Bi+BIPOC: Reflections on the First SAMHSA LGBTQIA+ 
Behavioral Health Summit

Sep 1, 2024 | 2024 Fall - Child Free

By Casira Copes, President, Bisexual Resource Center

For years now, research has reflected a little-known truth: bisexuals make up the largest swath of the queer community. Recent data also reflects the reality of being an often-sidelined majority: bisexuals tend to have worse mental and behavioral health outcomes than our other queer peers. Knowing this, I was intrigued and enthused to be invited to the SAMHSA (the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) LGBTQIA+ Behavioral Health Summit in D.C. during Pride Month. What better time and place to address the growing health needs of the bi+ community?

The conference brought together 125 individuals across various fields—government workers, direct service providers, academics, researchers, and community activists—to reflect on data collection, program outcomes, and initiatives taking place in queer communities across the country. Yet so many discussions about the work and well-being of BIPOC queer people, trans people, and multiply-marginalized individuals were held without many (sometimes any) of those voices present. Why aren’t they in the room with us, many asked. It’s a shame they aren’t here. Their work was praised, their resilience admired, but few were there to receive it. At the end of the workshops, attendees were asked, quite simply: Now what? Where do we go from here? What do we do next?

While the conference itself did not offer the answers to these questions, I’m glad to have been in the room to meet individuals who I believe care deeply about finding those answers. The people I’m so pleased to have connected with understand that what comes next is making sure our fellow queer people of color are embraced rather than missed from afar. I’m proud to have been accompanied by Bisexual Resource Center board member Brooke Lindley, who brought intersectionality to the forefront with her presentation on bisexual and biracial identities. I’m proud to have been a Black bi woman in a space where I could offer some degree of visibility to the fact that GSS data shows almost a quarter (23%) of young Black women identify as bisexual. I’m proud to still be engaging meaningfully with the changemakers I met there and looking forward to a future of collaboration and partnership in the name of improving health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ people—especially my bi+ family and always my Black and brown siblings.

In fact, it was my bi+ peers that demonstrated the power of inclusion with intentionality. As a result of the tireless efforts of Amy Andre, organizer of the summit and fellow bi+ BIPOC leader, I found myself amidst a bi+ contingent of amazing individuals who were able to center bisexual experiences and community in ways rarely seen in such spaces.

As the first of its kind, the SAMHSA summit set the stage to expand and improve on large-scale discussions of LGBTQIA+ behavioral health across sectors. It kicked off an important conversation in a national context that must be continued—next time, with more people at the table.

Casira Copes is a nonprofit communications specialist, writer, and trained facilitator with a passion for navigating the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and social justice. They serve as the communications director of their state ACLU affiliate. In her capacity as president of the Bisexual Resource Center, as well as a board member of both OPEN (Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy) and OutCare Health, Casira helps marginalized individuals and families find community, share resources, and advocate for a more queer-friendly future.

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