Evan Rachel Wood delivered a powerful speech at a Human Rights Campaign Gala event in North Carolina on Saturday, where she was presented with a Visibility Award for her unwavering frankness when it comes to her sexuality.
In the heartrending speech, Wood spoke of feeling isolated and even suicidal when faced with homophobia and biphobia. She also spoke of the power of visibility in a biphobic world.
“Growing up”, she says, “I thought I was like every other girl who had a slight obsession with Jessica Rabbit, KD Laing and Melissa Etheridge … I didn’t realise there was anything different about me”.
“I had no way to put what I felt into words”. “Then one day I heard an actress say the word bisexual”.
Going on to address the health outcomes, intimate partner violence and sexual assault statistics of bisexual people, Wood implored her audience to choose… Continue reading
The “Health Disparities Among Bisexual People” report shows that bisexuals experience worse health than people of any other sexual orientation, including gay men and lesbians.
Bisexual women were found to have higher rates of cancer, heart disease, obesity and mental health problems than any other group of women. Bisexuals of all genders were found to have higher rates of depression and display the most incidences of binge drinking, self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
“Bisexual people are the largest single group within the LGBT community, but we’re not addressing their specific healthcare needs,” said Tari Hanneman, Deputy Director of the Health and Aging Program at the HRC Foundation.“The reality is that bisexual people face discrimination not only outside of our community, but also from within. And that can discourage them from engaging in and benefiting from the work that LGBT advocates are doing to address our mental, physical and sexual health.”… Continue reading