Bisexual women are more likely to face abuse – and no one is asking why

There are no specific services or resources for bisexual survivors, who are often left to use services targeted at either straight or lesbian/gay people

Bi and pansexual people are often called the ‘invisible minority’ within the LGBT+ community (AFP/Getty)

This weekend, London celebrates its 47th annual Pride parade. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets to celebrate the LGBT+ community and raise awareness of the issues we currently face.

Earlier this week, the government published a watershed report about the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, pansexual (those who are attracted to all genders) and asexual (those who don’t experience sexual desire) people in this country. The findings were taken from the largest ever survey of LGBTPA individuals and highlighted many of the reasons why Pride and the fight for queer rights is still as necessary as ever.

But one of the largest issues facing the rainbow community is rarely mentioned. Bi and pan people are often called the “invisible minority” within the LGBT+ community and despite many studies saying bisexuals make up half of the community, bi issues are seemingly underfunded or not funded at all.

One of the most glaring examples of this is that bi women are more likely to experience sexual violence than straight women or lesbians, yet there are no specific services or resources for bisexual survivors, who are often left to use services targeted at either straight or lesbian/gay people.

In a report looking at global LGBT+ issues published earlier this month, the United Nations described the rates of sexual violence against bi women as “shocking”, and bi women as “especially at risk” of sexual violence. In several countries, including the UK, the US and Canada, studies have shown that bi women are the most vulnerable to rape, sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.

In the UK, studies have found that bisexual women are five times more likely than heterosexual women to be abused by a partner. In one study, 10.8 per cent of bi women reported having been abused, compared to 8.2 per cent of lesbians and 6 per cent of straight women.

Pennsylvania-based intimate partner violence researcher, Dr Nicole Johnson, estimates that up to 75 per cent of bisexual women have been raped or sexually assaulted. She has identified three categories of vulnerability that leave bi women at higher risk of sexual violence: substance misuse, hypersexualisation and biphobic harassment.

“The media, and pornography in particular, have long depicted women’s bisexuality as less about sexual agency and more about the pleasure of straight men, which may result in the dehumanisation and objectification of bisexual women resulting in increased acceptance of violence [against them],” says Dr Johnson.

Ellie* is one of those women. She was raped by her ex-boyfriend at university, who she said often fetishised her identity. “He’d see pictures of me with female friends on nights out and regularly expressed his desire for threesomes, even though I’d told him I had no interest in that.”

Johnson believes that biphobic harassment, or biphobia, may have a similar effect of normalising violence against bisexual women. “One stereotype of bisexuals consistent with biphobia is that we are not to be trusted, which has been linked to intimate partner violence, including sexual violence,” she says.

Bi women also have higher rates of addiction and substance misuse, which Johnson believes puts bi women in more “high risk” situations, although she is quick to clarify that no matter the circumstance, sexual violence is never the fault of the victim.

Despite the high rates of biphobic sexual violence, the voices of bisexual survivors have been noticeably absent from the recent discussions on sexual harassment and violence. Jacq Applebee, the founder of Bis of Colour, believes that a lack of understanding about bisexual issues and biphobia within the LGBT+ community holds bi survivors back from seeking support.

“Bisexuals have few places to turn to in order to get support and in turn, the most vulnerable of our members are often recipients of the worst abuse and after-effects of abuse, because they are already oppressed by other factors,” says Applebee.

Bisexuals who experience multiple oppressions, such as trans, BAME or disabled people, face even higher rates of sexual violence. Evidence from America shows that while trans people face higher rates of sexual violence, bi trans women are the most at risk.

Jane*, who was assaulted in her sleep by an ex-partner, says that as she is both disabled and bi, she struggles with people seeing her as either completely non-sexual because of her disability or promiscuous because of her sexuality. She feels completely invisible as a survivor.

“People have said that ‘being greedy’ won’t make dating with a disability easier. I think this kind of attitude is not only disgusting, but perpetuates a dangerous, completely inaccurate idea that disabled people are desperate and should feel lucky for any attention we get,” says Jane.

As Pride parties and the conversation around the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements rage on, it’s more important than ever to bring the struggles of bi survivors to the forefront of the fight for LGBT+ equality.

*The real identities of Ellie and Jane have been protected