It Was 1972

The name is Stephen Donaldson. First, he founded an original college student organization for gay people called Student Homophile League in 1967. After Donaldson came out bisexual, he began to experience biphobia from some gay students and teachers that he helped with organization that he found. Second, he later left to join the military. There he was given a dishonarable discharge for "homosexuality." Once again, he experienced Bisexual Erasure for being assumed gay.

The good news is that he did not give up completely in the face of discrimination. He found an open minded group called Community of Friends on Bisexuality, a Quaker group. He shared his original vision in hopes to confront future biphobia. Together, Donaldson and the Quaker group created the Ithaca Statement on Bisexuality. It appeared in the Advocate, a gay magazine.

For some, it was visibility.... For others, it was Bisexual conscienceness.... For us all, it was June 1972.

Br. Michael's Winter Book Club

One of the few playful legendary landmark Bisexual studies was done by a woman. In 1995, Marjorie Garber, an English professor wrote a book, Vice Versa which explains in simple terms about transparent and consistent Bisexual research of the genuine existence of Bisexual pop culture and history. Beyond race, career and confronting Bisexual Erasure over countless decades, the over 500 pages are "very empowering to newly out bisexuals and our allies," said our Bisexual liaison, Br. Michael C. Oboza (ret.)  There are few of many interesting reads in the book that even fascinated Oboza, one of the few Bisexual leaders in Chicago's third wave of Bisexual community and activism from 2007, along with Noel Spain and Adrienne Williams.

First, Oboza read, "the early 19'th century poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge could write of "the very old tradition of the homo androgynus- that is, that the original man was bisexual." Second, "Bisexual is preferred a 19'th century term, before that "the 17'th century term was bisexed, bisexous for both sexes." Lastly, before Oboza was born, "in 1974, television interviewer, Barbara Walters's weeklong discussion of bisexuality on a program aptly called "Not for Women Only." And 1975, there appeared books like Bisexual Living." There are also other Bisexual books that explain bisexual is not somewhere between homosexual and heterosexual, "a grey area," but, bisexual extends beyond that with countless individual experiences that have almost been forgotten.

Five Years Ago Again

The March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian equality was the first to include Bi for Bisexual in 2009. Many earlier Bisexual pioneers helped make that happen including Loraine Hutchins. That day was historical in itself. Our very own Bi liaison, Br. Michael C. Oboza (ret) was unable to go, because he was confronting Bisexual Erasure, a manifestation of Biphobia in Chicago at that time.

In 2009, Oboza wrote an open letter to Gay Chicago Magazine. After it appeared there. It later appeared in an article entitled, "Photos of the Bi Community at the National Equality March," written by Bisexual author and activist, Mike Szymanski.

Five years ago, again, Oboza later met Szymanski in person to say thank you.

Oboza's letter reads, "There happens to still be discrimination within our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender community. For years, the same people who have gotten away with using the "B" not for equality representation, but a credit to fill a quota still use such tactics. Also, there are people who still degrade bisexual people as going through a phase. As if to judge one of the apostles (who) are going through a gospel phase. In other words, between the Dyke March, Matthew Shepherd March and Transgender Day of Remembrance, Bisexual people have been forgotten. We have lessened August Provost and Bill Clayton as we have remembered more of Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena and others. Life has many more aspects than merely a rainbow. The Bisexual community has their own flag, because their voices have finally been heard and respected. Any further bias from within our community will not be tolerated."

Chicago Matriarch

Paige Listerud was a supporter of Action Bi Women, Queer Nation and Bi Political Action Coalition in the 1980's. Then later, a supporter of Chicago Bisexual Network (CBN) in the late 1990's. Ironically, CBN was booed at a Pride parade. The same parade that was brought to us by Brenda Howard, "Mother of Pride," a Bisexual feminist.

It is our very own Bisexual liaison, Br. Michael C. Oboza (ret) who met Paige to learn about Bisexual history in Chicago. After their meeting, Paige became Oboza's first inspiration. Oboza fought for Bisexual visible equality to later become the first Bi liaison with Center on Halsted and founder of Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago with his original vision to help continue Chicago Bisexual history... And herstory.