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The UK BiCon (more formally known as the UK National Bisexual Convention or UK National Bisexual Conference), is the largest and most consistent annual gathering of the United Kingdom's bisexual community.
While the format does vary, the typical format is a long weekend over four days consisting of workshops, discussions, meetings and social events. Although being billed as a "bisexual" event, it is open to partners of bisexuals, supporters, non-bisexuals, non-definers, and anyone else interested in issues relevant to bisexuals. To that extent it can often be characterised as a nexus of the sexual freedom and queer movements. Each BiCon event usually attracts between 200 and 400 people. [1] [2] The event frequently changes location in England. It has only visited places such as Wales, once or twice since inception. [3]
In December 1984 the London Bisexual Group (in association with the now defunct zine Bi-Monthly) ran a conference called "The Politics of Bisexuality" at The Factory Community Project in Highbury. Around 40 people attended and judged the event to be a huge success. [4] A second event was then attended by over fifty people in April 1985. Unfortunately the venue used, the London Lesbian and Gay Centre, had just decided to ban bisexuals (and some other groups) from their premises. [5] This did not stop the conferences which soon gained popularity in a Britain devoid of bisexual-focused events.
That following October the Edinburgh Bisexual Group took up the torch and ran an event called "Bisexuality and the Politics of Sex". This established the idea of conferences moving around the nation. The next was run by a bisexual women's group in London. By this point the community was starting to know what they wanted from BiCon – a chance to meet other bisexuals (and their allies) from across the country, discuss sexuality issues, relax in the company of like-minded folk and network.
Armed with an agreed purpose, for the next few years the conference alternated between venues in London and Edinburgh. Then in 1989 it branched out to Coventry. As well as being the first one outside the two capitals, it was also the first to be residential (previously, people from outside the host city had either booked accommodation privately or stayed with local attendees) and to use the name 'BiCon', in part because of the organisers' and venue's experience with SF Cons (Science Fiction conventions).
A range of cities and towns have hosted it since. Over time BiCon has evolved to fit with the needs of the community. The word 'conference' has been largely replaced by 'convention', but there is still a political and campaigning side to the event. In recent years the momentum behind the event has spawned a number of offshoots, such as BiFest, BabyBiCon, and the bi academic conference BiReCon, which have expanded on particular areas covered by BiCon.
In 2002 BiCon hosted the first Cake Awards [6] recognising the breadth of contributions made to the bisexual community in the UK. Further Cake Awards have been presented at BiCon every few years since.
In the Netherlands, Holland BiCon was inspired by UK BiCon, and has run annually since 2009. [7] BICON has been a registered trade mark of BiCon Continuity Ltd since 2016. [8]
Name | Dates | Venue | City | Attendance | Residential? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Politics of Bisexuality | 8–9 December 1984 | The Factory Community Project | London | 40 | no |
2nd Politics of Bisexuality Conference | April 1985 | London Lesbian and Gay Centre | London | 50+ | no |
Bisexuality and the Politics of Sex | October 1985 | The Pleasance Student Centre | Edinburgh | 52 | no |
4th National Bisexual Conference | July 1986 | The Mary Ward Centre, Bloomsbury | London | 70 | no |
5th National Bisexual Conference | ? 1987 | The Pleasance Student Centre | Edinburgh | 119 | no |
6th National Bisexual Conference | October 1988 | Friends Meeting House, Hampstead, | London | 154 | no |
BiCon 7 : The 7th National Bisexual Conference | 26–30 August 1989 | Coventry Polytechnic (now Coventry University) | Coventry | 200-? | yes |
8th National Bisexual Conference | 7–10 September 1990 | Tollcross Community Centre | Edinburgh | 200+ | no |
9th National Bisexual Conference | 20–22 September 1991 | University of London Union | London | 240+ | no |
BiCon 10 | 26–30 August 1992 | University of East Anglia | Norwich | 200 | yes |
BiCon 11 | 1–3 October 1993 | Derby Hall, University of Nottingham | Nottingham | 250+ | yes |
BiCon 12 | 3–6 August 1994 | Methodist Central Hall | Edinburgh | ~200 | no |
13iCon | 1–3 September 1995 | University of Central England | Birmingham | 245 | yes |
BiCon 14 | 30 August – 1 September 1996 | Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames | London | 250 | yes |
BiCon 97 / BiCon 15 | 28–31 August 1997 | University of Greenwich, Woolwich | London | 180 | yes |
BiCon 98 / BiCon 16 | 4–6 September 1998 | New Hall, Cambridge | Cambridge | ? | yes |
BiCon 1999 / BiCon 17 | 16–18 July 1999 | Pollock Halls, University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 201 | yes |
BiCon 2000 / BiCon 18 (incorporating the 6th ICB) | 24–28 August 2000 | Owens Park Campus, University of Manchester | Manchester | 265 | yes |
BiCon 2001 | 24–27 August 2001 | Singer Hall and main campus, Coventry University | Coventry | 169 | yes |
BiCon 2002 | 16–18 August 2002 | College Hall, University of Leicester | Leicester | 189 | yes |
BiCon 2003 | 22–25 August 2003 | Docklands Campus, University of East London | London | 237 | yes |
BiCon 2004 | 26–30 August 2004 | Fallowfield Campus, University of Manchester | Manchester | 273 | yes |
BiCon 2005 | 25–29 August 2005 | University College Worcester | Worcester | (+170) | yes |
BiCon 2006 | 13–17 July 2006 | Glasgow Caledonian University | Glasgow | 200 | yes |
BiCon 2007 | 16–20 August 2007 | Trefforest Campus, University of Glamorgan | Pontypridd , nr Cardiff | 246 | yes |
BiCon 2008 | 28–31 August 2008 | Gilbert Murray Hall, University of Leicester | Leicester | 250 | yes |
BiCon 2009 | 20–23 August 2009 | St. John's Campus, University of Worcester | Worcester | ~235 | yes |
BiCon 2010 & the 10th ICB | 26–30 August 2010 | Docklands Campus, University of East London | London | ~460 | yes |
Bicon 2011 | 1–4 September 2011 | Stamford Hall, University of Leicester | Leicester | 297 | yes |
Bicon 2012 | 9–13 August 2012 | University of Bradford | Bradford | 300 | yes |
Bicon 2013 | 18–21 July 2013 | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 311 | yes |
BiCon 2014 | 31 July – 3 August 2014 | Leeds Trinity University | Leeds | yes | |
BiCon 2015 | 13–16 August 2015 | University of Nottingham | Nottingham | 437 | yes |
BiCon 2016 | 4–7 August 2016 | University of Central Lancashire | Preston | 304 | yes |
BiCon 2017 | 10–13 August 2017 | Leeds Beckett University, Headingley Campus | Leeds | 375 | yes |
BiCon 2018 | 2–5 August 2018 | University of Salford | Salford | 265 | yes |
BiCon 2019 | 1–4 August 2019 | University of Lancaster | Lancaster | 280+ | yes |
BiCon 2020 | 13–16 August 2020 | Virtual event using Zoom & Discord | n/a | 404 | n/a |
BiCon 2021 | 19–22 August 2021 | Virtual event using Zoom & Discord | n/a | ? | n/a |
BiCon 2022 | 11–14 August 2022 | Leeds Beckett University, Headingley Campus | Leeds | ? | yes |
Name | Year | Dates | Venue | City |
---|---|---|---|---|
BiCon 2023 | 2023 | 3-6 August 2023 | Nottingham Trent University City Campus | Nottingham |
A spin-off event BabyBiCon aimed at bisexual youth (those under 26 years old) was held in Manchester on 5–7 June 1998. [9] It was organised at the Ardwick Youth Club by the group BiYouth (which folded in 2000) with support from a couple of local lesbian and gay youth projects. While attracting around 25 people, discussions of holding successor events in 1999 and 2000 led to nothing.[ citation needed ]
BiReCon is a research conference for academic work on bisexuality. BiReCon originated as a series of workshops at BiCon. [10] Elizabeth Baxter-Williams came up with the name while on the organizing committee for the 2008 BiCon. [10]
The first BiReCon was organized as a national conference to be held before BiCon 2008. It was held in 2008 at the University of Leicester. [11] There were approximately 60 attendees. [10]
In 2010, BiCon (UK) organized the 10th International Conference on Bisexuality (ICB). [10] The organizers decided to make the second BiReCon an international conference. It took place on 26 August 2010, the day before ICB, at the University of East London. [11] Speakers included Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, Eric Anderson, Robyn Ochs, and John Sylla. [12] There were approximately 100 attendees. [10]
The third BiReCon took place on 9 August 2012 at Bradford University and focused on mental health. Speakers included Meg-John Barker, Roshan das Nair, and Christina Richards. [13] The fourth BiReCon focused on joining academics research and community-run bi groups, and it was held on 31 July 2014 at Leeds Trinity University. [14]
The fifth BiReCon, EuroBiReCon, was an international conference held on 28–29 July 2016 at the University of Amsterdam. [11] The keynote speakers on the first day were Dr. Surya Monro and Dr. Alex Iantaffi. The second day included a workshop presented by Robyn Ochs, Meg-John Barker, and Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli. [15]
Obtaining precise numbers on the demographics of sexual orientation is difficult for a variety of reasons, including the nature of the research questions. Most of the studies on sexual orientation rely on self-reported data, which may pose challenges to researchers because of the subject matter's sensitivity. The studies tend to pose two sets of questions. One set examines self-report data of same-sex sexual experiences and attractions, while the other set examines self-report data of personal identification as homosexual or bisexual. Overall, fewer research subjects identify as homosexual or bisexual than report having had sexual experiences or attraction to a person of the same sex. Survey type, questions and survey setting may affect the respondents' answers.
BiNet USA was an American national nonprofit bisexual community whose mission was to "facilitate the development of a cohesive network of bisexual communities, promote bisexual visibility, and collect and distribute educational information regarding bisexuality. Until 2020, BiNet USA provided a national network for bisexual organizations and individuals across the United States, and encouraged participation and organizing on local and national levels." They claimed to be the oldest national bisexuality organization in the United States. In 2020, all of the content on BiNet USA's website was replaced with a statement that the BiNet USA president, Faith Cheltenham, now identified as Christian conservative and was walking away from progressive politics entirely.
LGBT culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.
Bi Community News is a bimonthly magazine, and the United Kingdom's only magazine serving the bisexual population. It is published bimonthly and includes many articles reflecting bisexual life and media representation as well as news from the bisexual community.
A BiCon is a bisexual community gathering, it stands for either 'Bisexual Convention' or 'Bisexual Conference' or 'Bisexual Convention/Conference'.
The International Conference on Bisexuality (ICB), also known as the International BiCon, was a periodic gathering of bisexual activists and academics from around the world.
LGBT History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. As of 2022, LGBT History Month is a month-long celebration that is specific to Australia, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that has served the bisexual community since 1985. Originally known as The East Coast Bisexual Network, it incorporated in 1989 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and changed its name to the Bisexual Resource Center in 1993.
The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, or bi/pan/fluid community, includes members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and sexually fluid. As opposed to hetero- or homosexual people, people in the bisexual community experience attraction to more than one gender.
Sheela Lambert (1956-2024), a native and lifelong resident of New York City, was an American bisexual activist and writer.
Celebrate Bisexuality Day is observed annually on September 23 to recognize and celebrate bisexual people, the bisexual community, and the history of bisexuality.
The American Institute of Bisexuality (AIB) is a charity founded on July 23, 1998, by sex researcher, psychiatrist and bisexual rights activist Fritz Klein to promote research and education about bisexuality.
Bisexual erasure, also called bisexual invisibility, is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources.
Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long strike of 1984–1985. By the end of the strike, eleven LGSM groups had emerged in the UK and the London group alone raised £22,500 by 1985 in support.
The first English-language use of the word "bisexual" to refer to sexual orientation occurred in 1892.
Meg-John Barker is a writer, writing mentor, creative consultant, speaker, and independent scholar. They have written a number of anti self-help books on the topics of relationships, sex, and gender, as well as the graphic non-fiction books, Queer: A Graphic History and Gender: A Graphic Guide, and the book The Psychology of Sex. They are the writer of the relationships book and blog Rewriting the Rules, and they have a podcast with sex educator Justin Hancock.
BiPhoria is social and support group for bisexual people in Manchester, England. It is the oldest extant bisexual organisation in the UK, having launched in 1994. As its central mission since then it has welcomed people who are just coming out or new to the area to have opportunities to meet and talk with other bisexuals, and those who are questioning their sexual orientation who think they may be bisexual.
BECAUSE is an annual, national conference for the bisexual community and other bi+ people that takes place in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. It was founded in 1992. It has been organized by the Bisexual Organizing Project since 1999. The conference is "dedicated to building an empowered bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community." It is the longest-running and largest conference for bi+ people in the United States.
The history of bisexuality concerns the history of the bisexual sexual orientation. Ancient and medieval history of bisexuality, when the term did not exist as such, consists of anecdotes of sexual behaviour and relationships between people of the same and different sexes. A modern definition of bisexuality began to take shape in the mid-19th century within three interconnected domains of knowledge: biology, psychology and sexuality. In modern Western culture, the term bisexual was first defined in a binary approach as a person with romantic or sexual attraction to both men and women. The term bisexual is defined later in the 20th century as a person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females, or as a person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to people regardless of sex or gender identity, which is sometimes termed pansexuality.