I am bisexual.

No, I am neither confused nor is it a phase. Simply, I am attracted to both genders.

I am bisexual.

And unfortunately because I am bisexual, I have often had difficulties in regards to awareness and validity of my sexuality, both in the heterosexual community and even the LGBTQ+ community. Why is that you ask? Well, it's simple: ignorance. No one truly understands that being bi doesn't erase the fact that I am a part of a very unique community, one that as of late has been attacked in a horrific way; a community that, despite the tragedy, still continues to prove that adversity will not extinguish their flame.

I am bisexual.

and as a result, I and the rest of the bisexual community are often seen as a vehicle for many sexually frustrated heterosexual couples to explore previously hidden desires.

No. Just no.

I am not here strictly for your sexual entertainment. My sexuality shouldn't be reduced to some warped and perverse hetero fantasy. My sexuality should neither be defined by who and how I engage in sexual intercourse nor be reduced to just sexual encounters. Being bisexual means having either both sexual and romantic attraction to both genders or just sexual or romantic attraction alone. Therefore, bisexuals should not have to be seen as mere sexual objects, we are more than that and it's disrespectful that is often acknowledged and even somewhat validated if it's put in a porn film. We should not have to be fetishized in order to be validated; the fact we identify as bisexual should be enough.

and yet, it isn't.

I am bisexual

And even in the LGBT community, my sexuality often isn't validated unless I am in a relationship with a woman. It seems that to the LGBT community, being bi isn't possible because being bi means that there is always the possibility that I can enter a relationship with a man.

And I've always found this outrageous.

I should not and I will not have to prove my own worth in my own community, it should be enough that my identity as a bisexual that makes me a part of it. I don't need to be with a girl to prove myself, I should be with a girl because I genuinely want to be with her; God forbid I shall fall for a man then that makes me "seeking attention," and a "poser."

It saddens me that this kind of behavior towards bisexuals is often seen, especially within the LGBT community, whom should know how it feels to not have their sexuality validated. Thus, it's crucial that we reassess and acknowledge the bi-phobia that takes place within our safe spaces and expel it once and for all because now more than ever, we need to stand with each other and not fall prey to the same misunderstandings and narrow-minded persecutions that we often face outside our community.

I am bisexual

Despite the challenges, I am proud, I am happy, and I am liberated, and it is my hope that others can too be unapologetically proud and unafraid. It is my hope that others like me will validate themselves as well as others and together we can stand together and say with the utmost conviction, "We are not afraid."