BiPhoria: Bisexual Space and Voice since 1994
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Bis on TV

We ran this workshop at the People's History Museum in collaboration with Manchester Pride in 2022.

As part of it we asked people about their key bi moments on TV - that character who inspired them or that representation of bisexuality or biphobia that leapt out to them.

We have collated them into a list based on the air dates of the shows...

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Who we loved...

1988

Roseanne

Not until a few seasons in but Nancy (Sandra Bernhardt) was openly and consistently bisexual across years and years of the show, in the early 90s when that was rare. Even better as a bi actress it was "bi plays bi".

1997

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow dates Oz and Tara (and others) - dates people of different genders but the B word isn't "said" 

1998

Powerpuff Girls

Him - was a villain, camp, fun, cartoon, fake and cool af.

2009

RuPaul's Drag Race

Courtney Act - bisexuality was not brought up in RuPaul's Drag Race, but later hosted The Bi Life (see below).

2009

Glee

Brittney - her lesbian girlfriend and other gay characters were discussed, however her sexuality was not addressed.

2014

The 100

Clarke Griffin - main character. The word went unaddressed, the sasme as the other LGBTQ+ characters in the show.

2015

Schitt's Creek

David described as pansexual and a very welcoming portrayal. The wine analogy is everything! I use it to explain bi/pan all the time.

2016

Shadowhunters (The Mortal Instruments)

Magnus bane - actually described as a 'freewheeling bisexual'.

2016

The Good Place

Tahani and Eleanor.  No labels placed but it is implied and no-one bats an eyelid. 

2017

The Bold Type

Kat Edison (Aisha Dee) addresses the invalidation of the bi experience even within LGBTQ spaces, being called "fence sitter" or a "pit stop before coming out as gay".

2018

The Bi Life

Bisexual dating show with Courtney Act now definitely saying the word!

2018

She-Ra

Netflix series. Sea-Hawk is canonically bi.

2018

Killing Eve

 

2019

Gentleman Jack

Based on the life of Anne Lister. Hard to tell the motivations of characters, due to being period drama and the social expectations of the time.

2019

Euphoria

Jules is bi - its addressed later in the show when she starts dating a woman.

2022

Heartstopper

Nick Nelson. Show based on a comic, it explores Nick realising he's bi and his journey coming out.

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Further Reading

Want more about bi representation on TV and in film?

BiMediaWatch is the regular column in Bi Community News, the UK's quarterly bi magazine. Read it here (or subscribe and get it to your door).