By: Amy Andre, Lauren Beach, and Sarah Young.Hear straight from Point Scholars and Alumni.

The meeting also boasted attendance from high ranking federal governmental officials and representatives from national LGBTQIA organizations on Monday, your website September 23, over 30 leaders from the bisexual community attended the first ever White House Roundtable Discussion on Bisexuality in Washington, D.C. Spearheaded by BiNet USA and the Bisexual Resource Center. The historic time included talks about how precisely HIV/AIDS, psychological state, real wellness, hate crimes, workplace discrimination, and domestic physical physical physical violence effect bisexual communities.

Day current Point Scholar Sarah Young (‘11) and Point Alumni Amy Andre (‘07) and Lauren Beach (‘06, ‘09) attended the event and share with ViewPoint their perspectives and experiences of being at the White House on Celebrate Bisexuality.

That which was your part in case?

Amy Andre: I happened to be the Team Leader for the Health Team. We had been tasked with presenting on real wellness disparities faced by the community that is bisexual. For instance, are you aware that bisexuals, when compared with gays, lesbians, and people that are straight have actually notably higher prices of cigarette smoking? Tobacco is a killer, and is related to all sorts of cancers. Yet, unfortunately, bisexuals (when compared with heterosexuals) have actually the cheapest price of cancer tumors tests. Which was the type of information my group ended up being here to allow the government understand about. We introduced for my group, providing a 5 moment speech plus PowerPoint.

Lauren Beach: I happened to be a Co Team Leader when it comes to HIV/AIDS Team. Citing the 2010 nationwide HIV/AIDS Strategy, my team’s presentation collaboratively demonstrated the necessity for especially tailored, culturally competent interventions made to avoid and treat HIV/AIDS in bisexual populations, along with the requirement for more bisexual scientists and community wellness employees to produce and implement these interventions. Furthermore, we utilized our presentation to strengthen the dependence on LGBTQIA wellness researchers to disaggregate data, in order that particular wellness results in each populace getting back together our rainbow community could be better addressed and identified. The need for bisexual particular information had been a theme that is common the presentations in the White House that day.

Sarah younger: I happened to be a known member for the hate crimes team. Our team worked together to boost knowing of hate crimes and just how they especially affect the bi community. I happened to be happy to help represent Southerners at the Bi Roundtable. In my estimation I had been the only individual from the Deep Southern during the dining dining table.

The thing that was your biggest just simply just take from the conference?

Amy Andre: That they’re paying attention that the government that is federal playing us. And that we now have one thing to express. We now have everyday lives to truly save and life to enhance and people full life are our personal! Bisexuals are considerably influenced by poorer wellness, both mental and real, when compared with monosexual people, and now we tend to be more frequently the victims of domestic physical violence and attack. We now have a genuine crisis on our fingers. To truly have the ear associated with government that is federal a game changer for me and also for the bisexual community collectively.

Sarah younger: i do believe this conference may be the beginning of ongoing and collaboration that is meaningful different agencies. I am excited to explore the way the bi community’s requirements and issues is addressed because of the Department of Education plus the drug abuse & Mental Health solutions Administration. The greatest class I learned is that many well meaning agencies believe it is our responsibility to continue to be present when decisions are being made that impact our community that they are truly doing LGBT work, but continue to think that the needs of the “LG” speak also for the “B and T.” As bi leaders. I’m thinking more critically as an organizer concerning the method our requirements overlap because of the needs of LGT people, therefore the means our requirements might be unique.