Social Inclusion, Exclusion and Resilience: A Social View of Health

Inclusion & Exclusion of 'B'

Saturday 14:00-14:30 RECOGNISING THE HEALTH NEEDS OF BISEXUAL MEN AND WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA

Kirsten McLean, Monash University

Contact: Kirsten.McLean@arts.monash.edu.au

PRESENTER’S BIO:

Kirsten McLean is a Lecturer in Sociology in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University in Melbourne where she teaches sexuality, gender and social research methods. Her research focuses on the construction of sexual identities and relationships, particularly amongst bisexual and sexually fluid men and women. Other research interests include same-sex relationships, and GLBT mental health.

ABSTRACT:

In discussions about LGBTI health, issues specific to bisexual men and women tend to be silenced by the assumption that those who are same-sex attracted experience similar concerns. While that is true of things such as homophobia and heterosexism, being bisexual is not the same as being gay or lesbian, and as such bisexual men and women have unique issues and concerns that may have an impact on their health and well-being. This paper uses data from in-depth interviews with sixty Australian bisexual men and women to highlight some of the issues that bisexual men and women face and the implications of these in terms of their mental and social health. These include discrimination and biphobia (both in general and within the LGBTI community); selective disclosure of identity; difficulties coming to terms with a bisexual identity; feelings of isolation and exclusion; and a lack of psychological and social support for being bisexual. Discussions about the specific needs of bisexual men and women are important to avoid them slipping through the cracks in health initiatives targeted towards LGBTI people and to improve the psychological and social health of bisexual men and women in Australia.

Saturday 14:30-15:00 'SHINY HAPPY SAME-SEX ATTRACTED WOMAN SEEKING SAME': THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY IN BISEXUAL AND LESBIAN WOMEN'S WELL-BEING

Mary Heath, Flinders University

Contact: mary.heath@flinders.edu.au

PRESENTER’S BIO:

Mary teaches law at Flinders University and has a long history of involvement in the Adelaide queer community.  She is a founding member of BiAdelaide.  This research is part of a larger project undertaken with Dr Ea Mulligan investigating bisexual and lesbian women's strategies for achieving thriving lives.

ABSTRACT:

Existing research documents significant challenges to bisexual and lesbian women's health, and suggests social connection may enable women to remain resilient in the face of these challenges.  This study asked bisexual and lesbian women who believed that they were living thriving lives how communities contributed to their well-being.  Interviews with 47 women suggested that community engagement could provide resources and social contact, enhancing women's confidence, self esteem and well-being.  However, ensuring that community supported well-being required actively choosing or creating an appropriate community and rejecting those which were inappropriate. In some cases, it also demanded negotiating or resisting community norms which conflicted with women's well-being.  This study suggests that bisexual and lesbian women often participate in different communities and that lesbian communities may be larger and composed of stronger ties than those of bisexual women. The stronger social norms of lesbian communities may threaten some lesbians well-being as well as that of bisexual women who seek inclusion in lesbian communities. However, while bisexual women may choose or create communities which have less restrictive community norms, they may also have access to fewer community resources.

Heath's presentation is avaialble in a special edition of the GLIP review, see our publications page for more details or download the full publication here.

Saturday 15:00-15:30 BISEXUALITY AND MEN'S BODY IMAGE

Shaun Filiault, Flinders University, School of Education

Contact: shaun.filiault@flinders.edu.au

PRESENTER’S BIO:

Dr. Shaun Filiault is a lecturer in health education at Flinders University. His primary research interests include gay men's health, masculinity and health, and body image.

ABSTRACT:

Although considerable research has been conducted regarding body image among straight men and, to a lesser degree, gay men, no extant research has yet considered body image among bisexual men as an individual group. This oversight reflects a more general lack of research attention and understanding of bisexuality, and serves to perpetuate the historical silencing of bisexual voices.  In this presentation, I will present the results of a qualitative interviews with Australian bisexual men regarding their perceptions of body image, masculinity, and bisexuality in contemporary Western society. Themes include masculinity and the male body; negotiating a bisexual identity/bisexual body; and the body as social capital within gay social settings. Avenues for future research will be discussed.