What to Watch, Listen To, and Read to Celebrate #BiWeek
To celebrate #BiWeek and Bisexuality+ Day on September 23, the FP staff and interns weigh in on their favorite media that share the experiences of the bisexual community.
Jamia
Celie and Shug Avery from The Color Purple
I love the fluidity portrayed by their relationship.
Hannah
Kalinda Sharma from The Good Wife
Kalinda's an incredibly nuanced character, a great combination of smart, loyal, and a little reckless. Her sexuality didn't feel played up for publicity on the show. She isn't forced to explain it or dissect for the audience, she also isn't forced to "choose."
Lucia
"I’m queer no matter who I’m with. I won’t define myself differently for your comfort" by Ashley C. Ford via the Guardian
Ford addresses misconceptions about bisexuality with grace and patience in this beautiful essay. "The fact that the boundaries of my sexual attraction are more expansive than yours doesn’t mean that you have to keep one eye on my genitals and the other on the door."
Alyea
Francoise and Xavier from She Came to Stay by Simone de Beauvoir
It’s a thinly veiled existential novel about the affair between de Beauvoir, Sartre, and their students Olga and Wanda Kosakiewicz. What's not to love?
Teal
Clarke Griffin on The 100
One thing I also like about the 100 is that Clarke's sexuality isn't a discussion point. She just has sex with men and women throughout the story and it's never something that's surprising people (even people who don't know her) or something to comment on. I also don't think that's exactly what the book is like, so that says something about the CW's commitment (if only for publicity purposes, admittedly) to doing better with representation. Lexa is killed though, so there's that.
Sophia
Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn from Harley Quinn, DC Bombshells
Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are non-monogamous lovers when they are in the same city/Ivy isn't trying to take over the world with plants.
Victoria
Calliope Torres from Grey’s Anatomy
Calliope Torres from Grey's Anatomy, ABC, her character is a badass doctor who's confident in her intellectual abilities and in her sexuality/body. She cares deeply for her work and for those around her, plus she's super fun and doesn't take any crap.
Lauren
Gwendolyn from Saga
Far more than just Marko's ex-fiancée, Gwendolyn is a spell-casting badass. Her relationship with Sophie and Lying Cat—not to mention her ability to throw a well-timed punch—make her an unforgettable addition to Saga's cast of lively characters.
Wren
Ethan Chandler from Penny Dreadful
Ethan Chandler is a brooding bisexual werewolf who must choose between redemption and destroying the world—no pressure there. As much of a ridiculous problem Penny Dreadful becomes after the first season, I love that Ethan’s sexuality is one of the few things that doesn’t keep him up at night.
And don't forget FP favorites:
Ana Castillo
A forty-something Latina stumbles her way to spiritual self-rescue amidst sex and small-time hustles.
Michelle Tea
A dreamlike, dystopian meditation on sobriety, adulthood, and the obligations of storytelling.
Cristina Rivera Garza
This excavation of forgotten Mexican women writers illustrates how gendered language wields destructive power.
Ariel Gore
Magick spells and inverted fairy tales combat queer scapegoating, domestic violence, and high-interest student loans.
