Activities & Organizations News

LGBT Resource Center educates students on Bisexual Awareness Day

American Sign Language freshman Kalairn Keaton is often accused of greed because of her sexuality.

Keaton, who identifies as bisexual, attended the LGBT Resource Center’s stand, which attempted to educate passersby on Bisexual Awareness Day, Sept. 23.

“Most people, especially in a conservative state like Texas, only recognize straight and gay,” Keaton said. “There are way more sexualities and orientations that a lot of people — even in the LGBT community — don’t recognize.”

Social Work Grad Student Lizzie Bliss quizzes a student on bisexual trivia. | Jocelyn Piedra / The Cougar

The lack of recognition or discrimination of bisexual people is called bisexual erasure or invisibility. According to LGBT Resource Center Director Lorraine Schroeder, it is a big problem in the bisexual community.

“There is an invisibility to bisexual people,” Schroeder said. “If they are in a same-sex relationship, people label them as gay, while if they are in an opposite-sex relationship they are believed to be straight.”

According to the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of the LGBT community identifies as bisexual, but only 28 percent of bisexuals have told people close to them due to fear of nonacceptance.

“Just like any minority group, if you increase the understanding then you increase acceptance,” Schroeder said.

“The LGBT Resource Center has two goals,” Schroeder said. “One: to support LGBT students, staff and faculty so they feel safe, welcome and can succeed. And two: educate people on campus about LGBT issues so that the whole campus becomes more inclusive and accepting and the society as well.”

The LGBT Resource Center will host various similar events throughout the semester. For more information, visit the its website.

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