From: seamus@ravel.udel.edu (James G Dilmore)
Subject: Bisexual idenity and community (was Re: A hug request and ...) 
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 04:10:48 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.050223.6727@vpnet.chi.il.us> orc@vpnet.chi.il.us (david parsons) writes:
[Lots of good talk on bisexuality as a label.]
>
I want to redirect the conversation at this point.  
I have been challenging the idea of a label and a bisexual identity
because I want to figure out how the bisexual identity is formed, if there is
one, and what effect it has on a bi community.

General comments:

It has been stated on a variety of current threads that everyone has
a different definition of bisexuality.  With such a multiplicity of
personal idenities can a general "bisexual idenity" be constructed.
Why should it be constructed, one may ask.  I think that it has a lot
to do with community building.  

At one level a bisexual community and personal idenity is created 
as soon as one differentiates oneself from the het label and the
gay/lesbian label.  I believe that this distinction is not enough to
actually form a community(such as soc.bi) on.  (or is it? comments?)
I think that there must be some more commonality among the group for it
to actually coagulate.  Perhaps this has come from external forces such as
the stereotype of bis as hypersexual and/or confused which has been imposed
from both the het and the lesgay communities.  This could be a crystallization
agent for a community.  This is then transformed into a more positive image.
(I.E. goddamit I am bi and I am proud to be.  My attractions are real and
I am proud of my ability to deal with them.) 

I think that a community is formed by several individuals who congeal 
together based on some common interests or afflictions, be it either
rites based, experienced based, or world view based.  My real question is
with such a multiplicity of ideas and attitudes in the bisexual community
(even on the fundamental idea of what bisexuality is) then what is there to
congeal around?  Is it a general feeling of rejection from both the het and
lesgay communities or a feeling of "just not fitting in"?

I really think that this is a community but I just can't figure it out
when I try and get back to its basics.  I know that bisexual politics and 
idenity is relatively new on the sociological scene.  I think that the
identity and the community should be closely examined in order to give
the movement and all bisexuals a strong and mature place in the GLBT
community.  I think I need a thesaurus.  :)

Now to the fluff.

>   Hmm, he said, pray, please provide more details!  If you're
>gonna seduce me in front of 30,000 other avid readers, you're gonna
>have to work a bit!
>
And work is what I intend to do. :)  I feel like the object of 
voyuerist lust.  I'm feeling rather drained and demure
just now so I will have to flirt when the spirit moves me.
I will say that if a trip is made, well...let me put it this way - 
have you ever heard of frequent flyer miles?  Well, under my system
you get a round trip ticket every 1000 or so miles of travel on your 
part.  (I hear kay's mental calculator going ding ding ding :)
>                 ____
>   david parsons \bi/ who's being distressingly honorable this month.
>                  \/
Jim, who's month suddenly turned around last night. :)

-- 
Jim Dilmore - seamus@brahms.udel.edu    or    dilmore@che.udel.edu 
   Deconstruct your Gender          Safe sex doesn't mean no sex.          
Give me life, Give me pain,         It just means use your imagination. 
Give me myself again.  Tori Amos.            Billy Bragg 
Newsgroups: soc.bi