Dear Reader,
The theme of this issue is “LABELS” The explosion in recent years of different labels onto the identity scene has been both a challenge and a delight. Ellyn’s list on page 5 contains enough of these to give you a taste of some of the labels that are out there. Accompanying this explosion of labels – and in part causing it – has been more critical attention paid to older labels: first the Big Binary: straight and gay; then later the Big Four: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
When all this started happening, I first felt annoyed. How could this be happening?—I sometimes felt—after so many of us have worked so hard to make it POSSIBLE to identify as bisexual. Why don’t people just call themselves bi? I mean, come ON! Step over here into OUR box, darn it! But the bottom line is this: It’s not ours to control anyway. We don’t have the power or the right to control what other people do or don’t decide to call themselves. Rather, it’s incumbent upon us to listen to what other people are saying and to enter into respectful dialogue, to figure out what are our common goals, and to move forward TOGETHER into the future and to the next level of liberation.
We offer five pieces about labels in this issue, written by Ellyn, Tracy, B.J., Lindsay and Cara.
In addition, we offer other delights: a beautiful poem by N.K., interviews with two bi-identified writers, news in brief and a write-up of the BECAUSE Conference which took place in Minneapolis. Our “Bis Around the World” column takes us to Pune, India, and of course we offer our fabulous calendar of events in the Boston area.
Remember, ladies: this is YOUR newsletter. Please consider supporting us with your dollars (if you have any), and please consider writing something for the next issue!
Bi for now,