"London calling to the underworld: come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls"
The Clash - London Calling
The bi scene in London is ... quieter than you might expect. The London Bisexual Group - which met for over 20 years every Friday at the London Friend in King's Cross - recently went on hiatus, and SM Bisexuals folded a few of years ago. Every so often a bi group starts with good intention but often folds after a year or so because there's not quite enough interest.
Happily, with both Bisexual Underground and the Bi Women's Group going strong,the recent Coffee Afternoon starting up, and with London hosting its fifth annual BiFest this year, life as a bisexual in the city is starting to feel a lot less isolated in the future.
The following are London-based bisexual groups and resources:
Meets on the second Tuesday of every month in the upstairs bar at The Blue Posts on Newman Street (just North of Oxford Street). The Bisexual Underground aims to be a new sort of night out for London's bisexuals, while also being a very traditional night out for Londoners. We have exclusive use of our own bar, with plenty of seating, a non-smoking area, good beers and excellent pub grub. www.bisexualunderground.org
Meets every Wednesday at the Glass Bar from 7.30 – 9.30pm at the Glass Bar. London Bi-Women is a friendly social, discussion and support group for all bisexual women whatever relationship they are currently in. The London Bisexual Women’s Group is open to all women regardless of sexuality so long as they are bi-friendly. lbiwomen.bi.org
Meets at 3-6pm on the fourth Saturday of the month at a cafe in central London. New venue: Leon, Spitalfields Market. Come and go as you please. Respect each other. Newcomers and quiet people are most welcome. The venue is wheelchair-accessible. bi.org/bicoffeelondon/
Annual one-day event celebrating bisexuality in the capital. There's a full progamme of icebreaking and informative sessions during the day, and a disco in the evening. The next one will be on 16 May 2009. london.bifest.org
See also the following national resources:
Annual national conference/convention for bisexuals, held in different venues throughout the country each year. In 2009, it's going to be held in Worcester on 20– 24 August. www.bicon2009.org.uk
This is the national newsletter for UK bisexuals, published roughly every two months. www.bicommunitynews.co.uk
Bisexuality exists. It is real. The Bisexual Index is here to point this out to people, to highlight biphobia and to direct you to the UK's bisexual community. www.bisexualindex.org.uk
On-line hub for bisexual resources in the UK and internationally. www.bi.org