As part of its month long LGBT-fest to celebrate the most important event since 1066, that is to say the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality - BBC's Radio 4's Women's Hour invited two bisexuals onto the show.What followed was sheer comedy in an utterly pathetic sort of way.
So what is a bisexual? Asked the host. Now that is easy thought me, I can do that one. It is someone who swings both ways, who gets it on with both guys and gals? Er no... I am just so terribly 20th century. One of the guests opined that it was someone who was attracted to folks of more than one gender. The other guest agreed and the host purred approvingly. How could I have forgotten that there are just so many genders these daya. What an evil fucking reactionary I am.
After what seemed like an eternity the love-in drew to a close and the host asked each guest what was the big leap forward that the bi community needed now.
Hmmmm, the overall LGBT community is richer than we straights, has equal rights under the law, is over-represented in politics, the BBC rich list, the media and has more chance of adopting kids than straight folks so what do they need now to achieve equality? Silly me again, bisexuals have particular needs.
Guest one opined that the Government had to spend more money on surveys and other work addressing the particular health needs of bisexuals. Hmmmm. The stats are pretty clear, those who engage in man to man anal sex without using protection are responsible for a hugely disproportionate number of the new cases of HIV and the dramatic rise in cases of other STDs, notably the newest strain of gonorrhea. The data is clear and bisexual men are clearly at higher risk of that than straight men. No doubt stating this will be deemed as bigoted but I am afraid that it is just a plain and hard fact
What should they do? take responsibility by engaging in safer sex practices? Well not necessarily. The gay community demanded that the cash strapped NHS make available very expensive PreP pills allowing gay men to have unprotected sex with - if they remembered to take the pills properly - a much reduced chance of catching HIV. But even with the pills you have an 8% chance of infection. That was ignored. Great.. So more folks engaged in the activities that caused the spread of other STDs. That was so predictable, as I noted HERE, but the answer is for the State to do something. It always is with special interest groups.
Guest two opined that the big need was for the LGBT community to be more accepting of bisexuals. Apparently those nasty common or garden pooftahs do not treat bisexuals fairly. The problem used to be wicked conservatives not it is oppression from within the LGBT tent. Hooray, for once I am not one of the baf guys. It is always fun to see "tolerant" liberals turning on each other.
Whatever. If this is the biggest problem bisexuals face in Britain today, then perhaps the great battles in this sphere have all been won and it is time for "the campaigners" the whole charity industry supporting the gay community just to recognise this and move on to another fight, to get a proper job.