Bisexuals Overlooked in the Debate on Equal Marriage Rights


September 21, 2004, Washington, DC - In the hundreds of stories written about 'gay marriage' in recent months, one group of people deeply affected by the issue has been left out: bisexuals. According to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, this omission has not only made the record factually incomplete, but has helped contribute to an oversimplification of an emotional-laden and complex issue.

For example, when the Washington Post wrote about the first same-sex couple to marry in Massachusetts on May 17, 2004, its front-page headline read, "A Carefully Considered Rush to the Altar; Lesbian Pair Wed After 7 Years Together," referring to Robyn Ochs and Peg Preble, but the headline was wrong. One of the two, Robyn Ochs, is not only bisexual but a co-founder of the Bisexuality Resource Center and one of the nation's most prominent bisexual leaders for more than 20 years. Even though Ms. Ochs emphasized her orientation as a bisexual in speaking with the reporter, this was never mentioned, other than the article noting that she teaches about bisexuality at Tufts University.

The same thing happened to Toby and Jean Adams of Auburn, CA, who were married in February 2004 when San Francisco started issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Their wedding story was covered by several media outlets, including The Auburn Journal and Salon.com ("Same Sex Family Values," October 20, 2003). While the couple explicitly said that they were both bisexual women, only one of the articles labeled them as such