Openly πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ Profile picture
Sep 23, 2022 β€’ 11 tweets β€’ 5 min read β€’ Read on X
🌈 Today we celebrate #BiVisibilityDay!

🚨 Bisexual people continue to face erasure.

❌ Bi discrimination is often based on incorrect stereotypes – like being bi is a phase or a trend.

πŸ‘© But these 9 famous faces from history tell a different story. 🧡 Painting of Frida Kahlo with monkeysPhoto of HC Andersen Photo of Josephine BakerPhoto of Alec Guinness
Ma Rainey (1886-1939)

🎀 Nicknamed "The Mother of Blues", Rainey was one of the earliest and most influential singers within the genre.

πŸ’˜ While she sang about men, she was equally as open in her lyrics about her love for women – most famously in "Prove It on Me Blues". Photo of Ma Rainey
Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798)

πŸ’‹ While Casanova's name has become synonymous with seducing women, the infamous lover also recorded sleeping with men on several occasions.

πŸ“• His memoirs are now thought to be one of the most authentic sources of 18th-century European social life. Painting of Casanova
Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992)

πŸ‘©β€β€οΈβ€πŸ’‹β€πŸ‘© Dietrich became the first lead actress to kiss a woman in the 1930 film Morocco, and was known throughout her career for her androgyny.

πŸ“½οΈ She was part of the "sewing circle" of queer Hollywood actresses at the time – which included Greta Garbo. Photo of Marlene Dietrich
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

πŸ§œβ€β™€οΈ The Danish author is best known as the king of fairy tales, with works including "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling".

βœ’οΈ Although he published mainly fiction, he wrote in his diary about his attraction to both men and women. Photo of HC Andersen
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

πŸ–ŒοΈ Considered one of the most famous female painters of all time, her work has been celebrated for exploring themes such as gender, race, disability and sexuality.

🎨 Kahlo's expressive self-portraits made her distinct look into a feminist symbol. Painting of Frida Kahlo with monkeys
Alec Guinness (1914-2000)

🌌 Guinness was perhaps best known for being the original Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars", but his acting won acclaim across cinema, theatre nd TV.

🎞️ While he avoided talking about his bisexuality publicly, it was well known to his family and friends. Photo of Alec Guinness
Josephine Baker (1906-1975)

🎭 Featuring in one of the first Black Broadway shows, the American entertainer quickly rose to fame around the world.

πŸ•΅πŸΎβ€β™€οΈ Baker was also active in the civil rights movement and worked as a French Resistance agent during WW2. Photo of Josephine Baker
Lord Byron (1788-1824)

βœ’οΈ Byron is considered one of the greatest English poets, having penned works like "Don Juan", which is still widely read.

πŸ‘¨β€β€οΈβ€πŸ’‹β€πŸ‘¨ His relationships with men and women scandalised the public at the time, and his private life led to as much fame as his writing. Drawing of Lord Byron
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ She became the longest-serving First Lady in the U.S. during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office.

πŸ“’ Roosevelt changed the role of a First Lady with her active work for human and women's rights while in the White House. Photo of Eleanor Roosevelt
πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ Do you know of other bisexual people throughout history who should have more visibility?

πŸ‘‡ Share with us below!

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More from @Openly

Nov 17, 2022
❓ Are we facing a trans ageing crisis?

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Around 1 in 200 Americans aged 65 and over are trans.

πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ As the first generation of trans people reaches old age, healthcare systems are unprepared.

🌈 For #TransAwarenessWeek, we spoke to trans people about growing old. 🧡
πŸ”΄ Social isolation
πŸ”΄ Housing discrimination
πŸ”΄ Lack of safe medical spaces
πŸ”΄ ...and much more.

πŸ‘΅ The challenges trans elders face are often similar to those faced by trans people of all ages, but exacerbated as they get older, says Kylie Madhav, senior director at @sageusa.
πŸ“½οΈ Elizabeth Coffey was a star in the early films of cult film-maker John Waters.

πŸ₯ While breaking ground for trans representation on screen, she faced rejection when seeking medical care.

πŸ’Š Later in life, hormone replacement therapy has caused issues, she told @Openly.
Read 11 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
πŸ† Nominations for the #GRAMMYs are out!

πŸŽ™οΈ @kimpetras, @ladygaga and @RandyRainbow are among the many #LGBTQ+ artists nominated for the 2023 Awards.

🎢 Let's take a look at some of this year's queer nominations. 🧡 Grammy Awards trophies
🎡 @brandicarlile is one of the most nominated artists this year – coming in just behind @Beyonce and @kendricklamar, and being tied with @Adele on seven nominations.

πŸ’Ώ For the second time, she might snap up the coveted 'Album of the Year'. Brandi Carlile arrives at t...
🌈 @RandyRainbow has been nominated for his first-ever Grammy.

🧠 The comedian and songwriter is up for the 'Best Comedy Album' award for 'A Little Brains, a Little Talent'.
Read 9 tweets
Oct 19, 2022
πŸ’­ Do you know how to use gender-neutral pronouns in your native tongue?

πŸ—£οΈ On #InternationalPronounsDay, we're taking a deep-dive into non-binary pronouns in a range of languages.

🌍 Join us on a linguistic trip around the world.
πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ Spanish

Pronouns, nouns and adjectives are gendered in Spanish.

The suffixes -o and -a are the most common gender markers, but many non-binary people now replace them with an -e instead.

πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ English

Although not entirely genderless, the English language is more inclusive than many.

While you've probably heard of the increasingly popular 'they/them' as alternative pronouns, others are also becoming popular.

Many use neo-pronouns, including 'xe', 'ze' and 'co'. People protesting for trans and non-binary rights
Read 12 tweets
Oct 8, 2022
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡· Welcome to Lesbos, Greece.

πŸ‘©β€β€οΈβ€πŸ‘© The Greek island is inhabited by 115,000 Lesbians, but has also given its name to women loving women worldwide.

🌈 For #InternationalLesbianDay, let's take a look at the history of the word "lesbian". 🧡 Photo of harbour on LesbosPainting of Sappho
πŸ›οΈ From the Iliad to the Odyssey, Lesbos has had a central part in Ancient Greek history.

βœ’οΈ One of its most famous inhabitants was the 6th century B.C. poet Sappho, whose lyrical poems explored her love of women and their beauty – sometimes even venturing into the erotic. Fresco of Sappho
πŸ‘© Sappho was regarded as one of the greatest poets of her time.

πŸ“œ Today, not much is known about her life, and much of her work has been lost over the centuries.

πŸ‘©β€β€οΈβ€πŸ’‹β€πŸ‘© But Sappho's homoerotic writing – and possible personal life – has been discussed since Hellenistic times. Drawing of Sappho
Read 9 tweets
Oct 7, 2022
✊🏿 Black, British and queer – but often overlooked.

πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ It's #BlackHistoryMonth in the UK and we're looking at those who shaped Black British queer history - and those still changing the world today.

🌈 Here are some of the Black #LGBTQ+ pioneers you should know. 🧡 Reginald Foresythe plays the piano Photo portrait of Claude McKay Ken "Snakehips" Johnson performing Photo portrait of Rotimi Fani-Kayode
Ken "Snakehips" Johnson (1914-1941)

🎷 A jazz bandleader and dancer, Johnson was a leading figure in Black British music in the '30s and '40s.

πŸŽ™οΈ Part of the first Black British band in residency at the infamous CafΓ© de Paris, he died when the club got bombed during the Blitz. Ken "Snakehips" Johnson performing
Demi Stokes (b.1991)

⚽️ The @ManCity and England player was part of the Euro 2022 winning team, which has been credited with spiking interest in women's football.

πŸ† Stokes came out publicly last year by announcing she was expecting a child with her partner Katie. Demi Stokes holds up a trophy
Read 12 tweets
Sep 30, 2022
🚨 America's most frequently banned books are LGBTQ+.

πŸ“š U.S. schools banned more than 674 titles in the past year featuring LGBTQ+ themes or characters, @PENamerica found.

πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ 9% of these had trans storylines.

πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ Let's take a look at the most censored queer books. 🧡 Book cover of Gender QueerBook cover of Beyond MagentaBook cover of All Boys Aren...Book cover of This Book Is Gay
"Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe

⛔️ Kobabe's 2019 debut graphic memoir is the most banned book in America, having been outlawed by 41 school districts.

βœ’οΈ The coming-of-age story follows Kobabe's exploration of gender identity while coming out as non-binary. Book cover of Gender Queer
"All Boys Aren’t Blue" by @IamGMJohnson

🌈 The second-most banned LGBTQ+ book in American schools is a "memoir-manifesto" that explores growing up Black and queer.

🚫 Queer sex and sexual trauma are the reasons cited by 29 districts for removing the book from their shelves. Book cover of All Boys Aren...
Read 9 tweets

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