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Call for Papers

BiReCon 2012: Bisexuality and mental health

Please circulate

Research suggests that bisexual people are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidality than lesbian, gay or heterosexual people. Biphobia and bisexual invisibility can mean that if bi people seek help from health professionals and therapists they are not always well supported. However it is also clear that many bisexual people experience benefits to their mental wellbeing from being bi, such as a sense of independence, self-awareness and authenticity and an ability to develop identities and relationships without restrictions. In this conference we aim to explore both mental health problems and mental wellbeing for bisexual people.

BiReCon is a conference for anyone with an interest in contributing to, or finding out about, current work on bisexuality. The conference aims to bring together academics, professionals, activists, and the bisexual community. It is organised by BiUK (www.biuk.org) and is held every two years – see the BiUK website for information about past BiReCons. This year it will take place on Thursday 9^th August 2012 at Bradford University. 

We invite papers and workshop sessions on these and other related themes:

• Bisexuality and mental health problems
• Bisexuality and mental wellbeing, resilience and adaptability
• Bisexual people's access to, and experiences of, mental health services
• Bisexuality and therapy
• Representations of bisexuality and mental health issues in media, culture and literature
• Intersections with other aspects of experience such as physical disability, age, race/ethnicity, nationality, gender (both trans- and cis-gender) and social class.

We welcome papers from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines: social sciences, health sciences, humanities, therapeutic practitioners, activists etc. During the day there will be opportunities to:

• Find out about issues affecting bisexual people
• Hear from experts about cutting-edge research on bisexuality
• Discuss ways in which organisations can better work with, and for, bisexual people, drawing on good practice
• Take part in workshops on specific issues

If you would like to present your research at BiReCon, please provide a 250 word abstract and a brief biography, by 29^thFebruary 2012 to birecon2012@biuk.org

If you are interested in facilitating a workshop at BiReCon, which can include data gathering for current projects or research, then please email birecon2012@biuk.org with a brief description of your workshop by 29^th February 2012

For attendees, please watch www.biuk.org and www.bicon2012.org.uk for registration details.

BiUK and BiReCon are community organisations so unfortunately there are no funds for presenters or travel expenses. However, BiReCon provides an excellent opportunity to network with others working in the field, to share good practice, and there will be spaces available to conduct research which fits within the ethos of the event.