Advocates attended the White House complex for the Obama administration’s second annual Bisexual Community Briefing.
The event was held in conjunction with Bisexual Awareness Week, which culminated on Friday with Celebrate Bisexuality Day.
In a press release, the White House said the briefing included “discussions on the steps that community leaders and administration officials have taken together to support bisexual Americans.” It also highlighted the Equality Act that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal civil rights law and other issues.
“In the past eight years the administration has worked hard to ensure that diverse identities are protected for all Americans, including bisexuals,” it added.
HRC Membership Outreach Coordinator Laya Monarez said on a panel discussion: “As a Latina Bisexual Transgender Woman I have faced a lot of oppression and discrimination.
“Being able to speak about these issues and be a part of such a strong community that was being celebrated at the White House felt very validating. My whole life I’ve been taught that my identities will keep me from success, yet I can now say I’m the first of my family to ever speak for my communities at the White House.”
The meeting was an “off the record” event, meaning participants were not at liberty to say which senior White House officials were in attendance.
Policy briefings addressed a variety of issues which plague the bisexual community including: employment discrimination, HIV prevention and care, immigration and asylum issues, mental and physical health disparities, sexually transmitted infections, and violence.
Further information can be found on the Bisexual Awareness Week website.
