'Going to BiCon for the first time was great because being out was a non-issue there, and I met a partner there, so it was always out in the open between us, and with all subsequent partners who I mostly met through bi or LGBT communities in one way or another.'
Meg-John
‘I often attend BiCon and have made a lot of bisexual friends through it. I like BiCon, it’s a welcoming space with a lot of nice people. I don’t feel that one has to actually be bisexual in order to attend and enjoy BiCon, although one has to be comfortable spending time with bisexual people of all genders.’
Ash
The counsellor that I spoke to decided that my bisexuality was “just another way I was refusing to commit to future course of action”, and proclaimed that, even though I’d been identifying as bi for a few years at that point, it was merely a symptom of a more fundamental “dysfunction” and that when I was healthy I would “settle”, and be okay with my “true orientation”. Thankfully, even in my distraught state, having experienced the awesome support of a BiCon by that point, I was pretty darn sure it was a legitimate sexuality (and not a “symptom”), and I found myself another person to assist me through that difficult time.
P.S. Still bi, fifteen years later ;)’
Linette
‘One month the bi youth group told us about BiCon. […] I loved BiCon. Here were familiar goths, BDSMers and poly people. No one looked at me weird for being a bit spacky looking. In fact, people seemed downright nice to me and some of them seemed to be flirting with me. There was a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter in the plenaries who noticed me following him and slowed his sign down so I could follow even though I knew no sign. I went to his BSL workshop and chatted to him afterwards. He convinced me that the narrative that I couldn’t learn sign like I’d wanted to all my life because of my hand impairments was untrue because BSL relies more on the facial expression than exact hands. I made friends at that BiCon who are still close people today.’
Natalya
‘At BiCon […] there were a few wheelchair users and people with walking sticks, and people making space for them without any inquisition. There was a Deaf guy and interpreter who ran a couple introductory BSL sessions. There was a wide variety of shapes and sizes of people on the dance floor. […] The mixture of people—no one getting any derogatory comments—meant I stopped feeling self-conscious about my own stiff wobbly body (not usually apparent unless I’m trying to move gracefully and failing). The structured sessions were also set up for accessibility, as far as possible on low budget: sometimes roving microphones in an auditorium, but more importantly, speakers repeating questions from the floor to ensure everyone could hear or lip-read. Rooms were rearranged so sessions people wanted to attend weren’t in the one upstairs room if they couldn’t handle the stairs. Entertainment space was well-lit and, away from the dance floor, quiet. And sessions tended to introduce people, had them sitting in a circle, so easy to lip-read, made one person talk at a time, plus requiring name badges to be worn at all times is great if, like me, you can’t recognise faces.’
Hessie
‘Over the years, bisexual events have continued to have accessibility planned in from the start; budgets mean this isn’t always apparent to people who find their needs still can’t be met, but BiCon organisers specify level access, signage, quiet space, communication via email, not just phone, accessibility by public transport as well as parking, self-catering as well as on-site food to ensure dietary needs can be met, providing seating for the registrations queue, asking about requirements on the registration form so you don’t need to contact them separately—all small, cheap things that should be mainstream practice, but sadly aren’t.
This positive attitude makes it easier to deal with another aspect of disability that is similar to bisexuality: “I’m not properly disabled/queer, or I’m not disabled/gay enough”.’
Hessie
‘It was really nice to find out that BiCon made real efforts to make the event accessible for people with disabilities. That was the main reason I felt able to attend.’
Carol