Monday, 1 January 2024

Fast Approaching Thirty!


The last few years have been tough for a lot of us - here's hoping 2024 will give us a break! If you've not already seen it, or could use a reminder of the events of the past 12 months, Bi Community News magazine has its annual "wrap up of the bi year" story here

In 2024 we will celebrate our 30th year as a bi group. BiPhoria started back in 1994 after a national bisexual conference, where people from the existing women's and men's bi groups came together and considered a new joint project. 

In doing so they recognised that it was a little strange to have people for whom gender was not the delineating factor in their attraction to meet solely in gendered groups, and that binary gendered groups meant a number of potential members didn't really have a group where they could be comfortable. 

The gendered groups died away over time - closing down by around 1998 - and new projects like our campaign group came to replace them.

Saturday, 23 September 2023

Visibly Bisexual (in the village)

 

Our bi banner is back up on Canal Street - despite the city council nearly foiling our plans! 

 We've had it up most years since 2017 (there was a Covid hiatus!) and in the past it was on Sackville Gardens, where the Alan Turing statue is, looking out across to the middle of Canal Street. 

This year the council won't let us do that sort of thing any more but Kampus have kindly let us use their fence instead, facing out to the Piccadilly train station end of Canal Street. Cheers Kampus! And Manchester Pride ran an interview with us here.

Saturday, 16 September 2023

You Showed, You Told!

 


Show & Tell Bi History was a massive success, thank you everyone who came along today!

The library had set us aside a space that could take eight people so ten of us had to bunch up to fit in for two and a half hours of going through the city's LGBT records and finding some of the "B" in Manchester's LGBT story.

It seems pretty certain we will be doing that one again. Big thanks to Manchester Central Library's archives unit for hosting us and sharing some of their treasures.

Saturday, 26 August 2023

Manchester Pride 2023

 

We had a great start to our Manchester Pride weekend with the parade day - huge response to us from the crowd and especially to the new BI & PROUD placards we had for the parade.

Did you see us and take a photo we could use? Do let us have it!

Thanks to all our marching group and everyone who cheered and waved us on.

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Pan Visibility

 


Today (24 May) is Pan Visibility Day, when we celebrate one of the labels under the big bi umbrella: pansexuality and panromanticism. 

That's attraction - sexual or romantic - to people of all genders, and with gender not being a factor in the attraction. See the facebook event here.

Thursday, 14 April 2022

TV Memories

On Tuesday night we held a special session at People's History Museum, with Manchester Pride.

We talked about bi representation on television, and below are the names of all the shows people shared for our timeline of TV memories.  Where people included notes about the character portrayal I've added those.

As you'd expect - SPOILERS AHEAD! 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Willow (dates Oz and Tara, B word isn't said specifically)
Powerpuff Girls - HIM is a villain who is camp, fun, cartoon fake and cool.
VMA Awards 2003 - the kiss with Madonna Britney and Christina.  Fetishising of sexual contact between women?
Brooklyn 99 - Rosa Diaz is a really positive and 'real' feeling; coming out episodes really well done and relateable
She-Ra (netflix remake not the 80s version) - Sea-Hawk is canon bi
Euphoria - Jules' bisexuality is addressed later in the show when she starts dating a woman
The 100 - Clarke is but it's unaddressed same as other LGBTQ characters in the series
Glee - Brittney - her (lesbian) girlfriend and other gay characters were discussed, however her sexuality was not addressed
Shadowhunter - Magnus is actually described as a "freewheeling bisexual"
Schitt's Creek - David is described as pansexual but very welcoming portrayal and the wine analogy is everything
 and I use it to explain bi/pan all the time
The Bi Show (side note: I think the writer means "The Bi Life") & RuPaul's Drag Race. In particular Courtney Act - bisexuality was not brought up in RuPaul Drag Race but later CA hosted a show on bisexuality.
The Bold Type - Kat Edison. Addresses the invalidation of the bi experience even within LGBT spaces and being called "fence sitter" or "piut stop before coming out as gay".
The Good Place - Tahani and Elanor. No labels placed but it is implied and no one bats an eyelid
Killing Eve
Gentleman Jack - hard to tell motivations due to being a period drama with social expectations of the time
And coming soon: Heartstopper starts 22 April 2022. Nick Nelson, it's based on a comic which explores Nick realising he is bi and his journey coming out.

When you've watched all of them (it might take a little while) there're even more suggestions on https://bicommunitynews.co.uk/bimediawatch

(And if you ever want to write up some bi rep on TV for that column it'd be very welcome!)

Monday, 30 November 2020

The Bisexual Agenda for December


It's December and the year is nearly over (we won't miss this one much!) but there are still bi dates coming up as well as World AIDS Day tomorrow.

Check out the Bisexual Agenda for December.

Sunday, 1 November 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for November

In November we are varying from the usual bi agenda pattern, with the normal "first Tuesday" social-support meeting (albeit over Zoom) but then no Sunday hangout - so our second evening meet of the month will be on the 17th.

More here.

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for October 2020


Welcome to imaginary bisexual pub The Lion & The Unicorn... and many more of our bi meets to look forward to in October.  

Yes it's the monthly what's on guide and here it is online.



Sunday, 30 August 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for September

Sadly there's no in-person Manchester Pride this weekend, but the Bisexual Agenda for September is out!

Here it is online.

It looks ahead to Bi Visibility Day, Bi+ Book Club and more. At the moment we're waiting on the latest COVID news to decide whether we can have a limited in-person meet for September 23. There will at least be an online meet - as one of the few groups in the world to have marked it since 1999, we don't wanna miss a year!

Thursday, 30 July 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for August 2020

With news of the LGBT Foundation community centre shutting its doors and much more besides, it's the August What's On For Bis Guide!

 

It also has the latest BCN magazine and news from this year's BiCon, which is not happening in Leeds just as so many things are not happening this year.

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for July

 

The pubs are re-opening a little but it's still lockdown life in the North West by and large - but here's  what's happening in July.

As well as the events listings we have the good news that the Manchester Parents Group won a big award  - they're the "support for parents of LGBT folx" people who do "hug-a-mum" at Prides most years.

Get the bulletin every month yourself

Sunday, 31 May 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for June

 

Our June what's on roundup of bisexual life is out now!

It includes meet up dates, resources and news of our next Bi+ Book Club night where we'll be considering Orlando by Virginia Woolf.

If you can help keep the virtual bi+ meets going with a donation, please do.

Friday, 1 May 2020

The Bisexual Agenda for May

The what's on roundup for May is out now - here it is.

With the pandemic continuing bi meets are still happening online instead mostly via Zoom.

As well as the meets we have some support tips:

Tuesday, 31 March 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for April

It's out now - the Bisexual Agenda for April!

With the pandemic, we start with links to a few online sources of wider support.

As a substitute for our main meets, we're holding chats online over Zoom - we've run a few so far to prove it works and, a bit like the meetings on the sofas at LGBT Foundation, up to about 20 or so people it clearly does!

The April bulletin has all those meets plus news about changes for Prides and big Bi Events this summer.

Tuesday, 25 February 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for March

 It's out now - the Bisexual Agenda for March!

History Month is behind us but there's plenty going on and with Pride season kicking off next month in Bury. 

In the meanwhile we have talky space, pub and coffee meets, as well as an outreach stall at this year's LGBT Housing Conference and one final event for LGBT History Month in Bolton - on leap day.

Friday, 21 February 2020

LGBT History Month Part II

It's still LGBT History Month and there is a lot going on.

We've just done a new email update to let people know about events still to come in the North West and the supply of fab new Bisexual History posters (they're big - pick them up at our History Month outreach stalls or in-person at BiPhoria meets).

Here it is.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

LGBT History Month

Our February What's On guide, the Bisexual Agenda, is out now with events in Manchester, Stockport, Northwich, Preston and more things besides.  Not least a plethora of bi social meetings including yet another meet of the Bisexual+ Book Group.

It's LGBT History Month and there is lots to do!  Including a fistful of talks that are bi-relevant around the country... though peculiarly nothing at People's History Museum this time, where we've had talks and/or stalls in the past.



Here's the update!

Friday, 3 January 2020

the Bisexual Agenda for January

The North West edition of the Bisexual Agenda what's on roundup for January is out now and you can read it online here

We've got bi talky space, pub meet and coffee meet, along with events in the Midlands and South for those who fancy a bit of travelling - and the news that Britain has its first openly pansexual MP and that at long last civil partnerships are open to mixed-sex couples. Both things long overdue!

Tuesday, 3 December 2019

Wrapping up for the festive season

The year is coming to an end and here's our what's on for bi Manchester shenanigans this December.


https://mailchi.mp/7885079d2cb9/the-bi-agenda-for-december

You can get it direct to your inbox every month here:

https://www.biphoria.org.uk/mailinglist/