What we’re about
Are you bisexual, pansexual, fluid, omni, ace or otherwise attracted to more than one (or fewer than one) sex or gender? We invite you to join the Bi Brigade — Portland, Oregon's original, homegrown Bi+/mspec community.
Our community is diverse - and we like it that way! We strive to be radically inclusive and actively anti-oppression and we invite you (yes, you!) to join us, regardless of race/ethnicity, nationality, gender, cis/trans status, family and relationship configuration, age, ability, religious beliefs (or lack of them), or economic status. Allies to the Bi+ community are also welcome, with the understanding that we center the voices and experiences of Bi+ folks.
The Bi+ community incorporates a broad family of non-monosexual identities. Of course, all of us embody multiple identities and backrgrounds, and the Bi Brigade is committed to creating safer spaces within our community for those most marginalized in contemporary society. For example, we strive to support and empower people of color and trans/nonbinary folks in our structure, leadership and programs.
Our strength is in our membership, meeting face to face! We host discussion groups, social events with and without alcohol, and picnics, hikes and other outdoor activities. All are led by member-volunteers. While we do occasionally fundraise to help us pay for venues and pay performers, no organizers make money from the Bi Brigade. The vast majority of our events are free to attend, and when we do need to charge a fee, there is always a sliding scale.
We are definitely sex-positive and members do sometimes find connections, but please remember we are not a dating or hookup group. If you are primarily looking for sexual or romantic partners, look elsewhere! We take the safety and security of our members seriously and we will protect the spaces we create for our community. Our moderators may deny applications and remove members who fail to respect our values regarding sexual harassment, racism, transphobia, etc.
All applicants are asked to meet these three requirements:
- A profile picture. We strongly encourage you to use a recognizable photo of yourself - we want to be able to recognize you at events - but we will accept a stealthier picture. (You can set your Meetup preferences so this picture is visible only to our group. Also, you can hide your Meetup group memberships and interests if you wish.)
- A usable name. We will need to know how to address you at events. You can use a pseudonym or just a first name, but usernames like "biboy1473" or "iloveallofthem" don't exactly foster community.
- Thoughtful answers to our application questions. Bi Brigade is community driven, and your responses help us decide what new events to host, among other things.