Chicago’s Bisexual Community Gains Visibility as UIC Launches Bi-Quest

The title alone of a recently released article in the New York Times Magazine, “The Scientific Quest to Prove Bisexuality Exists,” raised debate and concern within the bi and wider LGBTQ communities, with many seeing the necessity to “prove” the existence of bisexuality as simply another instance of bi erasure. The University of Illinois-Chicago, on the other hand, is fighting biphobia by promoting bi visibility and community building — this semester the university (recently named one of the top 25 LGBTQ-friendly schools in the nation) launched its first official group specifically targeting the bi community and the issues it faces.

More at ChicagoPride.com.

WATCH: Politini: GOP Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome Strikes Again

Each week Politini gives you the scoop on why the headlines matter. Another week, another faux controversy created by the Right. Last week Reince Preibus and the RNC feigned outrage over a benign Twitter exchange betweenEbony senior editor Jamilah Lemiuex and RNC Deputy Communications Director Raffi Williams, in which she expressed disinterest over their attempts to woo people of color and mistakenly referred to Williams as “another white guy.”

Via theGrio.

2014 Trans 100 List Unveiled to Celebration

On the eve of the International Transgender Day of Visibility, people from the trans, queer and gender non-conforming communities across the city, state and country filled the Mayne Stage March 30 with an exuberant, resounding celebration of identity, accomplishment, humility, defiance, hope and love.

The names of the 2014 Trans 100 were announced in three groups, by well-known transgender people. There was no fear. No one was hiding. There was no separation of race or economic background; no distinction between showgirl, transgender, transsexual or genderqueer. There was only unity in a community that—as keynote speaker, actress and activist Laverne Cox noted—was in the midst of a revolutionary act of love and support “in a world that tells us we should not exist.”

Continue reading at Windy City Times.

WATCH: “Why So Much Violence Against Queer Black Women?”

In March, a TX man became the prime suspect in the murder of his daughter and her girlfriend. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident—over half of the reported hate murders in 2012 had African-American victims. Why is this number so high? HuffPo Live tackles the question.

Transgender Student Says University Security Humiliated Her

A transgender student at a Charlotte, NC college says she was discriminated against by the university and harassed by security. Andraya Williams, a 22 year-old student at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, was stopped by a security guard as she exited the women’s bathroom and was asked to show her school ID.

“It was very embarrassing and humiliating because I didn’t feel like it was any of her business.” Williams then said she was asked what her gender was by the security officer.

“She outright asked me was I male or female and I told her that I was female. I showed her my ID and she called for backup.”

Read more at Clutch.

LISTEN: Djuan Trent, Former Miss Kentucky, On Why She Came Out As ‘Queer’

“I think it’s one of those words that doesn’t put you in such a box,” [Djuan Trent, Miss Kentucky 2010, told SiriusXM Progress about her decision to come out as "queer"]. “If you choose other labels, sometimes you feel like you’re in a bit of a box. My favorite example, that I always love to use, is that girls I went to college with, who ran all around campus waving rainbow flags — they were like, ‘Lesbian for life! Yeah, forever!’ And now, how ever many years later, I’m seeing them on Facebook and they’re like, ‘He proposed, and I said, “yes!”’ And I’m looking, like, ‘What?!’ So I think that ‘queer’ is one of those things that… it is more inclusive. It kind of opens to a whole other conversation about the fluidity of sexuality and being able to embrace that.”

Listen to the interview full here.