BiNet USA

BiNet USA

BiNet USA logo
Formation 1990
President
Faith Cheltenham
Website www.binetusa.org

BiNet USA is a nonprofit national bisexuality organization whose mission is to "facilitate the development of a cohesive network of bisexual communities, promote bisexual visibility, and collect and distribute educational information regarding bisexuality. To accomplish these goals, BiNet USA will provide a national network for bisexual organizations and individuals across the United States, and encourage participation and organizing on local and national levels." [1] It is the oldest national bisexuality organization in the United States.[1][2]

Programs and campaigns

Some of the work the organization has been involved in includes:

Campaigns

Policy initiatives

Conferences (partial list)

BiNet gathering

History and structure

BiNet USA meeting

Tracing its roots back to the 1987 march on Washington, the group further coalesced in 1990 when BiPol convened the first National Bisexual Conference in San Francisco. At that time a conference track was dedicated to creating a national organization. The following summer the North American Bisexual Network was formalized in Seattle. Later its name would change to BiNet USA which coincided with the group becoming a nonprofit organization.

In its first decade BiNet USA worked on a variety of campaigns, national policy initiatives and hosted/co-hosted a number Conferences. Moving into its second decade, BiNet USA, like many other US charitable organizations, was hit hard when funding dried up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the US mainland in September 2001. It was forced to lay off its paid staff and roll back its plans for new office space.

Faced with these new economic and logistical realities, BiNet USA begins to focus more of its efforts on Internet activism using the Internet as an organizing tool for community growth. It uses an "800" phone number, its Website, a MySpace Page, Facebook Group and its very active ListServ, established using Yahoo Groups to facilitate communication between various and disparate bisexual, pansexual and fluid communities and activists nationwide.

In 2005, after a period of progress marked by growing acceptance in both the larger LGBT & straight communities,[5] the bisexual community suddenly came under a new attack [6] promulgated by the publication of a study entitled “Sexual Arousal Patterns of Bisexual Men” by the controversial researcher J. Michael Bailey. This study allegedly "proved" that bisexual men did not exist. With little critical examination, various media celebrities and outlets jumped on the band-wagon [7] and claimed to have "solved" the "problem of bisexuality" by declaring it to be non-existent, at least in men.

Working with other established LGBT institutions such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force GLAAD, the Bisexual Resource Center as well as newer ones such as Bialogue, BiNet USA moved to co-ordinate a national response to this threat to the well-being of the bisexual community. It has now revitalized and updated its 'Rapid-Response Spokesperson Team' and now monitors and responds quickly to media portrayals of the bisexual community.

Starting in 2008 under the leadership of its then president Wendy Curry, who is herself a software engineer, BiNet USA greatly expanded its use of Internet activism taking advantage of the flowering of a variety of Social networking venues including the popular Live Journal Blogging tool, Myspace and Facebook products.

In September 2009, BiNet USA expanded its board of directors, making Gary B. North the new president.[8]

In October 2009, BiNet USA endorsed the National Equality March and helped organize a contingent of several bisexual groups that participated in the march.[9]

In 2014, BiNet USA declared the seven days surrounding Celebrate Bisexuality Day to be Bi Awareness Week, also called Bisexual Awareness Week.[10][11] The week begins the Sunday before Celebrate Bisexuality Day.[12]

Structure

BiNet USA is chartered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Florida and is headquartered in the Washington DC suburb of Arlington, Virginia. Decision making is by consensus by the Board of Directors with the advice and consent of the members of the Standing Committees and the various Regional Representatives.

Current leadership

BiNet USA Board of Directors [13]

Faith Cheltenham, President

Aud Traher, Vice-President

Luigi Ferrer, Vice-President

Gary B. North, Treasurer

Lynnette McFadzen, Secretary

Morgan Goode, Board Member

Stacey Langley, Board Member

Patrick RichardsFink, Board Member

Peter Ruggiero, Board Member

Dani Siragusa, Board Member

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "All About BiNet USA including the Fine Print". BiNet USA. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. Summers, Claude J. (2009-10-20). "BiNet USA". glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. glbtq, Inc. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20.
  3. Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. "BiNet USA". BiNet USA. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  5. "New York Area Bisexual Network: A Brief History of NYC's Bisexual Community". Nyabn.org. 2001-07-12. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  6. "Bialogue Taking Action: Countering attempts to invalidate bisexuality". Bialogue.org. 2005-10-09. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  7. Archived April 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  8. "BiNet USA's Blog: BiNet USA Expands Board of Directors". Binetusa.blogspot.com. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  9. "BiNet USA's Blog: [BiNet USA]: National Equality March Washington DC October 10-11 2009". Binetusa.blogspot.com. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  10. "Bi Brigade presents: Bisexual Awareness Week! - Proud Queer (PQ Monthly - Daily Online)". PQ Monthly. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  11. "Second annual Bisexual Awareness Week to held Sept. 20 – 26; events across U.S. and online". LGBT Weekly. 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  12. "Angry African Girls United - LGBTQIA+ Holidays for the remained of the year". Angryafricangirlsunited.tumblr.com. 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  13. http://www.binetusa.org/about-us

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.