tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25188250144979936582024-02-19T02:49:25.830-08:00Harrie Farrow AuthorAbout bisexuality.Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-6211126466480103282021-11-27T17:41:00.000-08:002021-11-27T17:41:06.567-08:00<p> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Bonita-Harrie-Farrow/dp/B09M544T4M/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">My novel, "Finding Bonita" is now available in hardcover! </a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-qDp9R-RriY4gkf6PpPZYZcrcn_WHLK3nk2q5wbw2D73Xacfd15KVSD08glgsjFXkQR2qU1ZqxPkmb8yJojT04OgbILiHXJ5p3QdSQjZ3iq6f9IQivaxflvDypg2gkiKNydlDWr_lKDI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="335" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB-qDp9R-RriY4gkf6PpPZYZcrcn_WHLK3nk2q5wbw2D73Xacfd15KVSD08glgsjFXkQR2qU1ZqxPkmb8yJojT04OgbILiHXJ5p3QdSQjZ3iq6f9IQivaxflvDypg2gkiKNydlDWr_lKDI/" width="161" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-82447716994966222972021-11-20T20:21:00.000-08:002021-11-20T20:21:11.772-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Super thrilled that my novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Bonita-Novel-Harrie-Farrow-ebook/dp/B09LSVFDZG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">"Finding Bonita"</a> is doing so well on Amazon lists. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">#2 for Hot New Releases in Caribbean and Latin American Literature, and </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">#58 in Amazon Best Sellers in Caribbean and American Literature. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6j1v6NYM5ZivF5JC8uA-HaVaK2Q7OhAIcyFyW8xk9ZT3TqqhAFFRcxmU9TBUNeD-_aB5Up3u37BsO9flByt-XSmy2CVBJNZ44mwEnH8T38iTQk39WZ0PZwMikw409UXLdZ973lrJhIVWj/s814/2021-11-20+%25285%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="814" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6j1v6NYM5ZivF5JC8uA-HaVaK2Q7OhAIcyFyW8xk9ZT3TqqhAFFRcxmU9TBUNeD-_aB5Up3u37BsO9flByt-XSmy2CVBJNZ44mwEnH8T38iTQk39WZ0PZwMikw409UXLdZ973lrJhIVWj/s320/2021-11-20+%25285%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQfsXIBV4mJCIRp5QHwZWdrGQC360nGQYcbGeO3wRvT91iUevAZpjBrEL66rPGIIb2K54evqE5itNCP1AInX780HWZVAfuhKfS7VP5k2mYAeVDbrfSP9ZggZZhxVKzwh2PuBkXGLXJD6J/s737/2021-11-20+%25283%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="737" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQfsXIBV4mJCIRp5QHwZWdrGQC360nGQYcbGeO3wRvT91iUevAZpjBrEL66rPGIIb2K54evqE5itNCP1AInX780HWZVAfuhKfS7VP5k2mYAeVDbrfSP9ZggZZhxVKzwh2PuBkXGLXJD6J/s320/2021-11-20+%25283%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-69702952678390208722021-11-13T09:32:00.002-08:002021-11-13T09:32:08.094-08:00<p> Super excited, my second novel, "Finding Bonita" is now <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LGTRYTM?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860" target="_blank">available for purchase</a>! </p><p>I hope you read it and love it as much as I loved writing it.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_TCpVb6NCT6AOYQ9LDMC7YLuwfqc_K830geK4NKvC3rAef_gvHe1JdLDBclERpq1iV2aCGQTCLYeI1-_C9SM7zRXtHaRYPD-MGSKs7vJFOnuFMRs3Ja6Istlm9llEi51K6svJNJ4skyD/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_TCpVb6NCT6AOYQ9LDMC7YLuwfqc_K830geK4NKvC3rAef_gvHe1JdLDBclERpq1iV2aCGQTCLYeI1-_C9SM7zRXtHaRYPD-MGSKs7vJFOnuFMRs3Ja6Istlm9llEi51K6svJNJ4skyD/" width="160" /></a></div><p><br /></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Will Bonnie ever discover the secret behind the mysterious Man With The Camera, and why she's always felt that something fundamental has been missing from her life?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Impactful childhood experiences form intriguing adults whose paths cross in life-altering ways. Their fates entangle in San Francisco and a tiny Caribbean island through sexual and existential obsessions, profound love, and epic loss.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ted gets passionate about every new concept that comes his way. Jill just wants to be normal but what’s normal keeps changing. Rachel craves emotional connection and healing from compounding tragedies. When their lives collide in the 1970s, joy abounds until Ted’s next infatuation. Meanwhile, a child has been born.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Living in their periphery, with no small consequence, is Ivan, who would be happy to fish, grow ganja, and praise Jah if only he didn’t have to keep fighting off the devil.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This frolicking novel takes readers on an insightfully explicit adventure sprinkled with natural beauty, culinary delights, and confounding homicides.</span><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>If you never read my first novel, "Love, Sex, and Understanding the Universe," <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Understanding-Universe-Harrie-Farrow/dp/0615894208/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">here's the link</a> for that. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGJoq5tTNIxPiQcLW8Ua4tUFt1jtOh4hNHwGXbcIZzQ_1iOYiW-xmcf7f64Qs0tKABmS6CkkMdon-cK38aGiAPwaug-wQV60p4a_XHqdeto4QOw36JR3rJxBI2R3viNQNvpXyTtGm-Omi/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGJoq5tTNIxPiQcLW8Ua4tUFt1jtOh4hNHwGXbcIZzQ_1iOYiW-xmcf7f64Qs0tKABmS6CkkMdon-cK38aGiAPwaug-wQV60p4a_XHqdeto4QOw36JR3rJxBI2R3viNQNvpXyTtGm-Omi/" width="160" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0Caribbean21.4691137 -78.6568942-6.8411201361788443 -113.8131442 49.779347536178847 -43.500644199999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-36281308306327853902021-06-30T15:52:00.001-07:002021-06-30T15:52:27.266-07:00<p> Book cover! Thrilled that I created a cover worth of the story. "Finding Bonita" will be released in September. You can mark it as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57538863-finding-bonita" target="_blank">"Want to Read" on Goodreads</a> and you'll be notified when it's released. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sszlqIHhmEVGJrLpQzh4Eztg9ceZlip6q5R_ONvGqMah9QvFI_08Bm9PO8Yxmj91UqQD4y-IjO6CcFDxqN2tNa3mLeqbrQC4BO25k6gSq9QN2N8gWtRqktfTljRlVcRTG4OFkrEYLpcj/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sszlqIHhmEVGJrLpQzh4Eztg9ceZlip6q5R_ONvGqMah9QvFI_08Bm9PO8Yxmj91UqQD4y-IjO6CcFDxqN2tNa3mLeqbrQC4BO25k6gSq9QN2N8gWtRqktfTljRlVcRTG4OFkrEYLpcj/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-79924761567289078252021-05-17T20:16:00.000-07:002021-05-17T20:16:20.994-07:00<p><br /></p><p>Super excited to be releasing my second novel, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57538863-finding-bonita">"Finding Bonita"</a>, this fall. Please click on the link to mark it as "Want to Read" on Goodreads and you'll be notified when it's released. <br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Profound childhood experiences form intriguing often misguided adults whose paths cross in life altering ways as each embarks on quests for beauty, love, and meaning. Their quirky complex lives interweave in San Francisco and a tiny Caribbean island through romantic love, epic loss, culinary delights, sexual and existential obsessions, and tragic murder.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Knowing that the only way to assuage her emptiness is to discover the elusive truth behind the mysterious Man with the Camera, Bonnie’s life unravels into desperate sex with women she meets in lesbian bars.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Rachel finds healing from grief, and inspiration for art, on an island paradise, but she’ll never feel whole unless she can reconnect with the one ripped out of her arms long ago.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Attorney Henry is lured back to the tropical isle home of his youth by a confounding murder case and a passionate romance he hopes can survive the separate secrets he and his lover guard.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Ivan would be happy to fish, grow ganja, and praise Jah, if only he could stop having to battle the devil.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">“Finding Bonita” is humorous and insightful and sometimes sexually explicit with an undercurrent of bisexuality and polyamory.</span></p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-46849277451268408042021-03-31T19:34:00.000-07:002021-03-31T19:34:23.862-07:00<p> Living alone and not having a personal life during COVID over the past year was very trying, however I'm trilled that it gave me time to finish my second novel, "Finding Bonita." I'm in the editing stages and the book will be released by early fall at the latest. I've added the book to Goodreads along with a blurb. If you mark the book Want to Read, you'll get notified when the book is published. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57538863-finding-bonita" target="_blank">"Finding Bonita" on Goodreads</a>.</p>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-36957157709349679222020-04-16T20:05:00.001-07:002020-04-16T20:05:39.017-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yBzuixiVPFHsbdZlmYcjK" target="_blank">Check out my interview on the podcast Write Now!</a></div>
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I discuss writing, my upcoming novel, "Finding Bonita," being an activist, and be elected for office among other things. </div>
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<br />Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-25571781970298644912018-03-20T21:18:00.001-07:002018-03-20T21:18:56.392-07:00This Is My Body<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"<a href="https://bisexual.org/this-is-my-body/" target="_blank">My latest piece in Bi.org: This is My Body</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"This is my body. If I tell you that your advances are desired, but only if you are not toying with me; if I tell you not to play with me, because I will take you seriously; don’t tell me I am too uptight, or too sexual, or too repressed, or too much not like you. I am not here to be your, “safe place to explore sensuality with another woman.”.......</span>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-66296066959466703912017-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:002017-02-06T12:30:56.467-08:00Bisexuality – a perspective, Interview with Harrie Farrow<a href="http://bisexuality%20%E2%80%93%20a%20perspective%2C%20interview%20with%20harrie%20farrow/" target="_blank">Bisexuality – a perspective, Interview with Harrie Farrow</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-59034022798329733992016-11-23T09:11:00.000-08:002016-11-23T09:11:15.971-08:00Coming Out as Bisexual Over the Holidays?<a href="https://bisexual.org/home-for-the-holidays-and-coming-out-as-bi/" target="_blank">Coming Out as Bisexual Over the Holidays?</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-50619988375231961392016-11-13T10:13:00.000-08:002016-11-13T10:13:03.608-08:00NEW RESEARCH INTO STIGMAS AROUND BISEXUALITY<a href="https://bisexual.org/when-neutral-isnt-enough-new-research-into-stigmas-around-bisexuality/" target="_blank">WHEN NEUTRAL ISN’T ENOUGH: NEW RESEARCH INTO STIGMAS AROUND BISEXUALITY</a> - my interview with researcher Brian DodgeHarrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-36473288144208288882016-10-29T09:17:00.000-07:002016-10-29T09:17:57.485-07:0017 WAYS FOR LGBT ORGANIZATIONS TO BE BISEXUAL INCLUSIVE<a href="https://bisexual.org/17-ways-for-lgbt-organizations-to-be-more-bi-inclusive/" target="_blank">17 WAYS FOR LGBT ORGANIZATIONS TO BE BISEXUAL INCLUSIVE</a> - my article in bi.org.Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-9213196215626475642016-10-11T14:26:00.000-07:002016-10-11T14:26:52.979-07:0020 Ways to Leave Your Bisexual Closet<a href="https://unicornbooty.com/20-ways-leave-bisexual-closet/" target="_blank">20 Ways to Leave Your Bisexual Closet</a> my piece for National Coming Out Day in Unicorn BootyHarrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-53033728805671571822016-10-01T11:31:00.003-07:002016-10-01T11:31:59.712-07:00Tips for Creating Bisexual Characters <a href="https://unicornbooty.com/15-tips-for-believable-bisexual-characters-in-tv-and-movies/" target="_blank">Tips For Creating Bisexual Characters </a> My article on Unicorn BootyHarrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-70400911729241262742016-09-21T18:47:00.003-07:002016-09-21T18:50:21.919-07:0010 Reasons Why You Should Help Fight Biphobia if You're GayMy Unicorn Booty Article <a href="https://unicornbooty.com/10-reasons-why-you-should-help-fight-biphobia-if-youre-gay/" target="_blank">10 Reasons Why You Should Help Fight Biphobia if You're Gay</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-84739734065020638762016-09-21T08:44:00.000-07:002016-09-21T08:44:18.043-07:00The Bisexual Warriors of the "Gay" MovementMy blog post in bi.org <a href="https://bisexual.org/the-bisexual-warriors-of-the-gay-movement/" target="_blank">The Bisexual Warriors of the "Gay" Movement</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-12820997515907451852016-09-20T11:46:00.000-07:002016-09-20T11:46:52.276-07:0015 Things That Bisexuals Wish They Could Say Bye-Bye to for Forever My article in Unicorn Booty: <a href="https://unicornbooty.com/15-things-bisexuals-wish-say-bye-bye-forever/" target="_blank">15 Things That Bisexuals Wish They Could Say Bye-Bye to for Forever </a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-32002292355635743762016-09-19T09:39:00.000-07:002016-09-19T09:39:31.427-07:0015 Ways to Fight Biphobia<a href="https://unicornbooty.com/15-ways-fight-biphobia/" target="_blank">15 Ways to Fight Biphobia</a> - my article on Unicorn BootyHarrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-89618251346727318302016-07-06T22:24:00.000-07:002016-07-06T22:24:09.377-07:00Proud and Out Bisexual Candidate for Sheriff<a href="https://bisexual.org/kavern-lewis-openly-bisexual-candidate-for-sheriff/" target="_blank">Proud and Out Bisexual Candidate for Sheriff</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-8604797618885361212016-07-05T20:15:00.000-07:002016-07-05T20:15:59.402-07:00Bisexual Conversations 101 - how to talk to bisexuals.<a href="https://bisexual.org/bisexual-conversations-101/" target="_blank">Bisexual Conversations 101</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-58929095427413781292016-05-17T12:46:00.000-07:002019-09-21T13:45:01.435-07:00<a href="https://www.gayly.com/search-results?search_api_aggregation_1=biphobia+on+a+losing+streak" target="_blank">Biphobia on a Losing Streak</a>Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-32549595567415266692016-04-25T20:58:00.000-07:002016-04-25T20:58:32.516-07:00Bisexuals are Confused<a href="http://www.gayly.com/bisexuals-are-confused" target="_blank">Bisexuals are Confused</a> - my April 2016 BiAngle Column in the Gayly.Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-36344198811099579442016-04-09T16:41:00.000-07:002016-04-09T16:41:03.012-07:00<a href="http://bisexual.org/the-long-fight-for-bisexual-inclusion/" target="_blank">The Long Fight for Bisexual Inclusion</a><br />
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My first blog post for bisexual.orgHarrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-44189108178283948372016-02-09T09:35:00.000-08:002016-02-09T09:35:13.213-08:00Pride in the Word Bisexual <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Anything But Bi (ABB) is a phrase coined by bisexual
activist to describe the tendency for people to avoid using the word bisexual
to describe themselves or others. One of the main ABB manifestations is for
people to say, “I don’t like labels.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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This aversion to labels is a sentiment so many of us
understand and can relate to. The fantasy of just being oneself without having
to use terms that are likely to be misunderstood is extremely alluring. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
If many people of <i>all</i>
orientations were to refuse to label themselves, we might have the beginnings
of an important revolution. However, what’s telling and disturbing is that
nearly always when someone expresses the no-label sentiment, it’s in regards to
attractions and behaviors which fit the term bisexual. In other words, people
who are straight or gay, when asked to express their sexual identity, don’t
tend to say “I just don’t like labels;” it’s mainly only among those who are
aware that they have attractions to multiple genders that we find people apt to
respond with an anti-label philosophy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Considering that <a href="http://harriefarrow.blogspot.com/2015/05/asking-question-am-i-bisexual.html">the
definition of bisexual</a> is <i>attraction
to more than one gender</i>, it’s significant that many people who have such
attractions shun the word that most clearly describes their orientation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
We grow up forming an idea of who we are and what kind of
person we will be when we are an adult. Naturally, we want to be things that we
have learned are consider good, and want to avoid becoming things we have been
told are bad. With all the negative stereotypes about bisexuality, it’s no
wonder people have trouble thinking of themselves as being THAT word. Of course
people don’t want a ton of biphobic bigotry piled upon on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
So it’s no wonder that we see <a href="http://kitschmix.com/blog/why-are-so-many-female-celebrities-opting-to-not-to-label-themselves-bisexual/">famous
people coming out</a>, saying “I’ve been with men and women, but I don’t like
labels.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The ironic thing is that most of the time, when someone
goes for the “no-label” label, people still tend to think of them as bisexual,
and thus they are still subjected to the biphobia they so carefully try to
avoid. When <i>not</i> assumed to be
bisexual, they get mislabel as gay or straight <i>and</i> confused or experimenting. Thus, also ironically, not being
willing to label oneself as bisexual only feeds into the stereotypes which say
that people who engage in relationships with more than one gender are confused,
indecisive, or just playing around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
One of the best ways to overcome the fear of negative
associations when attempting to accept oneself as <i>bisexual </i>is to be around other people who <i>have</i> embraced the label, people who have brushed off the slurs so unjustly
attached to the term, and focused on the positives. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
My fellow bisexual activists are an amazing group of
people who tirelessly throw themselves into the line of fire to make it easier
for people to come out. More and more we are seeing our efforts pay off. It’s
now possible to find bisexual community. Once one becomes a part of <a href="http://bisexual.org/faces-of-bisexuality/">proud bisexual</a> spaces –
weather it’s an on-line site like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/binetusa/">BiNet USA</a>, or following
bi-community Twitter accounts such as mine, <a href="https://twitter.com/BisexualBatman">@BisexualBatman</a>, or groups like <a href="https://twitter.com/BRC_Central">@BRC_Central</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Bi_Calendar">@Bi_Community</a>, and dozens of others,
or a real world community group like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BiHistory/">South-West Missouri
Bisexual/Pansexual Pride</a>, or any of the <a href="http://www.binetusa.org/bi-groups-in-the-us">many other bi groups</a> – one
gets a whole new perspective on the word bisexual. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Seeing the beauty, benefits, and freedom that comes from
labeling oneself authentically as a member of a group of people with a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BiHistory/">rich history</a>, a dynamic present,
and a future which holds even greater promise, makes it surprisingly easy and
rewarding to <a href="http://stillbisexual.com/">proudly wear the term <i>bisexual</i></a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This was originally published as my BiAngle
Column in the June 2015 issue of <a href="http://www.gayly.com/" target="_blank">The Gayly</a></span></div>
Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518825014497993658.post-76825914737427524452015-06-13T14:20:00.000-07:002015-06-13T14:20:04.339-07:00Building Bisexual Community in the Ozarks<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
My BiAngle Column in <a href="http://www.gayly.com/" target="_blank">The Gayly</a> May 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
As I wrote in my <a href="http://harriefarrow.blogspot.com/2014/03/solutions-for-bisexual-mental-health.html">Solutions
to Bisexual Mental Health</a> article in <a href="http://biwomenboston.org/newsletter/">Bi Women Quarterly</a>, one of the
main objectives for bettering bisexuals’ <a href="http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/bisexuals-endure-worst-mental-health-problems">appalling
statistics</a> is to form a strong community. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
According to <a href="http://www.binetusa.org/">BiNet USA</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">’s</span> <a href="http://www.binetusa.org/Pages/aboutus.html#Mission">mission statement</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">,</span> building community is a major focus for the
organization. They even have created <a href="http://www.binetusa.org/bi-groups-in-the-us">a map</a> showing bisexual
groups across the country. Finding one another is perhaps our biggest roadblock
towards creating non-cyberspace community.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Recently, a new member to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/binetusa/">BiNet USA’s Facebook page</a> posted,
“I wish I knew more Bi people here in Tulsa!!! I wish there were a group like
this one!!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Someone in Springfield responded that there is a new bisexual
group at The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of the Ozarks (GLO) and then
posted a link to the South West Missouri (SWMO) Bisexual/Pansexual Pride Group’s
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/779685798743713/">Facebook page</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I contacted the page’s administrators to get more
information. My hope is that this column will lead more bisexuals in the area
to the group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Wendy Owens, who started the Facebook page, says the GLO
Center, which will be celebrating its twenty-year anniversary next year, is the
longest continually running LGBT+ Center in Missouri. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Center, which offers, “a place to be yourself, a
place to meet others in the community, and a place to find information about
the community at large,” also hosts the annual Greater Ozarks Pridefest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Owens says she first connected with GLO when she went looking
for transgender resources. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Seeing how difficult it was to find such resources led
Owens to start the Springfield <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/600839733300436/">Transgender Resource
Group on Facebook</a>, which she says has helped many in the Southwest Missouri
region and beyond find physicians, psychiatric help, and support. Owens
explains that, “This personal outreach put me on the Board of Directors radar,”
which then led to her being recruited to be a GLO Center board member.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“One thing that has been important for me since day one
on the board” Owens explains, “is the need to help those who are on the fringes
and often marginalized, and there was a decided lack of such for our area.” She
went on to say, “The Board has a motto that, ‘Everyone shall have a seat at the
table.’ Being that I identified as pansexual as well as transgender, I was
shocked to not see any real outreach or organization for the Bi/Pan community.
It was asked one night what, and to whom we could reach out to. It just so
happened that I already the idea formed and had created a Facebook group
towards gauging the interest in a monthly Bisexual/Pansexual Support Group.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Her intent is to allow those who attend shape the group,
make it personal and theirs, with the idea that people will take more pride in
it that way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
In her position as Co-Chair for the Greater Ozarks
Pridefest Committee, Owens planned that the forming bi/pan group’s first event — a Bar-Bi-Que — also be the kickoff
event for Pride Week to give visibility to bi/pan issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Bar-Bi-Que is scheduled for June 14th, the Sunday before
Pride. Owens wants the event to convey to bisexuals and pansexuals in the area
that, “they are seen and loved.” The event begins at 7:00 p.m. at the GLO
Center at 518 East Commercial Street, Springfield.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Co-administrator of the bi/pan Facebook page, Collins RC,
moved to Springfield about a year ago, connected to GLO when they went looking
for queer community, and soon joined the pride planning committee.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Acknowledging that the center does not include
bisexuality in its name, Collins says that they never experienced any biphobia
at GLO, and that only encouragement has been encountered when they tried to
increase bi/pan/queer outreach.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Collins says they “jumped at the idea,” when, during Pride
planning, Owens mentioned the importance of a bi/pan event.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Collins hopes the bi/pan group will have a meeting at GLO
every other week, that there will be a more active Facebook page, and perhaps an
educational blog. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Collins is also
interested in exploring bi specific history in the area, and says, “We are
starting a trend of real action around diverse queer identities.” <o:p></o:p></div>
Harrie Farrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13395726349128884654noreply@blogger.com0