How to Go to a Bisexual Support Group

It can require tremendous amounts of self-awareness and courage to live as a bisexual, and many bisexual people find that they gain strength by participating in a bisexual support group. Such groups can also be an excellent way to meet other bisexual people, to participate in enjoyable activities together and to take reflective time away from your everyday life.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Consider making contact with a group leader, facilitator or member beforehand to help ensure that you are choosing a bisexual support group that meets your needs. Find out before you go whether the group is open to people who are curious, closeted or clear about being bisexual.
2. Make sure that you understand, are comfortable with and respect the expectations regarding anonymity and confidentiality in any bisexual support group before you go.
3. Find out in advance whether a support group is also open to gay or lesbian people, since this may have an effect on the extent to which it can focus on bisexual issues and concerns.
4. Go to a community-based organization that works with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people in your community to ask for information and listings on bisexual support groups in the area. Meetings may also be listed in periodicals or websites that focus on your community's LGBT population.
5. Try an online forum, such as the discussion mailing lists at Bisexual.org, to find a support group on the Internet (see Resources below). You lose the face-to-face experience in such a group, but some users enjoy the large population of participants, the anonymity and the convenience of participating from home.
6. Check the Google Directory of Bisexual Organizations to get contact information on bisexual organizations in your area and around the world (see Resources below).
7. Start a new bisexual support group if one does not already exist in your area. For good ideas about how to proceed, read the article entitled "How To Start A Bisexual Support Group" on the website of the Bisexual Resource Center (see Resourcesd below).

Tips & Warnings

• Bisexual support groups often combine support with social activities. Consider bringing a bisexual friend when you attend a group meeting. It may be a nice shared experience, and you may feel more comfortable opening up in the group if there is one other person there whom you know and trust.