On September 26, 2016, Dr. Brian Dodge was proud to join with more than 100+ scientists, federal agents, and advocates from the bisexual community for a very special event at the White House in Washington, D.C. The Bisexual Community Briefing, the third event specifically bringing together bisexual people, was hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement to mark the conclusion of Bisexual Awareness Week. The community briefing featured discussions on the steps that community leaders and Administration officials have taken together to support bisexual individuals in the U.S. It also underlined the challenges ahead in the community, specifically related to disproportionate risks of mental and physical health concerns, poverty, addiction, and violence – and the need for fully inclusive federal non-discrimination protections for bisexual men, women, trans*, and other individuals.
From left to right: Angela Dellara (Freedom for All Americans), Dr. Brian Dodge (Indiana University), and David A. Dodge (attorney at law).
In addition to sharing highlights from recent bisexual health research conducted at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion (forthcoming in PLoS One), Dr. Dodge was joined by his father (IU School of Law alumnus David A. Dodge, ‘70) to discuss the importance of positive family relationships in improving health and well-being among bisexual individuals, who comprise a public health population that continues to bear highly disparate rates of physical, mental, and other health issues relative to exclusively heterosexual and exclusively homosexual populations. Findings from his research have also been translated into a series of policy briefs (specifically focusing on HIV/AIDS and mental health) that are being routed through a variety of federal agencies and channels.
A summary of the White House Bisexual Community Briefing may be found at the White House website, as well as at Freedom for All Americans, whose #BiStories project Dr. Dodge and his father participated in.