On Sept. 23, the UNM LGBTQ Resource Center hosted a roundtable discussion in honor of Celebrate Bisexuality Day.
The LGBTQ Center opened its doors at noon and hosted an hour long discussion, inviting a diverse group of students, both traditional and nontraditional, to participate — regardless of sexual orientation.
Participants began the discussion delving into their personal thoughts on what bisexuality entails and how they have overcome hurdles in explaining to family and friends what it means not just to be bisexual, but a member of the LGBTQ community in general.
“I feel like it’s moving, fluent and ebbing — that you are constantly learning more about yourself,” said Ashley Mayle, a junior electrical engineering major.
Often, individuals depend on the Kinsey Scale, also called the Heterosexual–Homosexual Rating Scale, to determine what someone’s sexuality may be, she said.
The Kinsey Scale is used in research to describe a person's sexual orientation, based on their experience or response at a given time.
The scale typically ranges from 0, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual.
Mayle said she personally finds the scale to be very accurate, but at the same time, she acknowledges it may depend on the individual.
The group also discussed terms associated with the LGBTQ community, such as bisexual and queer, the “Q” in LGBTQ.
This is a term many among the group felt that the LGBTQ society has actually reclaimed from a time in history when it may have been seen as offensive.
Despite generally positive attitudes about this title, members of the group said the UNM LGBTQ Resource Center actually had to appeal to the University to keep the Q in their title.
“We’re in a marginalized community,” said Jaycee Camarillo, an environmental planning and design major.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Beyond celebrating bisexuality, the group discussed the stigma that is associated with bisexuality.
“I feel like people believe you need to fit some sort of quota when you say you’re bisexual,” said Mel, a civil engineering major who preferred not to use her last name.
The group did not just discuss the successes and hurdles they had to face coming out to loved ones and being accepted in society, but also how they felt society accepted them in general, including how LGBTQ individuals are portrayed in the media.
Examples the group used were Cartoon Network’s “Steven Universe” and Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: Legend of Korra.”
“Avatar” ends with revealing the main female character, Korra, as an official bisexual, entering into a relationship with another female character.
“It helps that queer people are creating queer shows,” UNM student Arielle Scherrer said.
Mayle said that, although it was toned down compared to other media representations of LGBTQ people, the shows were a step forward in leaving some of the common stereotypes behind.
Nichole Harwood is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Nolidoli1.
