It’s hard to deny that ignorances and misunderstandings about pansexuals exist, and the bisexual community is not immune – despite facing plenty of myths of our own. Myths around bisexuality and pansexuality overlap, but pansexuality also attracts some unique prejudices. It’s time to put them all to bed, starting with eight of the most common panphobic myths.
MYTH: Pansexual is a new term
FACT: We’ve been seeing the word pansexual since at least 1924. It’s shifted in meaning since it was coined, of course, just like the words ‘bisexual’, ‘homosexual’ and even ‘furniture’, ‘girl’ and ‘manufacture’. That’s just how language works.
It was first used by contemporary critics of Freud such as Otto Rank and Wilhelm Reich in derision, as an ironic validation of Freud’s suggestion that “that the sex instinct plays the primary part in all human activity”; or that our libidos either directly or indirectly, drive… Continue reading
Pride in London is courting controversy once again, by allowing UKIP to march in the Parade that was held in the West End on Saturday.
UKIP, a far-right political party whose members have been outspoken in their racism and homophobia, had their application to march in the parade controversially turned down by the Pride in London committee following an outcry by the LGBT community. The committee insisted the decision was not made on political grounds but in the name of safety.
In December, Kerry Smith, standing for UKIP South Basildon and East Thurrock resigned from his candidacy after calling gay people ‘fucking disgusting old poofters’. In February the group UKIP Christian Soldiers, authorised by UKIP HQ circulated leaflets that claimed educating school children on LGBT issues was ‘sexual grooming’.
Approximately 15 LGBT* in UKIP activists – who had not paid the fee required to take part in the parade,… Continue reading
Here’s a round-up of some of the news, blogs posts and comment we missed this week.
Did we miss any other must-see stories?… Continue reading
The bi pride flag has become internationally recognised symbol of our movement, so it’s surprising that so many people don’t really know where it came from of what it represents. Now, we can’t have that, so with a little help from thewaybackmachine, and the good people at BiNet USA, Biscuit presents a history of the bisexual flag.
There are lots of symbols that represent homosexuality. From the (pun not intended) gaiety of the rainbow flag to the somber significance of the inverted pink or black triangles or the mythological connections of the labrys, you can usually find a motif that suits your purpose.
But until 1998, when Michael Page designed the flag that would become a global shorthand for bisexuality, there was no universal symbol under which the movement could unite. Many bisexual people did not feel a connection to the already iconic rainbow flag, which seemed to belong… Continue reading
"A queer call to arms": Why I'm setting up a bi youth group