The UK BiCon is the largest and most consistent annual gathering of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's bisexual community

Bisexual community

Bisexual community is a term used to describe members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, "fluid", and queer-identified, as well as their allies...

. It is also the world's longest running bisexual community event.

While the format does vary, the common format is a long weekend over 4 days consisting of workshops, discussions, meetings and social events. Although being billed as a "bisexual" event, it is open to partners of bisexuals, supporters, non-bisexuals, non-definers, and anyone else interested in the issues around bisexuality

Bisexuality

Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...

. To that extent it can often be characterised as a nexus of the sexual freedom and queer

Queer

Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...

 movements. Each BiCon event usually attracts between 200 and 400 people.

History

In December 1984 the London Bisexual Group (in association with the now defunct zine

Zine

A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....

 Bi-Monthly) ran a conference called "The Politics of Bisexuality" at The Factory Community Project in Highbury. Around 40 people braved the icy weather to attend and judged the event to be a huge success. A second event was then attended by over fifty people in April 1985. Unfortunately the venue used, the London Lesbian and Gay Centre

London Lesbian and Gay Centre

The London Lesbian and Gay Centre was a lesbian and gay community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment....

, had just decided to ban bisexuals (and some other groups) from their premises. This did not stop the conferences which soon gained popularity in a Britain devoid of bisexual-focused events.

That following October the Edinburgh Bisexual Group took up the torch and ran an event called "Bisexuality and the Politics of Sex". This established the idea of conferences moving around the nation. The next was run by a bisexual women's group in London. By this point the community was starting to know what they wanted from BiCon - a chance to meet other bisexuals (and their allies) from across the country, discuss sexuality

Human sexuality

Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...

 issues, relax in the company of likeminded folk and network.

Armed with an agreed purpose, for the next few years the conference alternated between venues in London and Edinburgh. Then in 1989 it branched out to Coventry. As well as being the first one outside the two capitals, it was also the first to be residential (previously, people from outside the host city had either booked accommodation privately or stayed with local attendees: 'crash space') and to use the name 'BiCon', in part because of the organisers' and venue's experience with SF Cons

Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

 (Science Fiction conventions).

A range of cities and towns have hosted it since. Over time BiCon has evolved to fit with the needs of the community. The word 'conference' has been largely replaced by 'convention', but there is still a political and campaigning side to the event. In recent years the momentum behind the event has spawned a number of off-shoots, such as 'BabyBiCon', BiFest

BiFest

A BiFest is a one-day festival celebrating bisexuality, usually with workshops and discussions during the day and social events in the evening, complementing the larger convention BiCon...

 and the 'Bi Academic Conference', which have concentrated themselves on particular aspects covered by BiCon.

Past events

Name	Dates	Venue	City	Attendance	Residential?
The Politics of Bisexuality	December 1984	The Factory Community Project	London	40	no
2nd Politics of Bisexuality Conference	April 1985	London Lesbian and Gay Centre London Lesbian and Gay Centre The London Lesbian and Gay Centre was a lesbian and gay community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment....	London	50+	no
Bisexuality and the Politics of Sex	October 1985	The Pleasance Student Centre	Edinburgh	52	no
4th National Bisexual Conference	July 1986	The Mary Ward Centre, Bloomsbury	London	70	no
5th National Bisexual Conference	? 1987	The Pleasance Student Centre	Edinburgh	119	no
6th National Bisexual Conference	October 1988	Friends Meeting House, Hamstead,	London	154	no
BiCon 7 : The 7th National Bisexual Conference	26-30 August 1989	Coventry Polytechnic (now Coventry University Coventry University Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University... )	Coventry	200-?	yes
8th National Bisexual Conference	? 1990	Tollcross Community Centre	Edinburgh	200+	no
9th National Bisexual Conference	? 1991	University of London Union University of London Union The University of London Union is the university-wide students' union for the University of London...	London	240+	no
BiCon 10	26-30 August 1992	University of East Anglia University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...	Norwich	200	yes
BiCon 11	? 1993	University of Nottingham University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...	Nottingham	250+	yes
BiCon 12	? 1994	Methodist Central Hall	Edinburgh	~200	no
13iCon	1-3 September 1995	University of Central England Birmingham City University Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...	Birmingham	245	yes
BiCon 14	30 August - 1 September 1996	Kingston University Kingston University Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992.... , Kingston-upon-Thames	London	250	yes
BiCon 97 / BiCon 15	28-31 August 1997	University of Greenwich University of Greenwich The University of Greenwich is a British university located in the London Borough of Greenwich, London, England. The main campus is located on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, a central location within the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:The history of the... , Woolwich	London	180	yes
BiCon 98 / BiCon 16	4-6 September 1998	New Hall, Cambridge New Hall, Cambridge Murray Edwards College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It was founded as "New Hall" in 1954, at a time when Cambridge had the lowest proportion of women undergraduates of any university in the United Kingdom, and when only two other colleges admitted women...	Cambridge	?	yes
BiCon 1999 / BiCon 17	16-18 July 1999	Pollock Halls (Edinburgh University)	Edinburgh	201	yes
BiCon 2000 / BiCon 18 (incorporating the 6th ICB International Conference on Bisexuality The International Conference on Bisexuality , also known as the International BiCon is a periodic gathering of bisexual activists and academics from around the world.... )	24-28 August 2000	Owens Park Campus, University of Manchester University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...	Manchester	265	yes
BiCon 2001	24-27 August 2001	Singer Hall and main campus, Coventry University Coventry University Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University...	Coventry	169	yes
BiCon 2002	16-18 August 2002	College Hall, University of Leicester University of Leicester The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....	Leicester	189	yes
BiCon 2003	22-25 August 2003	Docklands Campus, University of East London University of East London The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...	London	237	yes
BiCon 2004	26-30 August 2004	Fallowfield Campus, University of Manchester University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...	Manchester	273	yes
BiCon 2005	25-29 August 2005	University College Worcester University of Worcester The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...	Worcester	(+170)	yes
BiCon 2006	13-17 July 2006	Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland.The university was constituted by an Act of Parliament on 1 April 1993 as a result of a merger between Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow....	Glasgow	200	yes
BiCon 2007	16 - 20 August 2007	Trefforest Campus, University of Glamorgan University of Glamorgan The University of Glamorgan is a university based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales with campuses in Treforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil, Tyn y Wern and Cardiff...	Pontypridd Pontypridd Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff... , nr Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...	246	yes
BiCon 2008	28-31 August 2008	Gilbert Murray Hall, University of Leicester University of Leicester The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....	Leicester	250	yes
BiCon 2009	20-23 August 2009	St. John's Campus, University of Worcester University of Worcester The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...	Worcester	~235	yes
BiCon 2010 & the 10th ICB International Conference on Bisexuality The International Conference on Bisexuality , also known as the International BiCon is a periodic gathering of bisexual activists and academics from around the world....	26-30 August 2010	Docklands Campus, University of East London University of East London The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...	London	~460	yes
Bicon 2011	1-4 September 2011	Gilbert Murray Hall, University of Leicester University of Leicester The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....	Leicester	297	yes

Future events

Name	Year	Dates	Venue	City
BiCon 2012	2012	9-13 August 2012	Bradford University campus	Bradford

BabyBiCon

A spin-off event BabyBiCon, aimed at bisexual youth (under-26's) was held in Manchester on 5-7 June 1998. It was organised at the Ardwick Youth Club by the group 'BiYouth' (folded in 2000) with support from a couple of local lesbian & gay youth projects. While attracting around 25 people, discussions of holding successor events in 1999 and 2000 led to nothing.

External links

• Official website
• BiCon (UK) at LiveJournal
• BiCon 2009
• BiCon 2010
• BiCon 2011