biphobia, the double penalty – Liberation

Invisibilized, bisexual people are the target of stigmatization coming from heterosexuals, but also from other LGBT+ people. Wednesday is World Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

“Women, men… We will have to choose!” It’s 2006, and Jann, then in his twenties, is sitting in a Paris hospital with a needle in his arm for a blood test. “The nurse allowed herself to give her personal opinion. On what ? My bisexuality, my private life.” Fifteen years later, the 40-year-old Franco-Gabonese singer is still annoyed at being perceived as “a curious beast”.

This Wednesday, May 17 is the World Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. If the first two are the subject of awareness campaigns, biphobia, and even bisexuality, remain largely unknown and invisible. On this occasion, nearly ten bisexual people testified to Release stigma, discrimination and violence specific to their sexual orientation.

The clichés are not very visible, but tenacious, as evidenced by the Instagram account “Pay your bi“, nearly 18,000 followers. “Bisexuality is considered as a transitory identification towards homosexuality, or on the contrary a sexuality of circumstance which does not call into question the heterosexuality of the person”, reported the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) in 2018. “Bisexuality would not exist, would be