Bisexual Killjoy

S3E3: Queering Race and Bi+ Identity with Zori Paul

Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! In this episode, we explore the intersection of bi+ identity and race, unpacking how structural oppression, racial stereotypes, and exclusion from mainstream queer spaces affect bi+ people of color. To guide us through this conversation, we’re joined by the amazing Dr. Zori Paul. We’re zeroing in on how bi+ oppression intersects with racial oppression, the impact of colorblindness in queer spaces, and the importance of creating affirming, community-driven spaces for queer people of color. We’re also talking about resilience through affirmation and coalition-building and how bi+ people of color can find and cultivate spaces that fully recognize and support their identities.
Zori Paul is a Licensed Professional Counselor, counselor educator, and researcher. Her work focuses on intersecting marginalized identities, particularly bisexual+/queer people of color. Her recent research focuses on exploring the impacts of microaffirmations with bisexual+ women of color and queer people of color. She also co-hosts Therapy on a Tangent, a podcast where two therapists nerd out about their geeky passions and mental health. 
 
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace 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. 
Resources
Therapy on a Tangent → https://linktr.ee/therapyonatangentpod
Monica A. Ghabrial & Lorie E. Ross. (2018) Representation and Erasure of Bisexual People of Color: A Content Analysis of Quantitative Bisexual Mental Health Research. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 5:2, 123-142, DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000286
Journal of Bisexuality → https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/wjbi20 
Where to find Zori Paul
Website: https://www.zoriapaul.com/   
IG/Threads: @AmberInsights
BlueSky: @zoriamber.bsky.social

S3E4: Bisexual Killjoys at the Intersection of Bi+ Boulevard and Neurodiverse Avenue

Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! In this episode, we’re diving into a conversation many of you have asked us to cover: what it means to be both neurodiverse and bi+. As bi+ folks with ADHD, we’re not just talking theory; we’re sharing our lived experiences, the lack of affirming research at this intersection, and the powerful stories you’ve shared.
We’re exploring how neurodivergence and bi+ness co-exist, how pathologizing narratives have failed us, and why we need more affirming, participant-driven research. We ground our conversation in two of Alex Toft’s articles and use them as a jumping-off point to discuss invisibility, identity stacking, hypersexualization, and the nonconforming ways neurodiverse bi+ folks show up in the world.
We also asked our listeners to share what it’s like navigating this intersection, and as always, y’all delivered. From grappling with identity labels to dealing with social norms that don’t quite fit, this episode is about claiming space, rejecting deficit-based thinking, and embracing the fullness of neurodiverse bi+ identity.
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace 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. 
Resources
Toft, Alex. (2023). ‘These Made-Up Things Mean Nothing to Me’: Exploring the Intersection of Autism and Bisexuality in the Lives of Young People. Journal of Bisexuality, 23(3), 229–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2023.2214134
Toft, Alex, & Ward, Beth. (2022). A Young Disabled LGBT+ Researchers Group: Working Collaboratively to Explore the Lives of Young Autistic LGBT+ Persons. Sociological Research Online, 27(4), 1104-1112. https://doi.org/10.1177/13607804221125233 
“Sick Shit” by Together Pangea (2014)

S3E5: Parenting While Bi+ with Ellen Davenport-Pleasance

Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! In this episode, we explore the intersection of bi+ identity and parenting, a topic many of our listeners have been eager for us to dig into. To help us navigate this conversation, Dr. Ellen Davenport-Pleasance, a leading researcher on bi+ parenting and director of the Bisexual Research Group, joins us. Together, we unpack how bi+ parents experience minority stress, family dynamics, and cultural socialization, and why bi+ people are both more likely to be parents and yet remain underrepresented in queer narratives. We also talk about how bi+ parents can foster affirming environments for their kids, the role community plays as a protective factor, and what bi+ parents should keep in mind when building supportive networks. Whether you're a bi+ parent, thinking about parenthood, or just curious about the unique intersections of bi+ identity and family life, this episode is for you.
Ellen Davenport-Pleasance is a bisexual researcher who recently finished her PhD at University College London. Her PhD focused on families with bisexual+ mothers, and explored minority stress, mental health, and family functioning, using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. Prior to her PhD, she completed an MPhil in Psychology at the University of Cambridge, during which she conducted a qualitative study of bisexual+ mothers, focusing on how they came out to their children and their queer socialization practices. As well as conducting research, Ellen has taught social science/ psychology at four universities in the UK and is the director of the Bisexual Research Group.
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace 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. 
Resources
Davenport-Pleasance, E. (2024). “Bi-Invisibility in Academia; the Intentional and Accidental Erasure of Bi + Parents in Research and Recommendations for Future Research.” Journal of Bisexuality, 24(4), 534–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2024.2361340
Davenport-Pleasance, E., & Imrie, S. (2022). “How Do Bi+ Mothers Talk with Their Children about (Their) Bisexuality+?” LGBTQ+ Family: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 18(4), 319–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/27703371.2022.2091073 
Irving, A.J., illustrated by Cynthia Alonso. The Bi Book. Random House. 2025.
Where to find Ellen Davenport-Pleasance
Website: https://www.bisexualresearch.com/
IG: @bisexualresearch

S3E6: Sacred Spaces, Queer Faces with Dr. Samantha Costa

Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! In this episode, “Sacred Spaces, Queer Faces,” we sit down with Dr. Samantha Costa to explore the fraught and fascinating relationship between bi+ identity and faith. From the lingering trauma of “pray the gay away” ideologies to the quieter pressures to suppress bi+ness in religious spaces, we unpack how bi+ people navigate spiritual lives in the face of erasure and exclusion. Together, we ask: Is it possible to hold onto faith without organized religion? Can bi+ people build spiritual practices that reflect their whole selves? And what might a theology of in-betweenness look like in a world that demands certainty? This conversation honors the sacred in the liminal and invites listeners to imagine new forms of queer belonging, both spiritual and communal.
Samantha Costa is a queer non-binary scholar, survivor, and storyteller exploring the sacred in the wake of religious trauma. A professor and social researcher, their work focuses on LGBTQIA+ mental health, gender identity, and spiritual reclamation. Raised Catholic in an Irish-Italian family and later disowned alongside their transgender parent, Dr. Costa, now helps others navigate the long road from exile to integration. They earned their PhD in Philosophy and Religion from CIIS and developed the “Seven Freedom Milestones” to map queer journeys toward spiritual wholeness.
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace 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. 
Resources
Douglas, Ezzy, and Fielder, Bronwyn. “Ritual and liminality: Bisexuality within Christianity and Paganism.” Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives, eds. Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Alex Toft. 2020.
Toft, Alex. Negotiating sexuality and spirituality: The lived experiences of bisexual persons.” Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives, eds. Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Alex Toft. 2020.
Where to find Samantha Costa
Website: https://samcostaspace.wordpress.com/ 
TikTok: @thespiritualstudent
Threads: @the_spiritual_student
Bluesky: @spiritualstudent.bsky.social

S3E7: Too Much & Never Enough: Being a Bi+ Woman

Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! What does it mean to become a bi+ woman in a world that says you’re either too much or not enough? In this episode, we dive deep into the messiness of womanhood, gender socialization, and bi+ identity. Grounded in Simone de Beauvoir’s iconic quote, “One is not born, but rather becomes, woman,” we unpack the violence of gender norms, internalized misogyny, femmephobia, and the social construction of sex itself.
We talk about the personal and political stakes of being bi+ and femme in a world that demands your compliance—and punishes your refusal. From the erasure of bi+ women in relationships to survival strategies shaped by patriarchy, this conversation is a powerful reminder that womanhood isn’t a fixed truth; it’s a battlefield of expectations, agency, and becoming.
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace 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. 
Resources
Beauvoir, Simone de. The Second Sex. Vintage Classics, 2015.
Stone, Alison. An Introduction to Feminist Philosophy. Polity Press, 2007.
Ward, Jane. The Tragedy of Heterosexuality. NYU Press, 2020.