Lewis Oakley: "Only 20% of bisexual people are out to all their family..." How to handle ignorance, discrimination and erasure as a bisexual

Bisexuals make up roughly 52% of the LGBTQ+ community but receive around 1% of LGBT grant funding. Lewis Oakley has spent five years trying to fix that, and it all started with him ranting drunk at a stranger in a bar.Lewis didn't realise he was bisexual until he was 19, and his activism began almost by accident: a heated defence of his sexuality at a party led to someone offering him his first writing gig, which snowballed into national columns for Metro and Attitude, an advice column, Ask A Bi Dad, and now his book, Bisexuality: The Basics. He talks candidly about the biphobia he's faced from both straight women and gay men, losing friends after coming out as bisexual rather than gay, and the guilt of watching his partner receive homophobic abuse for being with him.Lewis also opens up about growing up mixed-race in a Jamaican and English family, the family intervention that cancelled a long-planned trip to Jamaica over safety concerns tied to his public profile, and why he's committed to staying visibly bisexual as a father of three rather than quietly disappearing into a "straight-passing" family life. It's a sharp, funny and occasionally furious conversation about erasure, discrimination and what real allyship to the bi+ community actually looks like.GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK IN OUR LISTENER SURVEY ⚡️Lewis Oakley is one of the leading bisexual advocates in the UK, with his work in the LGBTQ space changing attitudes around what it means to be a bisexual man.He appears regularly across radio, TV and podcasts including TalkTV, GB News and most notably, Queer Love Stories. Lewis has successfully kept bisexuality in the media for over five years having written articles for leading publications such as the Metro, Attitude magazine, and Gay Times, as well as answering life problems in his successful column  Ask a Bi Dad.On top of all this, he is a husband, father-of-three and co-host on the unique podcast 'Bisexual Brunch.' Follow Eden on Instagram 💕Follow Lewis on Instagram ⚡️SUPPORT THE PODCASTEden funds this podcast to bring the highest quality content, the most interesting guests, and inspiring conversations while working full-time. Please support the podcast by checking out the links below:Sign up to MisterBnB as a guest or host to support the podcast and find your next adventure.Use my code BBQUEERLOVE at checkout to get 85% off your entire purchase at Skin + Me!Show your support for the free content we create by buying us a coffee - mine's a brown sugar oat shaken espresso 😉CREDITSQueer Love Stories is Hosted and produced by Eden Heath, and mixed by Benji Antonio. Follow Queer Love Stories on Instagram 💕If you or someone you know has a story to share we'd love to hear from you, send us a message on Instagram or email [email protected] your love story started with Kindling Dating Coaching now 💗 Get your first and fifth Daily Doser for just £3.50 from Skin+Me to finally feel confident in your skin!Support the show