March is Bisexual Awareness Month at Boston's BRC

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).

"Bisexual people have long been impacted by the negative effects of biphobia and bisexual erasure from both LGBTQ and straight communities," said BRC Board President, Julia Canfield, who emphasized the need for this campaign. "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."

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 Health Awareness Month will have the following focus themes throughout the four weeks of March in order to emphasize the various issues regarding mental health in the bisexual community:

� March 2-6: (Statistics) A focus on current statistics and research data concerning mental health disparities in the bisexual community.

� March 9-13: (Intersectionality) An emphasis on how race, ethnicity, class, age, ability, etc., can further impact mental health disparities in the bisexual community, particularly in regards to experiences of oppression and discrimination.

� March 16-20: (Resources) A spotlight on current resources and creation of new ones that can address mental health disparities in the bisexual community.

� March 23-27: (Action) The promotion and development of interventions, policies, and other activities that work to prevent or decrease mental health disparities in the bisexual community.

Bisexual Health Awareness Month launched on Monday, 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.

The Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) has been advocating for bisexual visibility and raising awareness about bisexuality throughout the LGBT and straight communities since 1985. The Bisexual Resource Center envisions a world where love is celebrated, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.

For more information, visit www.biresource.net.