7 Ways to Deal with Biphobia During Pride

7 Ways to Deal with Biphobia During Pride

Pride Month is a celebration of everyone within the LGBT community—and yes that means you, you beautiful bisexual. Unfortunately, things can be tough for bi folks. All queer people deal with discrimination, but the super shitty thing about biphobia is that it often comes from within the queer community itself. And during Pride, these are the people you're partying with, parading with, dancing with, and celebrating your identity with. You want to feel like a magical unicorn that sweats glitter, not unwelcome. So should you encounter biphobia during Pride, here are seven ways to deal. 

1. You matter.

As bisexual character Callie Torres once said on Grey's Anatomy,  "There's a 'B' in LGBT, and it doesn't just stand for badass."

Biphobia is shitty and rampant, especially as it can come from within the queer community. Discrimination sucks enough from the straight crowd, but you expect (and hope) for your queer brothers and sisters to have your back. But don't let a few bad apples ruin your sense of pride, especially during Pride. You matter. You're part of the beautiful rainbow that makes up what it means to be LGBTQ. 

2. Wear a fabulous outfit.

When you look good, you feel good. God bless the queer community for understanding that vanity is not a sin. Pull out your purple glitter, your favorite wig, or most fabulous dress, and strut your stuff. Like honestly, who cares if someone is salty when you're the hottest one in the room. 

3. Know your history.

People who hate on bi folks are such lame hypocrites because they've all totally consumed culture created by bi people and loved it. Evan Rachel Wood? Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale? (Yes, I know she's a television character, but she is so glam she counts!) What about Halsey, and hello, David Bowie? Bi people have contributed so much to this world. We belong at Pride! We helped create Pride!

4. Go with friends and chosen family.

Grab your accepting queer squad, your partner, your lover(s) and go to Pride events with your friends and chosen family. Flying solo can be fun, but the heart of Pride is celebrating who you are with the people that you love. And especially for bi folks, this isn't always the family we were born into, or in the case of the LGBTQ community, even the community that we're a part of. So whether it's a party or the parade, go with your friends and chosen family that you know will throw a drink in someone's face if they say anything biphobic. 

5. Call people on their shit.

Sometimes people need to be called out. Tough love can be learning. And sometimes, rather than acting all polite, you need to express your anger. It's only healthy emotional processing. So if at a Pride event someone says something biphobic, don't be afraid to tell them that they're acting ignorant. 

6. Take care of yourself.

Pride is meant to make you feel good and, quite literally, proud of who you are. If you're at an event where people are acting shitty, and it's making you feel bad, go home. Take a nice bath. Masturbate. Or call up your partner or friends and have your own chill Pride celebration, minus the biphobia. Sometimes strength isn't about toughing out a situation, but recognizing that it isn't good for you, and going to spend your time in a manner that is. 

7. Remember your strength.

Speaking of strength, do you know how strong you are? Remember being a kid, liking boys and girls, and having no idea what that meant in a world that wants to make everything black and white and binary? Being bisexual is hard. Coming out and living your truth takes guts. Like seriously, you're a superhero. You've already survived experiences that would knock over so many, but you always got back up. So feel proud. You deserve it.