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I'm happy to see that you responded sensitively to the bi community's complaints. We're pretty forgiving when people "get it" and give a heartfelt apology.
I've been out as bi since I was a 16 yo HS student in 1973. I was the only out queer woman on my college campus. I cant go back. Or actually, I've never been in, because I came out the second I had feelings for a woman. I strongly believe we can only get there in unity. I'm pretty sure you already realized that alienating the entire bi community in the name of getting new allies wont move us forward. I spoke to a bi activist from Massachusetts today who is same-sex married and was very involved in Marriage organizing up there and he said that there were similar concerns over messaging in MA but they used a lot of inclusive messaging and won. The thing about asking us to be invisible til after the election is, it's not just a few months (not that it would even be tolerable for that long because it would go against the basic principals of the whole LGBT movement.) I started doing the math: there are 50 states in the union and only 1.5 have marriage right now. That's 48.5 states to go, which could take 100 years or more. If the bisexual movement has to be silent until Marriage is achieved nationwide (not to mention all the other LGBT rights we still dont have) we might as well pack up right now. To me, that would be like death. Marriage is an issue where gay and lesbian leaders and press have not been using inclusive language at all, even though many of us having been providing education for them on the topic...we havent been able to break through. I hope this turns the tide. What we need is your help in educating other lesbian and gay leaders as well as gay and mainstream press, that LGBT rights issues affect bi people. Encourage them to use us as examples of an issue in a press release or a news story. Show them how to do it by example. Mention a bi married couple in a press release on Marriage, a bi veteran in PR about the military, a bi person fired from a job when writing or speachifying about ENDA. As soon as L&G orgs and leaders start acting like bisexual people are an accepted, normalized and equal part of the LGBT community, the press and society at large will get the message. L&G leaders and orgs are the key because everyone takes their cues from you. I am attaching the Bi Writers Association handout on Mariage Equality: Putting the B in LGBT as well as our Media Guide as a whole. Once again, thank you for listening and thanks for being willing to rethink your strategy. I strongly believe that by sticking together and working hard, we will win. Peace, Sheela Lambert Founder, Bi Writers Association
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