Today is International Celebrate Bisexuality Day! September 23rd has been especially allotted to the appreciation of those who swing both ways since 1999, making this its 15th anniversary! As International Celebrate Bisexuality Day enters its moody adolescence, what better time to show some love for all those charming people sitting somewhere between a 2 and a 5 on the Kinsey scale? Without further ado, here are some suggestions for celebrating bisexuality, and it’s for everybody whirling around in the weird kaleidoscope of human desire!

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For those who put the B in LGBT, here are some reasons to and ways you can celebrate your totally rad sexual orientation:

• A lot of people think that bisexuality doesn’t exist. Some people think this even after they meet real life bisexuals, and try to thwart us with phrases like “You’ll have to pick a side eventually”, and “You’re just gay but you don’t realise it yet” and so on and so forth. This might seem pretty crappy, but it actually gives us a lot of mystique. It’s kind of like being a unicorn or the Loch Ness Monster. Forgive those who get a bit excited or startled when they realise they’ve spotted a bisexual in the wild, after all, you’re a goddamn majestic creature.
• Similarly, being bisexual is a lot like having magical powers. I can’t tell you how many people tell me they wish they could ‘swap sides’ and take a break from their preferred gender to take a dip in the other side of the dating pool. We do that on the regular without even thinking about it.
• The world is your oyster. There’s so much potential for single bisexual weirdos. In my personal experience, I started worrying a lot less about finding ‘the perfect guy’ with a checklist of attributes after I realised that the perfect guy could end up being the perfect lady. Or the perfect non-binary identifying hot person. The possibilities are endless!
• If you’re coupled up, you’re fighting a stereotype. What?! Just by being in a relationship with a human I really like?! That’s right, imaginary bisexual relationship member, just like that. You see, there’s a stereotype that we of the Takes All Sorts Club (as I like to call us) are incapable of commitment or even loving as legitimately as those who are only into one gender. You’re totally smashing that stupid idea with the POWER OF LOVE.
• Above all, the best way of celebrating your bisexuality, whether you’re single, coupled up, in a happy triad or whatever other arrangement suits your bad self, is to be out and proud. Today is your day, my beautiful Bs, so open up that dialogue. Don’t let anybody try to delegitimise your sexuality. Whether you’ve been in a monogamous relationship for eleven years, if you’ve only ever dated dudes, if you’re attraction ratio is 50-50 or 70-30 in favour of ladies, it’s all good. You’re bisexual if you say you’re bisexual. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Visibility is the key to fighting prejudice, and all you need to do is be you. Be you loudly.

For everybody of all the shades in the rainbow, here’s what you can do to celebrate bisexuality on this most illustrious of days!

• Music is one of humanity’s favourite ways of celebrating everything. And there are so many rad bisexual musicians: Lady Gaga, Missy Higgins, Sia, Grace Jones, Amanda Palmer, David Bowie, Azealia Banks, Carrie Brownstein (of Sleater-Kinney), the list goes on.
• Watch anything with Alan Cumming in it. He is an out bisexual, and ultimately, Alan Cumming defies orientation. Watch this (probably not safe for work). You’re welcome.
• Watch/listen to Margaret Cho. Margaret Cho is an outspoken comedian who has always been vocal about LGBT, racial, and body issues since she was the first Asian American to have her own sitcom in 1994. She is a total badass.
• Enjoy art. There are so many awesome bisexual authors, artists, creative and amazing people. Go look at some Frida Kahlo. Read some Virginia Woolf. Read some comics (especially ones by Kate Leth and Erika Moen). Heck, watch ‘True Blood’ (Anna Paquin and Even Rachel Wood, heck yes), it doesn’t have to be high brow. The ‘B’  might be thought of as one of the more invisible letters in the acronym but there’s actually loads of us, many of whom are doing really cool things.
• Spread the love.  Tell your best bisexuals you love and accept them for who they are.
• Send your favourite bisexual journalist a present because it also happens to be her birthday today (just sayin’).
• Be an awesome ally. Today’s a great day to reflect on your own discourse when it comes to sexuality. Remember, everyone is the owner of their own orientation. A big part of respecting other peoples’ identities means taking their word for it. Sometimes people can call into question other peoples’ identities without consciously meaning to. When you’re talking to somebody bisexual (or really anybody at all), before you ask someone a personal question, think about how you’d react if somebody asked you. That will usually mean questions about how this person chooses to have sex are off limits, unless you’re well-acquainted. Show your support on Celebrate Bisexuality Day by being a respectful, awesome friend.

So get out there and celebrate bisexuality! After all, we’re all worthy of respect no matter where we sit on the vast spectrum of perversion that is human sexuality.

Sophie Joske