Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 23 Issue 3

Emma (biracial, age 28) was nervous to come out to her parents. In the past they had assured her of their unconditional support. Perhaps because of this support, she felt less risk in disclosing, despite their religiosity. Felicia (biracial, age 33) and Jackie (multi- racial, age 18) also were purposeful in telling their closest family member. Both said that this family member expressed love to them no matter what. They were hesitant, but their need to be honest within these specific relationships ultimately led them to disclose their sexual orientation. Coming Out to Friends. All the women were out to at least one friend/acquaintance. Emma (biracial, age 28) said that in telling others that she was bisexual, she felt she was “living what I feel and being authentic.” After an initial disappointing coming out experience, Amy (Chinese American, age 23) chose to tell another friend, “I casually brought it up in conversation and she was like, ‘Great, cool,’. . . and then after that she encouraged me to tell everyone else.” Amy described the response as “wonderful,” and was happy to reveal her sexual orientation to those “I was close to.” For many, making other LGBTQ+ friends allowed them to feel safe in coming out. For Tori (Black, age 25) coming out was something she chose to do in college, as she felt that she could not do so in her hometown. She explained, “I joined the Gay/Straight Alliance as soon as I got there…there were no chances to do that in [hometown]. It was really exciting for me, being able to be around people like me.” Sue (Indian American, age 20) similarly expressed, “I think the only other people who know are people who are also LGBTQ…because obviously they’ll understand and there won’t be any judgment...” c) Phenomena 3 – Acknowledging the Positive Consequences of Identities i. Reveling in the Uniqueness of Being In reflecting on how the positives related to being impacted them, the women often discussed loving who they were as unique individuals. Tori (Black, age 25) said, “I feel kind of fulfilled, but I’m not doing anything…to be a bisexual woman of color. I just, existing. I just feel like ‘cause everyone hates it so much I kind of get a sense of fulfillment from it.” Jackie expressed a similar sentiment, “It makes me feel like somewhat special in a way…that I am multiracial, there’s a little something different about me than other people.” Emma (biracial, age 28) discussed a sense of resiliency she felt and explained that “being a person of color and being a bisexual woman has helped to make me stronger or it is through my strength that allowed me to embrace that.” Tara (Biracial, age 21) felt similarly and said: It gives me a lot of like strength and power to be bizarre. The identities that aren’t getting discussed or they aren’t valued…guess what, they’re all in one person, so isn’t that convenient for you to listen to me right now? Among the participants, several discussed the sense of community and resiliency gained by being a unique person among a community of other unique individuals. ii. Educating Others Several women felt they could use their experiences and knowledge to help others understand what it means to be a member of a marginalized group. In educating others , whether family, friends, acquaintances, or strangers, these women perceived their hardships were not in vain. They felt it was necessary to explain to others why certain assumptions about them – or women like them – were false. The women reported that kin sometimes made derogatory or incorrect statements about LGBTQ+ people. For example, during holidays, Tori (Black, age 25) would often confront her extended family who would make “problematic” statements about LGBTQ+ people: “Usually when I get aggressive enough, they stop. I don’t know why they even bring it up, because every Christmas, I’m not gonna stop. . . But I still get Christmas presents (laughs).” Tara (biracial, age 21) felt that it was a lot to juggle, always correcting her family on issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation, but she thought it was more important to deal with correcting family instead of strangers. She said, “I really don’t care what Bill from down the street says.” Some found educating non-family members to be an easier feat. Ashley (Indian American, age 22) was not out to her parents, and she did not feel comfortable correcting their misunderstandings about LGBTQ+ issues. They might wonder why she was confronting them, and the risk of them guessing her LGBTQ+ identity was too high. If she noticed others making offensive comments about anyone who shared her identities, however, she did not hesitate to address it. She said, “There’s no reason to hide it . . . I’m just gonna speak up for what I think’s right.” Other women simply felt it important to try to educate anyone about their experiences. Emma (biracial, age 28) said, “When there are assumptions being made about Black people, I can … at least provide my experience as someone © 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue III Version I 23 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 C “The In-Between Spaces of Those Labels”: Exploring the Challenges and Positives of Being a Bisexual Woman of Color Most of these bisexual women perceived positive aspects of their multiple identities, highlighted in three ways. They felt proud of who they were as unique intersectional individuals, felt it a positive to be able to educate others about the realities of being a marginalized individual, and benefited from having an expanded worldview because of that marginalization. In discussing the positive aspects of their lives related to their identities, the women were (i) reveling in the uniqueness of being , (ii) educating others , and (iii) understanding others’ marginalized positions.