Four years ago, True Blood star Evan Rachel Wood came out publicly in Esquire, revealing she’s “up for anything. Meet a nice guy, meet a nice girl…” This week is Bisexual Awareness Week, and the actress has been forthright about drawing attention to issues facing bi folks.
Bisexual Awareness Week is a push to “accelerate the cultural acceptance of bisexual people.” Though #BiWeek is relatively new, its centerpiece—Celebrate Bisexuality Day, held on Sept. 23rd—was founded in 1999. The day is meant to support bi visibility, and with the creation of #BiWeek, the celebratory and educational events are now extended over multiple days. #BiWeek is spearheaded by BiNet USA, the oldest bi advocacy nonprofit in the country.
On Thursday, Wood opened up on Twitter about her struggles with—and ultimate acceptance of—her sexual identity. The actress retweeted the Human Rights Campaign’s new brief Health Disparities Among Bisexual People, which outlines key findings from recent studies on general, sexual, and mental health risks in the bi community. Wood highlighted crucial lines from the report for her followers.
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644631226142232576
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644631394279227392
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644631508561428480
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644632423490125826
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644632507137134593
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644632990354554881
Wood also debunked misconceptions about bisexuality and “straight privilege”—i.e., the notion that bisexual people in opposite-sex relationships are not affected by biphobia or other forms of anti-LGBTQ bigotry. Wood has stated before that she loves Twitter for this reason; as she told AfterEllen in 2013:
“I don’t get offended by [questions about bisexuality]. I look at it as an opportunity to educate people. A lot of times they just really don’t know a lot about it or haven’t talked to someone who is bisexual and actually get some insight into those issues. So I don’t get angry or try to fight hate with hate; I just try to educate.”
As she explained on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644635623047872512
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644636599171481600
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644637382508064768
Finally, she talked about her own journey toward embracing her bisexuality, offering words of encouragement for those still on the road to acceptance.
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644638524260511744
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644639049869754369
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644639479022510081
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644639810640982016
https://twitter.com/evanrachelwood/status/644642242930446336
If Wood’s words inspire you and you want to learn more about #BiWeek, visit the #BiWeek Twitter stream and read about the many bi events happening around the country throughout the rest of September.
Photo via YouTube/ShowbizJunkies
