LGBTQ+, like others here, those words have always symbolised not only a sense of acceptance but belonging- with each letter of the word saturated in Pride, love and self-importance. It has always been a huge part of my life and nothing has ever affected the way I viewed myself in this world as much as being apart of such a warm and kind community.
It has not only taught me self-love, but the basic decency of respect towards others we may not understand. Biphobia is
The denial of bi/pan sexuality as a valid sexual orientation or creating prejudice formed on negative stereotypes about who bi/pan people are.
It is hard enough to live in a society where you’re meant to feel as though loving who you love is a mental illness or feeling the way you do is an act punishable by emotional scars or social ostracizing, to find prejudice within your own community is a whole other bandage ripped. It’s worse than the homophobic slurs, it’s worse than the judgemental stares and anxiety that consumes you as you hold the hand of someone that means the world and stars to you, it burns deeper than the silent whispers of voices from the people you once considered friends, because your second family, the ones you chose that have also weeped your own tears and heard your own whispers with their names choose to discredit and stereotype something you have no control over.
Like the melanin in my skin and the kinks within my hair, I was never born to wake up one day and decide to suddenly feel like being invalidated, or bullied or disowned.
We’re often aware of the prejudice and phobias projected onto ourselves from a young age, but it is always harder to face the ones within us.
Internalised homophobia often use these sexualities as an escape goat, while trying to figure out and accept ourselves, often people identify as bi/pan sexuality as a starter kit before discovering it may not be their sexual orientation. This leaves negative stereotypes the LGBTQ+ community still hold today. Bi and pan-sexual people come in different shade, and sizes, and shapes, it is the caring and loving of others regardless of sex or gender identity. We’re not greedy, or promiscuous or confused-and in the words of ben stones- we’re here, we’re queer, and we scream blue purple and pink pride.