Bisexual Erasure in Education

• In Event: The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Education Policy Making

Abstract

Bisexual people make up just over half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community, yet are often rendered invisible. Bisexual erasure is a pervasive issue that can delegitimize or antagonize bisexuality as an identity and experience. Bisexual people have been systematically and inadvertently left out of the legal and societal conversation of queer protections and liberties. Bisexual erasure perpetuates unsafe and discriminatory environments for bisexual people including in education relative to both heterosexual and homosexual people. These unsafe environments yield many negative physical and mental health effects for bisexual students, staff, faculty, and family members. Educators and policymakers must accept a shared responsibility in affirming and including bisexuality as a valid sexual-orientative identity and experience across educational contexts.

Author

• Daniel Wilson, Vanderbilt University