Recognizing that the bisexual community remains marginalized and underserved, the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) proudly proclaims March once more as Bisexual Health Awareness Month (BHAM).
Because bisexual individuals report consistently higher levels of depression, suicidality, substance use, anxiety, and other mood disorders compared to their heterosexual, gay and lesbian counterparts, this year’s theme for BHAM is Mental Health. Bisexual Health Awareness Month will engage with the community at large throughout the month of March to raise awareness about these mental health disparities and to push for more action and resources that can better support bisexual individuals.
This year BHAM will incorporate three main values – Intersectionality, Support, and Advocacy – into its campaign to highlight the diverse challenges experienced by the bisexual community, promote bisexual-specific resources, and propose interventions to decrease mental health disparities. The BRC will utilize its social media channels, in addition to a newly launched campaign website, to disseminate this information for public use and dialogue.
“Bisexual people have long been impacted by the negative effects of biphobia and bisexual erasure from both LGBTQ and straight communities. They have also been denied access to critical services and resources that can enhance their mental and emotional well-being. Therefore, Bisexual Health Awareness Month aims to increase awareness about these issues and feature ways we can effectively address them,” said BRC Board President, Julia Canfield.
Bisexual Health Awareness Month launched on March 2 on the BRC’s Twitter (with hashtag #bihealthmonth), Facebook, and Tumblr pages. The BRC invites individuals and organizations both in the United States and from around the world to become involved with the campaign and to raise awareness about bisexual mental health disparities in their own communities.
