BI BI BABY is back for a second year, and the event’s organizers are renewing their calls for more bisexual visibility in the community.
Megan Apa, Kristine Harding and Victoria Gubiani are the bisexual co-founders of Something Creative and organizers of the event. They recalled to the Toronto Observer their outings where they always felt out of place as a real struggle.
There was nowhere they felt truly accepted and where they could connect people with other bisexual and pansexual people because there wasn’t a community for them, Apa shared.
“There was no in-between. It felt like when you would go to a straight bar, you’re too gay for a straight bar, but too straight for a gay bar,” Apa said.
That’s why they felt the need to create a space created especially for bisexuals.
BI BI BABY celebrates bisexuality on Bisexual Visibility Day, Sept. 23. The event, held at Revival Event Venue on College Street, is an immersive experience that showcases various art installations, dance, and more.
Attendees can explore the event’s first-ever bi-market, and find lots of unique art pieces, as well as interact with art installations throughout the venue.
Bisexuality describes a person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to men, women and non-binary people.
Events, rallies, community driven projects help boost representation and visibility for the LGBTQ2+ community, which represents approximately one million people in Canada, according to Statistics Canada.
It is important to have representation and events that offer a safe space to be yourself. These spaces multiply, which makes the country itself more welcoming. According to the 2021 study made by UCLA Williams Institute Canada is at the fifth most accepting country in the world.
Events like BI BI BABY allow people who are new to the LGBTQ2+ community to explore their identities.
“I was hiding a big, romantic part of me,” said Morgan Tessier, poet and installation artist at BI BI BABY. “But understanding this part of myself, as bisexual, and liking a broader spectrum of people than I thought I could, have helped me be able to express myself more confidently and kind of in a weird way which innately is queer.”
Finding a place of authenticity, positivity, and creativity are values this event aims to express while exploring bisexuality through art.
“It’s more than just playing a playlist, you kind of want to tell a bit of a story to the audience through music and the vibes that you’re creating,” Harding said. Using art allows people from and outside the Queer community to learn about bisexuality.
For example, last year BI BI BABY showcased the bisexual chairs installation. “I was inspired by the queer community, because it’s this idea that bisexuals can’t sit properly in chairs. So, creating little moments like that in art is where I get really inspired based off of this community that we all have and these bisexualisms,” Apa said.
There will be 20 artists present at Revival in Toronto. On the lower level, vendors will display their art for purchase and a tattoo artist will do live tattooing. There will even be a tooth gem artist for those who dare to be spontaneous.
For Tessier, being bisexual has given her the confidence and a lot more perspective on things she can write about as a poet. Through her art, she shows people who she is, and they can understand her better since there is nothing hidden anymore.
“I wanted to submit my work to a space where I knew it will be safe, understood, and specially designed for bisexuals … especially for someone who is discovering all of these new and exciting things about bisexuality and the queer community,” said Tessier.
Poetry and paintings aren’t the only things guests will experience. There will be three dance performances throughout the night, and a dance party everyone can enjoy until 2 a.m.
Everyone is welcome at BI BI BABY regardless of their sexual orientation. This event tries to foster its community and expand it to people that are “from other parts of the Alphabet,” as Harding puts it.
“People are just constantly meeting, chatting and finding new friends,” Gubiani said.
“it is always easier to divide than to unite, and so with events like these, it is opening up the community to observers, allies, to people who wish to learn, and people who want to have more empathy,” said Emmy Tran, painter and installation artist for BI BI BABY.
Even though BI BI BABY is an opportunity to celebrate love and express the freedom to choose who to be with, events such as this one bring out the conversation on ongoing issues and stereotypes the LGBTQ2+ community faces said Tran.
For example, the ongoing protests on gender identity programs in Canadians schools by 1 Milion March 4 Children happened this week. These protests took place all over the country, as seen in Montreal on Sept. 19 and in Calgary on Sept. 20, as well as other cities. This organization advocates on eliminating “gender ideology,” mixed bathrooms in school and use of non-binary pronouns.
Tessier mentions an evening out with friends labeling her as a lesbian, now that she is dating a woman. She replied “No I’m bi, I like women but I also like men, it does not have to fit in a box.”
“This is what we are about, we are about love, we are about inclusivity, and finding the joy in being ourselves and being authentic,” Tran said. “Enough of the suffering, we want to be happy, and have spaces where we can exist as individuals and not just as the alphabet mafia, as some would call us.”
Something Creative is an event company founded by Apa, Harding and Gubiani, that works with various artists throughout the city. They create immersive parties showcasing art installations and supporting local artists by working with them in their events.
“We are here, we are real, this is how we feel, come celebrate it,” Gubiani said.
BI BI BABY will take place on Sept. 23 at Revival on 783 College Street. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the event ends at 2:00 a.m. You can purchase your ticket via the Something Linktree, tickets start from $36.32. For more information, head to their Instagram @somethingcreative.co or on their website something-creative.co.