White House to Host Meeting on Bisexual Issues

The White House will host a roundtable discussion next month of issues facing bisexuals, in "an apparent first for the Obama administration," the Washington Blade reports.

The meeting, by invitation only and closed to the media, will be held September 23 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House. According to an invitation obtained by the Blade, "Participants and administration officials will discuss a range of topics including health, HIV/AIDS, domestic and intimate partner violence, mental health, and bullying."

Human Rights Campaign spokesman Michael Cole-Schwartz said the HRC will be in on the meeting, and he praised the effort. "It's a testament to this administration that they are focusing on all elements of the LGBT community, and they should be applauded for hosting an event focused on some of the specific issues impacting bisexual people," he told the Blade.

Lindasusan Ulrich, author of the "Bisexual Invisibility" report released by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, also commented positively on the initiative. "I'm very excited that the White House is holding this roundtable -- it feels like a turning point in the needs of the bi community finally being taken seriously," she told The Advocate. "Given all the disparities bisexuals face in terms of health, suicidality, funding, and a host of other issues, we've got an opportunity here to start a national conversation that could have a positive effect on the largest segment of the LGBTQ community. I hope this will be just the beginning."