Hi!
My name's Jackson Bird and today we're doing
something a little bit different.
(upbeat music)
The difference is not just that we are in a new vlogging space.
That's happening because these boxes are rudely
taking up the space where I usually put my
tripod.
No, I thought today I would try an unedited
video, starting after this little intro bit.
I always spend a lot of time scripting and
editing my videos because I am scared to say
the wrong thing, especially talking about
LGBTQIA+ topics.
there are just a lot of place where you can
accidentally say the wrong thing.
But I'm also trying to push myself to not
be so rigid in my videos so...
I thought I would try this so I asked a bunch
of you on my twitter and my instagram what
topics I should talk about and a lot of you
really wanted me to spill some tea here.
A lot of people were requesting like drama
and controversy in the LGBTQ+ community.
And a lot of people also wanted to me to talk
about bisexual things; representation and
erasure and biphobia within the LGBT community.
So I thought I could meld those things together
a little bit.
And I am going to have three minutes, and
just three minutes, to talk about biphobia
and erasure and visibility within and without
the LGBTQ community... 'cause y'know that
only needs three minutes of discussion.
At the end of this, you might be thinking,
"wow, yeah.
He should really keep scripting his videos."
Which like, scripting is not going away.
Or, if you liked it, you might consider following
me on Instagram Stories and YouNow, where
I occasionally will... talk... without a script,
which I'm clearly very good at.
Wow, this video's gonna be great.
Alright, three minutes starts now.
Okay, so why does bi visibility matter?
Bi visibility matters because bi people exist.
The problem is, a lot of people think that
bi people DON'T exist.
There are a lot of gay people out there who
think that it is a phase, that it's a stepping
stone to your "true gay identity."
The problem is that for a lot of people it
is.
For a lot of people, coming out as bi IS a
stepping stone or a phase.
And so, then those people or people who've
known those people are like, well it was true
for me so all other bi people out there just
haven't figured it out completely yet.
But that's not true!
Like, bisexuality can be a phase and stepping
stone for some people AND be a completely
valid identity for others.
Oh by the way, if you're watching this for
the first time, I'm bi.
So maybe I'm BI-ased here.
Ha... ha... see when I edit, I can cut out
my bad jokes.
The other reason that this myth persists is
because the lack of bisexual representation
in the media.
So often, if we even get characters who are
maybe bi or pan or whatever, they just are
labeled as the whatever in the media, y'know?
We never get a character or, well a little
bit moreso nowadays, but traditionally we
never get a character being like, "Yes!
I am bisexual."
We just get the "I don't really believe in
labels."
Which, is also a valid sexuality, but because
that's all we EVER get and we DON'T get people
like outright saying, "I am bisexual" it feels
like we are... misrepresented and it's making
some of the persistent myths happen like bi
people are just like hyper sexual and greedy
and they just want to have sex with all the
people all the time, which is so not true
'cause it's also ignoring people who are just
biromantic, but asexual.
Uhm also, I feel like there's a thing happening
right now where like bisexuality – I mean,
still has a lot of work to do, obviously – uhm,
but... like, where bisexuality is being accepted,
those same people uhhh are now saying the
same things about nonbinary genders.
I see that happening a lot.
Like there are a lot of people being like,
"yeah, nonbinary genders is just a phase.
Yeah, nonbinary genders are just like a stepping
stone to being 'fully trans.'"
Whatever that's supposed to mean.
Uhm.
And so... how much longer do I have to keep
talking?
Oh good!
Only a minute!
Uhm, uh so I mean not only does this bad representation
for bi people like at large of so many people
out there maybe just staying fully closeted
because they think they have to choose one.
This was totally true for me.
I thought bisexuality wasn't real, I had to
choose one and I guess I liked boys more so
I was, thought I was a cis straight girl.
My life have been confusing.
Uhm but also within the community, it is so
freaking unfortunate that we like... you see
an LGBTQ+ space, you assume it's gonna be
a safe space and then you go in there and
there are people like, "bisexuality is not
real.
What does the T stand for again?"
And that is what you so often encounter within
the community.
But if we had better bisexual visibility in
the media, with fictional characters and celebrities
standing up and openly saying, "I am bisexual,"  
it would kind of (alarm goes off) Oh thank
god! (laughs)
Alright.
Uhhh that is the clock.
That was three minutes.
Uhm, this was an interesting experiment.
I feel like I just ranted about stuff.
Maybe some of it was helpful.
Uhm I think for the most part I'm going to
continue scripting videos, but it was kind
of fun uhm to do this as an exercise and maybe
I'll get better at it, if I continue doing
it.
I did also really appreciate seeing how many
of you wanted to hear me talk about bisexuality
'cause I feel like I don't talk about it enough.
I made a video called "why I don't talk about
being bisexual."
Uhm, so maybe I will continue doing that.
Maybe I'll make a better version of this video;
scripted and researched and edited.
but if you did like this video, please leave
a comment and a like and share it with your
friends and please do subscribe if you are
not subscribed already.
Be sure to check out my podcast Transmission
on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher,
like wherever you get your podcasts – except
Spotify.
I gotta get it on Spotify.
And that's about it!
thank you so much for watching and I'll see
ya next time!
[upbeat music]
