Bi Any Other Name

Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out, published by Riverdale Avenue Books, is an anthology edited by Loraine Hutchins and Lani Ka'ahumanu, and is one of the seminal books[1][2] in the history of the modern bisexual rights movement. It holds a place that is in many ways comparable to that held by Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in the feminist movement.[3]

Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out
Cover of the paperback edition of Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out
AuthorLoraine Hutchins and Lani Ka'ahumanu
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectBisexuality
PublisherAlyson Publications
Publication date
1991
ISBN1-55583-174-5

The book comprises fiction and nonfiction pieces, poetry and art created by a diverse group of over seventy bisexual people speaking about their lives.[4]

To quote Wendy Curry,[5] longtime bisexual rights activist and former president of the American national bisexual civil rights group BiNet USA,

This groundbreaking book gave voice to a generation of previously unseen bisexuals. Rather than arguing statistics or debating the sexuality of long dead celebrities, Hutchins and Ka'ahumanu gave a space to normal bisexuals who told their lives. This created a new genre for books on bisexuality.

This book helped spark at least ten other books (many by its own contributors), was named one of Lambda Book Report's Top 100 Queer Books of the 20th century, has been reprinted 3 times since 1991, has over 40,000 copies in circulation, and was translated and published in Taiwan in June 2007.[6] It also frequently appears on numerous LGBT reading lists, from assistance in coming out[7] to queer studies curriculum guides.[8]

In 1992, despite requests from the bisexual community for a more appropriate and inclusive category, Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out[9] was forced to compete (and lose) in the category "Lesbian Anthology" at the Lambda Literary Awards.[10] Additionally, in 2005, Directed by Desire: Collected Poems,[11] a posthumous collection of the bisexual Jamaican American writer June Jordan's work, had to compete (and win) in the category "Lesbian Poetry".[12] Led by BiNet USA,[13] and assisted by other bisexual organizations including the American Institute of Bisexuality, BiPOL, and Bialogue, the bisexual community launched a multi-year struggle that eventually culminated in 2006 with the addition of a Bisexual category at the Lambda Literary Awards.

A 25th anniversary edition of the book was released in 2015 during Bi Awareness Week.[14]

References
  1. Bisexual Movements Archived 2007-08-14 at the Wayback Machine glbtq.com.
  2. A Brief History of the Bisexual Movement by Liz A. Highleyman Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Blessed Bi Spirit: Bisexual People of Faith by Debra Kolodny
  4. HRC Reading List Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Wendy Curry's reviews at Amazon.com
  6. "b i · a n y · o t h e r · n a m e".
  7. PFLAG-Metro DC Recommended Reading List Archived August 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Studies Guide - Library & Learning Resources - City College of San Francisco". Archived from the original on 2012-07-21.
  9. "Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out Review". International Gay & Lesbian Review. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  10. "1991 Lambda Literary Awards Recipients". Lambda Literary Foundation. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  11. "Directed by Desire: Collected Poems". Copper Canyon Press. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  12. "2005 Lambda Literary Awards Recipients". Lambda Literary Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  13. Curry, Wendy (2007). "What makes a book bisexual?". Curried Spam. BiNet USA. Archived from the original on 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  14. Hutchins, Loraine (2015). "25 Years of Bi Life". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2015-09-27.
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