Roughly four-in-ten adults who describe themselves as bisexual (43%) say they are sexually attracted to men and women equally. Among those who did come out, bisexual adults report somewhat different experiences from gays and lesbians. Many bisexuals say they haven’t come out to their parents because they didn’t feel it was important to tell them or the subject never came up, according to the Center’s 2013 survey of LGBT adults.
The experience of coming out to friends and family can be complex. Roughly half of those who are bisexual (54%) are out to some or only a few people. About one-quarter of bisexual adults (26%) are not “out” to any of the important people in their lives, compared with 4% of gay and lesbian adults. In contrast, 75% of gay and lesbian adults say the same. Only 19% of those who identify as bisexual say all or most of the important people in their lives are aware of their sexual orientation. Bisexuals, who account for about four-in-ten LGBT adults in the United States, stand apart from gay and lesbian adults in many ways, such as the fact that they are less likely to view their sexual orientation as central to their identity.īisexual adults are much less likely than gays and lesbians to be “out” to the important people in their lives, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of recently released survey data from Stanford University. (David McNew/Getty Images)Īs the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community celebrates Pride Month in June, bisexual Americans are becoming more and more visible. The CIRCLE shows respect for both elders and olders.Marchers carry a bisexual pride flag in the 2013 LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, California. He often retires, disappears or is discarded. An older ( senior citizen, old person, golden oldy and so forth) is often a person who celebrates a birthday each year and waits for death with little sense of a larger role for himself in the community.
The CIRCLE makes a distinction between “elder” and “older.” An elder is someone who consciously claims that role through visibility in the community, is aware of being a part of the continuity of life, honors those who went before him, is of assistance to those who are coming after him, and actively tends to the spiritual needs of a community in the broadest sense of the word. At our first planning meeting, Ray Hogenson, a founding member, put it succinctly: “We are planting a tree we will never sit under.” The GAY ELDER CIRCLE is designed to assist gay men and others to make the transition from adult to elder, in the process consciously assuming a new role in the community-a life of continuing usefulness to to others within the context of group support, encouragement, and genuine brotherhood. It has been recognized throughout history and across cultures that life usually consists of four stages-youth, adult, elder and ancestor. the CIRCLE understands the West African saying: “If elders are lost, adults will be lost and if adults are lost, youth will be lost.” In the process of growing from one stage to the next, both the community and individuals are transformed. We come from a wide range of backgrounds and are united in our primary purpose of being useful to younger gay men and of service to the gay and larger community.Ī healthy and thriving community honors ancestors, needs elders, depends on adults and invites youth. WE ARE A GROUP OF GAY MEN, more or less fifty-five or older, who have assembled to support each other in becoming gay elders.