03/10/2020
Them.us, a USA based portal for news and features affecting the LGBTQ communities, reports that dictionary publishers Merriam-Webster updated their definition of “bisexual”. The change, which had been lobbied for by several bi activists in association with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, now recognises that “bi” does not necessarily refer to both male and female, but a wider range of gender identities. The move was welcomed by many, but some activists believe that the change still does not take into full account of the breadth of bi experience. However, GLAAD reported in a statement issued to mark International Bisexual Visibility Day on September 23rd, that the move was an important first step in updating formal definitions. GLAAD shared multiple definitions of the word from over LGBTQ+ groups and health organizations in their statement. For example, the Bisexual Resource Center defines it as “anyone who is attracted romantically and/or sexually to more than one gender.” The American Psychological Association says a bisexual person is one who “experiences emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions to, or engages in romantic or sexual relationships with, more than one sex or gender.”