#PSA time: #bisexual people are still bisexual...
- if they're dating men
- if they're dating women
- if they're dating nonbinary folx
- if they're not dating anyone
- if they're dating a loaf of garlic bread
Their bisexuality is an intrinsic part of them; it is *not* defined by their partner(s) or lack thereof.
We're not "too gay" or "too straight" or "confused" or "playing the field" or "in a phase".
I once tried to explain this to a gay doctor at an "LGBT" clinic (that otherwise showed zero awareness of transness as a thing that exists in this world), but he was too busy assuming, falsely, that I'm an alcoholic sleeping my way through night clubs.
(I'd forgotten that talking to doctors is like talking to cops— never provide more info than necessary.)
Yikes 😬
But "never provide more info than necessary" is a helpful tip.
Sadly, another tip I learned, after seeing a lot of bad doctors, is to not show any emotion, especially if you are a woman, or the doctor will diagnose you with some psychological issue -- even if they've never met you before!
Healthcare should not be like that. Maybe it's better now (I've been sick 35 years) but it was a useful coping strategy for me.
Showing emotion in a medical setting is a tricky thing. Show too much— your needs are completely disregarded. Show too little, like when stoically forcing down your pain when asking for urgent or emergency care, and your needs are completely diregarded.
I don't see medical pros nearly as much as I'm supposed to with my medical conditions, but I've been through many, up through some this year. It's typically a battle to get anyone to pay attention then not respond with bad info, lies, or threats. It's typically one that requires the patient to be polite but not too friendly, honest (to the extent allowed) but not too informative, cheerful but calm, quiet but expressive, knowledgable but deferential, plus very very patient. Then there's the payment processing.
I'm not actually good at finding the lines each time, because some bias or another tends to work against me even at my best.
It's digusting how hard patients have to work to get appointments, visits, tests, diagnoses, and treatments in this country when they aren't The Patient the pros expect.
Anyway, yeah. I have never had a good experience explicitly stating I'm bi. When it matters, it's obvious. Every other time sets up problematic assumptions.
🅰🅻🅸🅲🅴 (🌈🦄)
Ahimsa
Acin ☆