Area Bisexual Network is a central communications network for bisexual & bi-friendly groups and resources in the five boroughs of New York City and the surrounding Tri-State area....
- Brenda HowardBrenda HowardBrenda Howard was an American bisexual rights activist and sex-positive feminist. Howard was an important figure in the modern LGBT rights movement.- Biography :...