Since revealing she's bisexual in a 2011 issue of Esquire, True Blood star Evan Rachel Wood has remained surprisingly open about her relationships and sexuality. With Bisexuality Awareness Week kicking off Sunday (Sept. 20), the actress recently used posts on her Twitter account on Thursday (Sept. 17) to shed some light on the struggles she says bisexuals face within the community, including a personal battle with depression.
Despite the advancements made in the LGBTQ community, such as a Supreme Court ruling on marriage in their favor, or the breakout of transsexual awareness in Hollywood, bisexuality is still a mostly taboo concept. In hopes of spreading some insight on the topic, Wood allowed herself to be completely vulnerable by writing a series of educational and intimate tweets.
The 28-year-old actress was inspired to share her personal experiences after reading a Human Rights Campaign blog post earlier that day called, "Bisexual Adults Face Heightened Risk for Health Issues Including Cancer, STDs and Depression."
"I have battled with myself most of my life because I wasn't gay or straight enough. I used to think I would never be happy. #biphobia," Evan tweeted on Thursday. "I had to go through the same panic and shame and depression a lot of people in the LGBT community go through but when I came out a new found shame took over. Bi-shame. Feeling like people are judging you all over again but for different reasons."
“The reality is that bisexual people face discrimination not only outside of our community, but also from within--
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
--And that can discourage them from engaging in and benefitting from the work that LGBT advocates are doing-- — #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
--to address our mental, physical and sexual health." - HRC
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
I can assure you that whatever "straight privilege" I sometimes get accused of having, gets erased by #biphobia. — #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
Remember, bisexuality doesn't mean halfway between gay or straight. It is its own identity.
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
I think in some cases people don't want to be labeled because they are ashamed to be bisexual. And this needs to stop. — #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
Point being, its ok. We do exist. Don't let anyone make you feel unworthy. No one knows your journey but you. #BisexualAwareness
— #EvanRachelWould (@evanrachelwood) September 17, 2015
Bisexuals are faced with discrimination from people outside of the LGBTQ community, as well as, people from inside that community. Harsh realities about bisexuality were addressed as she quoted important facts from the blog post, like the rate of depression doubling for bisexuals, which is devastating because they are the largest single group within the LGBTQ community.
Celebrities are becoming more and more vocal about taking a stance against issues that plague countries around the world. They have the power to increase awareness with their social presence and it's refreshing to see stars collaborate with organizations to better the lives of others.
After her final tweet on the subject, the Thirteen actress received an outpour of support and positive responses to her personal admission.
