“It’s Almost Like Bis, Pans Kind of Stick Together:” Bi + Belonging and Community Connection

Abstract

Belonging and community connection are important for all people, but are particularly important for bi+ (including bisexual, pansexual, queer, and other plurisexual) individuals due to experiences of anti-bisexual stigma and delegitimization by both heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities. A gap in the literature exists regarding bi + people’s definitions and processes of locating bi + belonging and community connection. The current research addresses this gap in the literature, investigating these topics through a qualitative focus group project with 46 bi + individuals. Using a modified constructivist grounded theory approach, results from nine focus groups yielded four core categories depicting experiences of belonging and community connection for bi + participants, including: 1) Process and pathways to belonging; 2) Barriers to belonging; 3) Distinct offerings of bisexual-specific community; and 4) Unique belonging experiences of bisexual Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). Findings from the current study serve as a call to action where important directions for how heterosexual and LGBTQ + communities can create more affirming and welcoming spaces for bi + community members are provided.

Keywords:

• Bisexual
• belonging
• community connection
• grounded theory
• bi + BIPOC

Declaration of interest statement

We have no known financial interests or benefits to disclose.

Notes

1 We use the plurisexual label to refer to identities that leave open the possibility for attraction to more than one sex/gender, including bisexual, queer, fluid, and pansexual (see Galupo et al., 2014).

Additional information

Funding

We received funding from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to conduct this research.

Notes on contributors

Kirsten A. Gonzalez

Kirsten A. Gonzalez, PhD, [she/her/hers] is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, specializing in counseling psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). She is also a core faculty member in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies and Latin American & Caribbean studies at UTK. Dr. Gonzalez’s research and clinical interests include the psychological well-being of LGBTQ + Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC), migration experiences of Latinx community members, and allyship and social justice advocacy interventions. Follow Dr. Gonzalez on twitter @DrKAGonzalez or instagram @theresistlab. Learn more about Dr. Gonzalez’s work at https://resistlab.squarespace.com/

Corey E. Flanders

Corey E. Flanders, PhD, is an applied social psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the department of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College. Flanders’ research work is on identity and health equity among LGBTQIA + people, with a particular focus on the experiences of young bisexual people.

Lex Pulice-Farrow

Lex Pulice-Farrow, MA, is a third-year doctoral student in the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Counseling Psychology program. Their research focuses primarily on the lived experiences of gender and sexual minority individuals.

Alma Bartnik

Alma Bartnik, BA, earned their Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and currently works as a research analyst for the UMass Donahue Institute. Their academic interests center on identity, wellness, mental health, and healthy equity in marginalized communities.