BiNet USA

BiNet USA is an American national bisexual civil rights organization founded to formalize communication between the loose network of bisexual groups and individuals that had developed in the USA over the decades following the birth of the modern LGBT Civil Rights movement that began with the Stonewall Rebellion.

As an umbrella organization and a voice for bisexual people in the United States of America, it is the mission of BiNet USA to facilitate the development of a cohesive network of bisexual communities, promote bisexual visibility, collect and distribute educational information regarding bisexuality and encourages participation and organizing on local and national levels.[1]

Programs and Campaigns

Some of the work BiNet USA has been involved in includes:

Campaigns

• Plays a key role in the successful national campaign to include "Bi" in the March on Washington for Gay, Lesbian and BI Equal Rights and Liberation (1993)
• Develops a media packet that helps generates the groundbreaking Newsweek cover story on bisexuality (1995)
• Organizes an Ally Campaign, educating and holding ally organizations accountable for their actions (1998)

Policy Initiatives

• Bisexual Youth Initiative (1995): a survey is developed and sent out to organizations nationwide serving GLBTQ youth. The survey report is published and sent to agencies, offering assistance in improving services.
• Bisexual Rural Initiative (1996): to reach out and determine specific needs of bisexuals in rural areas

Conferences (partial list)

• with the Bisexual Resource Center and the Washington, DC-based Alliance of Multicultural Bisexuals co-sponsor the largest US bisexual conference to date with over 600 people in attendance. (1993)
• Hosts the First National Institute on Bisexuality and HIV/AIDS (1998)
• Co-sponsor of the Transcending Boundaries Conference (2005) (2006)
• with the Bisexual Foundation et. al. co-sponsors several of the International Conference on Bisexuality (1994) (1998) (2004) (2006)

History and structure

Tracing its roots back to the 1987 march on Washington, the group further coalesced in 1990 when BiPol[2] convened the first National Bisexual Conference in San Francisco. At that time a conference track was dedicated to creating a national organization. The following summer the North American Bisexual Network was formalized in Seattle. Later its name would change to BiNet USA to coincide with the group becoming a nonprofit organization.[3]

In its first decade BiNet USA worked on a variety of campaigns, national policy initiatives and hosted/co-hosted a number Conferences. Moving into its second decade, BiNet USA, like many other US charitable organizations, was hit hard when funding dried up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the US mainland in September of 2001. It was forced to lay off its paid staff and roll back its plans for new office space.

Faced with these new economic and logistical realities, BiNet USA begins to focuse more of its efforts on electronic activism using the Internet as an organizing tool for community growth. It uses a "800" phone number, it's Website, a MySpace Group and its very active ListServ, established using Yahoo Groups to facilitate communication between various and disparate bisexual communities and activists nationwide.

In 2005, after a period of progress marked by growing acceptance in both the larger LGBT & straight communities[4] [5], the bisexual community suddenly came under a new attack [6] promulgated by the publication of a study entitled “Sexual Arousal Patterns of Bisexual Men” by the controversial researcher J. Michael Bailey. This study allegedly "proved" that bisexual people did not exist. With little critical examination, various media celebrities and outlets jumped on the band-wagon[7] and claimed to have "solved" the "problem of bisexuality" by declaring it to be non-existent.

Working with established LGBT institutions such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force GLAAD, the Bisexual Resource Center as well as newer ones such as Bialogue, BiNet USA moved to co-ordinate a national response to this threat to the well-being of the bisexual community. It has now revitalized and updated it's 'Rapid-Response Spokesperson Team' and now monitors and responds quickly to media portrayals of the bisexual community.[8]

Structure

BiNet USA is chartered as a 501C3 nonprofit organization in Florida and is based in Arlington, Virginia. Decision making is by consensus by the Board of Directors with the advise and consent of the members of the Standing Committees and the various Regional Representatives.

Leadership

1. Wendy Curry, President
2. Margaret Rood, Secretary
3. Luigi Ferrer, Board Member
4. Gary B. North, Acting Treasurer

See also

• bisexuality
• biphobia
• bisexual erasure
• Bisexual community
• Transcending Boundaries Conference
• International Conference on Bisexuality
• Journal of Bisexuality

External links

• BiNet USA Main Website

This article is based on a GNU FDL LGBT Wikia article: USA BiNet USA

LGBT