What is bi and how does it relate to our services
Bi or bisexual is an umbrella term used to describe an emotional, romantic and/or sexual
attraction towards people of more than one gender. Bi people may describe themselves using
one or more of a variety of terms including bisexual, pan, bi-curious and queer.
Young people who are bi may discover their sexuality at different stages of their lives. Some young people are aware from a young age, though they may not have shared this with
anybody. Any of the young people you are working with may identify as bi, so you should not
make assumptions about any young person’s sexual identity.
All young people want places to go and things to do in an environment where they feel
valued, accepted and included. The Equality Act 2010 external link made sexual orientation a protected characteristic, which means that any service provided to young people, whether publicly
funded or not, cannot lawfully discriminate against any young people, including bi young
people. In addition, the Act introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty, which means that
services have to consider how they can address inequalities experienced by bi young people.
What is ‘coming out’
The process of lesbian and gay people telling others about their sexuality is often referred to as ‘coming out’. Coming out to somebody can be very stressful, as young people may fear
rejection or discrimination. For this reason, young people will often tell someone they trust
and have confidence in. If a young person comes out to you, they may simply want
someone to talk to about what can be a confusing and scary time for them, or they may
want support in accessing further information, some of which is available through this guide.
It is important not to share information about a young person’s sexuality with other family
members, young people or practitioners without the young person’s consent. Doing
so without their consent is called ‘outing’ and can be very harmful to young people.
Sharing personal or sensitive information about someone without their consent could be a breach of
their rights under data protection legislation. This should only be considered in exceptional
circumstances, which should be discussed with your line manager and/ or safeguarding lead.
Further information about how to talk to young people about their bisexuality is provided in
the Stonewall Bi Inclusion Guide for secondary schools external link.
What barriers or difficulties might bi young people face
Young people who are bi will not necessarily experience any difficulties with their sexuality, and many are accepted by their family, friends and community. However, some bi young
people may experience difficulties such as bullying, mental health problems in addition to an
increased risk of poor outcomes. Other issues could include drug and alcohol misuse and
domestic violence. These barriers are similar to those which lesbian and gay young people may
experience, and are explored in more detail in the one minute guide on working with lesbian
and gay young people.
According to Stonewall’s School Report (2017) external link, three quarters of lesbian, gay bisexual and
trans (LGBT) young people have never learned about bisexuality in school, which could mean
that pupils do not have a full understanding of what ‘bi’ means.
Young people who are bi may face biphobic bullying both in and out of school. Biphobic
bullying is distinct from homophobic bullying, which affects lesbian and gay young people.
Biphobic bullying is based on prejudice or negative stereotypes, such as the idea that bi people are ‘greedy’, the assumption that being bisexual is a phase, or the erasure of a person’s bi identity if they are in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex. Bi young people may face intrusive and ignorant questions, such as ‘why can’t you make your mind up?’
What is available for practitioners to support bi young people
Leeds has a youth group for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual young people aged 13 to 18 called ‘Out to 18’. The group meets regularly and offers both a safe space for LGB young people to socialise and receive 1 to 1 confidential support. Contact the Youth Service on 0113 378 6840 or email
youth.service@leeds.gov.uk to request a leaflet or referral pack or to request a call back. Young people can contact this group directly, they do not need to be referred by a practitioner.
Also in Leeds,
the School Wellbeing Service has a number of resources on their website external link.
Bi Visibility Daytakes place every year on 23 September to increase awareness and tackle biphobia. Their website gives more information and a list of events external link.
Stonewall have produced
a range of resources for schools and settings external link on supporting LGBT young people, which includes useful information and advice for all practitioners who work with young people. Stonewall have also produced a guide for schools on designing LGBT-inclusive relationship, sex and health education.
For young people directly, Stonewall have a
range of information on their website external link, which includes a
'What’s in My Area’ section external link, a help and advice section and the phone number for Stonewall’s Information Service: 0800 050 2020.
The
Albert Kennedy Trust (akt) external link can provide support to LGBT young people in relation to
homelessness or living in hostile environments.
Galop LGBT+ anti-violence charity external link provide advice and support in relation to same-sex domestic violence, hate crimes and sexual violence. Their domestic violence helpline is 0800 999 5428.
Forward Leeds external link supports young people and adults in relation to drug and alcohol misuse.
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