Bi Visibility Week (September 16–23): a week for bisexuality
- Bi Visibility Week runs from September 16 to 23.
- It culminates with Bi Visibility Day on 23/9, which has been celebrated since 1999.
- Bi erasure: when bisexuality is “erased” depending on one’s partner.
- At Enola, no one will ask you, “what are you, after all?”
Bi Visibility Week runs from September 16 to 23, and it’s a whole week dedicated to bisexual people and the entire bi+ community. It peaks on September 23, the Bisexual Visibility Day. It’s the moment for stories that often get lost between “straight” and “gay” to be heard, and to remember that bisexuality is not a stop along the way, but a destination.
What Bi Visibility Week is
Bi Visibility Day has been celebrated on September 23 since 1999. A whole week has also been established around it, from the 16th to the 23rd of the month, because one day simply isn’t enough. Bi Visibility Week has its place in the LGBTQ+ calendar with all the visibility days, alongside days like Pride and IDAHOBIT.
The goal is simple: to talk openly about bisexuality, break stereotypes, and show that bi people are everywhere — in our friend groups, at work, on the dancefloor. If you want to read more in English, organizations like the Human Rights Campaign have material about bisexuality and the bi+ community.
What bisexuality means
A bisexual person is someone who feels attraction, sexual or romantic, to more than one gender. That attraction doesn’t have to be equal, or constant over time, or “proven” through relationships. Identity is yours, not a checklist of proof.
Many people use the term bi+ as an umbrella for similar identities, such as pansexuality. If you’re wondering where the difference is, read our piece on Pansexual Visibility Day and what pansexuality means. The best word is always the one the person chooses for themselves.
Bi erasure: why visibility matters
The so-called bi erasure is the tendency to “erase” bisexuality. If a bi woman is with a man, she is seen as straight. If she is with a woman, she is seen as a lesbian. The same happens to bi men and non-binary people. The identity doesn’t change; it just becomes invisible.
This doesn’t come only from the straight world. Sometimes bi people hear doubts within the queer community itself, as if they weren’t “queer enough.” We wrote in detail about how to overcome the stigma of identifying as bisexual. And for the most persistent stereotypes, we have a ready-made piece with the 7 myths about bisexuality.
A week, seven ideas
You don’t need a big event to experience Bi Visibility Week. Try one idea a day:
- 16/9: Learn the flag. Pink, purple, and blue, with purple connecting the other two.
- 17/9: Read or listen to a story from a bi person, in a book, podcast, or article.
- 18/9: Watch your language. Instead of “when will you decide?”, ask “how are you?”
- 19/9: Send a message to a bi friend and tell them you see them.
- 20/9: Ask yourself which myths you’ve believed without realizing it.
- 21/9: Share material from bi creators, with credit to their name.
- 22–23/9: Go out with your friends and celebrate, with pink, purple, and blue wherever you like.
If you’re bi yourself and thinking about telling someone, do it in your own time. Coming Out Day on October 11 reminds us that there is no deadline.
How to support the bi people around you
Visibility isn’t only the job of bi people themselves. If you want to be an ally, start with the basics:
- Believe them. When someone tells you they’re bi, don’t ask for proof or “percentages.”
- Don’t assume from the relationship. A partner does not define anyone’s identity.
- Don’t laugh at jokes about “indecisive” or “greedy” people. A calm “that’s not funny” is enough.
- Make room in conversations about Pride and the community, so bi voices are heard too, not only gay and lesbian ones.
Bi Visibility Week in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki has a vibrant queer community, and Bi Visibility Week is a great reason to meet it. Start with a drink in the city center, a walk along the New Waterfront at dusk, and end the night in Valaoritou.
Enola, at 19 Valaoritou, on the 2nd floor, is open every day from 23:30, with no dress code and no reservation needed for a regular visit. Here, no one will ask you “what are you, really?” Enola’s safer space policy means zero tolerance for harassment, racism, transphobia, or misgendering. If there is a special night for the week, it will be announced on Enola’s channels. For all the practical details, see our guide to Enola.
Bi Visibility Week ends on September 23, but visibility doesn’t have an expiration date. Bi people are here all year round, and so are we.
Try the quiz: Visibility days: how many do you know? — how many visibility days do you know, and when does each one fall?