New Board Members For BiNet USA

BiNet USA is proud to welcome AJ Walkley and Patrick RichardsFink as its newest board members.  Check out their bios!

FROM PATRICK:
I'm in my mid-40s and entering a graduate program in counseling with the intent of becoming a therapist specializing in serving two communities -- bisexuals, and adults on the autistic spectrum.  There's a personal reason for this focus, because I am a member of both communities.

I've known I am bi forever, and my partner knew before we met (she was dating the guy I was chasing).  We've now been monogamously married for 21 years.  When our son was small, he was diagnosed with Asperger's.  A few years ago two major events in my life happened -- I came out of the closet to the rest of the world, and received the same diagnosis.  I blog on bisexual issues (94%), autism (4%), and other issues (2%) on my fliponymous.wordpress.com blog, and am doing some blogging on bi issues at Huffington Post, and have been working with the LGBT Resource Center on my campus for the last couple years.  Currently I am working on a project to develop a series of "elevator conversations", catchy and memorable 30-second presentations to address common myths and misconceptions about bisexuality and bisexuals in a way that both provides a quick answer and opens the door for more in-depth discussions.

FROM AJ:

A.J. Walkley is the author of Choice and Queer Greer. Based in Arizona, she currently blogs for The Huffington Post, primarily focusing on issues related to the bisexual community. Walkley speaks about being bisexual and the realities that come with bisexuality at conferences, PFLAG meetings and events across the United States. She has served as a health volunteer for the United States Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, teaching villagers how to protect themselves from contracting HIV; this experience inspired her to write her third book, Vuto, which will be published in the latter half of 2013. 

Check out AJ's HuffingtonPost.com wonderful writings (of which there are many) here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aj-walkley/

WELCOME PATRICK AND AJ!

We Need You To Make a Video about Bisexuals and BiNet USA

BiNet USA is signed up for GiveOut which happens this May 9th 2013:

Give OUT Day is a new national initiative that will engage hundreds of organizations and mobilize thousands of people on a single day across the country to give in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer community. 
-http://giveout.razoo.com/giving_events/giveout13/home

We need videos to share as part of the campaign to get BiNet USA donations!   

Can YOU make a quick video on why folks should donate to BiNet USA (a 501c(3) non-profit) and bisexual, pansexual, fluid and/or queer advocacy?  
 
Like one minute or two using your cell phone or webcam is perfectly fine.  Just share the video directly with BiNet USA via email or post it to Youtube and send us the link.   

You can be bi, pan, fluid, aromantic, queer, straight, asexual, gay, or lesbian and support BiNet USA so please share this request with any friend committed to social justice!

NEWS ALERT: Bisexual Teen Beaten In Sacramento

"ELK GROVE (CBS13) – An Elk Grove teenager says he and his friends were beaten up in a public park because he’s bisexual. So why aren’t police calling this a hate crime?

“We were easy bait to be picked on,” victim Max Aistrup said.

As an openly bisexual 16-year-old, Aistrup knows what it’s like being bullied. Only this time, it wasn’t just words, but punches.

“They called us (expletive). Anything you can think of they pretty much said,” said Aistrup.

Aistrup says he and his friends were attacked in broad daylight walking through a quiet, well-kept Elk Grove Park. He says seven guys came up making derogatory comments. Aistrup speculates it could be because they saw his rainbow t-shirt." - http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/03/29/bisexual-elk-grove-teen-attacked-claims-sexuality-was-attackers-motivation/

Max's dad has asked BiNet USA to publicize his story in hopes of providing support to Max and other GLBTQ teens who are being bullied across the nation.  If you'd like to interview Max's dad please email us at binetusa@binetusa.org

Survey: Sexual Orientation and Personality

My name is Justin Otto and I am currently a graduate student attending Georgia Southern University. I am attempting to collect data via survey from individuals for a research study. Our current online research study looks to compare personality self-perception between heterosexuals and individuals that identify as LGB members.

Study participation is anticipated to take approximately 5 minutes using our online survey.  Your responses will be entirely anonymous and you have the option to exit the survey at any time.
Please click the link below to complete the survey, and to access an information script outlining the project. [You can also access the survey by copying the link in your browser address bar.]
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mo8rsA2WQCZINWxNXqQgcXZb3stiFr0P_FowwYKZ1Us/viewform

This study has been reviewed and approved by the Georgia Southern University Institutional Review Board under the tracking number H13358. The risks associated with this study are minimal due to retention of participation anonymity throughout.

Finally, please consider forwarding this email on to friends who could help us make this project a success. Thank you very much for your interest and participation in this research. If you have any further questions, please contact me at jo00693@georgiasouthern.edu.

If there are any further complications or questions, you may contact my supervisor, Dr. James Bergin, at his email address: jim_bergin@georgiasouthern.edu, or you may also contact the Institutional Review Board at IRB@georgiasouthern.edu or 912.478.0843.

Thank you so much,

Justin Otto
Georgia Southern University

Counselor Education Ed.S. Grad Student 2011-2013

Kinesiology M.S., 2011

Looking For Bi Couples Affected By DOMA

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/BiParents

The Respect For Marriage Coalition (of which BiNet USA is a proud member) are building a rich collection of diverse families and stories to share with media. Send us your stories at http://bit.ly/RFMCoalition. In particular, we are looking for stories showing: 

• How inequality harms families. 
• How marriage for same-sex couples has helped, not hurt, our communities.

Enter your information here: http://bit.ly/RFMCoalition.

Survey: Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Opinions on Pornography

Graduate sociology student at the George Washington University seeks lesbian and bisexual (or queer/fluid) identified women to participate in a research study regarding attitudes on, opinions about, and consumption of pornography. Interested candidates will complete an online, confidential survey consisting of three sections containing both open-ended and closed-ended response choices. The online survey is expected to take between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the depth with which participants respond to questions.

Eligible candidates include those who are:

·      -18 years of age or older

·      -US residents

·      -Lesbian/bisexual/queer/fluid identified females

There are no financial benefits or incentives for participants. Participation is voluntary; a participant may opt out of the survey at any time during the process.

The survey will be open until April 12^th and may be accessed through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MF33GFG

Contact Leni Dworkis at lendwo@gwu.edu with any questions about the survey or the research.

Please pass on this link on to others who would be eligible to and interested in participating! Thank you!

***DISCLAIMER: BiNet USA posts surveys regarding and for the bi* community as a service.  Should an issue arise with the survey, please contact the author of the survey whose contact info has been provided.*** 

Bi Survey: Sexual Minority Men's Gender Attitudes and Wellbeing

Hello,

My name is Laurel Watson, and I’m an assistant professor of counseling psychology at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. I am currently conducting a study regarding sexual minority men’s (e.g., gay, bisexual, questioning, queer) gender attitudes and wellbeing.

If you are interested in participating, you will be asked to complete an anonymous online survey that will take approximately 30 minutes, one time only. If you are interested in participating, please click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WatsonSocialExperiences. Or, if you would like further information, please email Laurel Watson at watsonlb@umkc.edu

For your participation, you may choose to enter a raffle to win one of eight $25.00 Amazon.com gift cards.

This study, protocol number 12-291, has been approved by University of Missouri, Kansas City’s Institutional Review Board. If you have any concerns about your rights as a participant your concerns please call 816-235-5927

Thanks for your consideration,

Laurel B. Watson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Counseling & Educational Psychology
watsonlb@umkc.edu

***DISCLAIMER: BiNet USA posts surveys regarding and for the bi* community as a service.  Should an issue arise with the survey, please contact the author of the survey whose contact info has been provided.***

2013 Bisexual Fact Sheet

CDC, Jan 2013

Not all people are bisexual but half of the LGBT community certainly is.

Bisexual men were 50% more likely to live in poverty than gay men, and bisexual women were more than twice as likely to live in poverty as lesbians. - 2011 Bi Invisibility Report

In comparison with lesbian and gays, bisexuals have a higher lifetime prevalence of sexual victimization - CDC

 
Bi men and women are at least one-third less likely to disclose their bisexual identities to their doctors than gay men or lesbians. "Rates of nondisclosure to healthcare providers were significantly higher among bisexual men (39.3 %) and bisexual women (32.6 %) compared with gay men (10 %) and lesbians (12.9 %)." - Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy

40% of LGBT People of Color identify as bisexual according to a 2009 Human Rights Campaign Study.

Bi women are almost 6 times more likely than heterosexual women to have seriously considered suicide, and 4 times more likely than lesbians. Bi men are almost 7 times more likely than heterosexual men to have seriously considered suicide, and over 4 times more likely than gay men. - Rainbow Health Ontario, Top Ten Bi Health Issues

Bisexual employees are eight times as likely to be in the closet compared to lesbian and gay counterparts. Only 7 per cent of lesbians and gay men, but 55 per cent of bisexual employees, are not out to anyone at work. - Workplace Equality Index 2010 - Stonewall

From 2008 to 2012 only $5,000 in grants were awarded to bi specific projects or bisexual organizations (out of over $100 million tracked) - 2008-2010, 2010-2012

Between 1970 and 2010 there were 19 total grants for the bisexual population totaling $84,356.  In comparison, Gay Men and Lesbian populations had 4,469 grants totaling $64,644,177 and Transgender/Gender Nonconforming populations received 1,029 grants totaling $16,748,928.  40 years, $84,356 for grants directed at the bisexual population of America. - "40 Years Of LGBT Philanthropy" by LGBTFunders.com
 

At this  time, no major LGBT organizations have bisexual projects, do bi specific outreach, or have bisexual board members. 

Want more data on health disparities for bisexual identified people?  Check out this fact sheet from the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network that covers a decade of bi data!  It reviews epidemiological data reported in behavioral risk studies and needs assessment surveys conducted in the U.S. and published from 2000 to 2010.

 

The Full Spectrum of LGBT Issues in Gaming, Thurs Mar 7th in NYC

FROM EA AND HRC...AN INVITATION

You Are Invited to EA's LGBT Full Spectrum event March 7, 2013 | New York, NY EA and the Human Rights Campaign Address the Full Spectrum of LGBT Issues in Gaming Join Electronic Arts, a leading creator and advocate for LGBT issues in entertainment and media, as we host a half-day of open dialogue and panel discussions covering the origin of homophobia in games, the development of authentic LGBT characters and scenarios, the difference between exclusive and inclusive language as well as creating and promoting inclusive work environments for LGBT employees in the digital entertainment industry. This event features members of the HRC, Ford Foundation and videogame developers and professionals to discuss the leading issues facing equality in the videogame industry. The Full Spectrum will feature a fireside chat with NFL linebacker and Super Bowl Champion Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Baltimore Ravens to discuss the challenges in creating an inclusive culture and supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage despite harsh criticism and opposition. When: Thursday, March 7, 2013 Time: 9:30am-1:30pm (lunch will be provided) **Registration opens at 9:00am Location: Ford Foundation 320 E 43rd Street New York, NY 10017 ***ID IS REQUIRED FOR CHECK IN*** To RSVP or for additional info: FullSpectrum@ea.com

BECAUSE Conference Call For Proposals

From BECAUSE...

BECAUSE will be held June 7th, 8th and 9th at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

One BIG thing will be the combination of BECAUSE with BiReConUSA. What's that you say? BiReConUSA is an academic research conference on bisexuality  It is a fantastic opportunity to find out the latest on what's going on regarding bisexual research. 

OTHER AWESOME STUFF:

• Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Meg Barker (http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/staff/people-profile.php?name=Meg_Barker), founding member of BiUK and author of "Rewriting the Rules". Here's Meg giving an introduction to bisexuality research in the United Kingdom!
• BOP has sponsored a new Bi Needs Assessment of Minnesota and the results will be presented by the lead researcher, Bill Burleson.
• Bi films will be shown throughout the conference and Sunday will feature the World Premiere of "QUEER!", an original play of monologues giving voice to the too often voiceless members of LGBTQQIIAA communities, written and produced by Gadfly Theatre Productions. 

BECAUSE invites YOU to participate in this incredible opportunity!   We need workshops for our community like: Bi* 101, Trans* 101, Coming Out, Bi People of Color, Being Trans and Bi, and How to be an Ally.  We also need workshops for our allies like our monosexual partners/spouses, co-workers, and other folks who want to support us but may not be sure how to. 

We want to celebrate every single one of us! We want to provide the tools for us all to not just be out, but to be out, happy and THRIVING! What's the ideas you have that work?

Go to http://www.becauseconference.org/BECAUSE-WORKSHOPS.html and  enter your information. Workshop applications will close April 1st, so don't delay!

If anyone has questions, do not hesitate to email me at Louahq@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Lou Hoffman

BECAUSE community programming