Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals around the World

Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, The, July-August, 2006 by Kathryn Grannis

Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals around the World

Edited by Robyn Ochs & Sarah E. Rowley

Bisexual Resource Center. 269 pages, $14.95

This anthology of personal, accessible narratives, culled from 300 submissions from 32 countries, presents a compelling look at contemporary bisexual experience. The statements were solicited and organized, and the book edited, by two bisexual activists. Robyn Ochs is the editor of Bisexual Resource Guide (now in its 4th edition) and co-founder of the Boston Bisexual Women's Network, as well as the Bisexual Resource Center. She teaches college courses and workshops on bisexual identity, gender, and sexuality. Sarah E. Rowley is a member of the Boston Bisexual Women's Network and an advocate for victims of domestic violence in the lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. The editors have arranged the contributors' comments into chapters discussing bisexual identity and desire, coming out, creating relationships, building community, and taking political action. Commentary at the beginning of each chapter puts the individual statements in context. A catalog of useful resources and articles is included at the end. Bi people who read this book will find validation and community. Researchers and academicians will find the information they need to undertake more meaningful studies of bisexuality. The undeniably queer personal statements in this book should be of interest to people who wonder if it's really necessary or appropriate to include the "B" in GLBT. And this book should be required reading for all screenwriters and authors who think that making a character bisexual is an expedient way to add an element of menace, ditziness, or debauchery to their story.