Episode 5: The Myth of Passing Privilege

Join Bisexual Killjoy as we dissect the myth of "passing privilege” and challenge the notion that bi+ folks do not face discrimination or oppression. Learn how passing privilege ignores the complexities of bi+ identity and erases the unique challenges bi+ people encounter, and listen to how heated our BKJ hosts get as they critique the heteronormativity and homonormativity present in LGBTQ+ spaces.

Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Lynn Rios Rivera, Bisexual Killjoy talks all things bisexual (pansexual, omnisexual, plurisexual, and overall bi+ness) because bisexuality isn’t a phase; it’s a phenomenon. 

Were you a Bisexual Killjoy this week? We want to hear from you! Follow us on @bisexualkilljoy on Instagram or email us at bisexualkilljoy@gmail.com. 

References

• Center for Disease Control. (2016). HIV Among Gay and Bisexual Men.
• Cornier, J.R. (2019). Hanky Panky: An Abridged History of the Hanky Code. The History Project.
• Feinstein, B. A., Benjamin, I., Dorrell, K. D., Foley, S. E., Blumenau, H. S., Cragun, R. T., & Manalastas, E. J. (2022). An Examination of Attitudes toward Bisexual People at the Intersections of Gender and Race/Ethnicity. Journal of Bisexuality, 22(4), 463–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2022.2084485 
• Hartman, J. E. (2011). Finding a Needle in a Haystack: Methods for Sampling in the Bisexual Community. Journal of Bisexuality, 11(1), 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2011.545306 
• Nelson, R. (2024). Deconstructing the Clinging Myth of ‘Straight-Passing Privilege’ for Bi+ People. Journal of Bisexuality, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2024.2332873
  • TL;DR of the above: New study debunks common myth around bisexual privilege (msn.com)
  • Even more simplified: Think Bisexual People Have Straight Passing Privilege? Here's Why You're Mistaken - Everyday Feminism
• Peoples, L. The Old, Secret Style Language of the LGBTQ+ Community. Refinery29.