B.E.C.A.U.S.E. Conference

(Bisexual Empowerment Conference, A Uniting Supportive Experience ) Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis (1991-2010)

The history of bisexual people in Minnesota was largely the history of individuals, relationships, and small groups—bisexual organizing met ridicule or indifference until the early 1990s. This was notably the case with the Twin Cities Pride Festival in 1976, when bisexual activists wanted the year’s theme to cleverly play on America’s bicentennial. Unfortunately, the activists were wholly ignored.(1)

The oldest running national bisexual group, BiNet USA, began with a gathering of bisexual people at the 1987 March on Washington.(2) The organization held its first conference in 1990—three years later, “BiNet” came to Minneapolis. This meeting brought organizers from all ends of the nation together; these 55 people discussed bisexuality and HIV/AIDS, bisexual transgender people, and the presence of bisexuals at upcoming national events.(3)

The history of queer organizing at the “U of M” is a history of LGBT pioneers: bisexual students reportedly formed Bi Alliance in 1968 (4) (making the group one of the first in the nation), and students formed F.R.E.E. one year later, in 1969.	A photo of the B.E.C.A.U.S.E. Conference in 1999. Courtesy of the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection.

Art Freehardt, Lou Hoffman, Gary Lingen, and Martin Quam organized the third BECAUSE Conference at Coffman Memorial Union—the University of Minnesota’s student union building.(5) The conference program (April 22nd and 23rd) was filled with discussions on “Alternatives to Monagamy,” “Sex Party Etiquette,” and other topics. (6) Radical author Carol Queen spoke to participants on Sunday; she once wrote “I use my bisexual wits to cross boundaries, crack codes, and bring back a store of secret information that society would like to use to keep us all in thrall.”(7)

The conference’s title may seem a bit forced, but it is a clever response to a common question: why not choose straight or gay? “Because,” said one of the founders “we would rather live with our questions than die with our stale certainties.” (8)

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(1)Tretter, Jean-Nickolaus. Interview with the author and Jacob Gentz. 1/16/2009

(2) Southgate, David. “National Bisexual Group Asserts Distinct Identity.” Equal Time, 8/14-8/28, 1992. Page 1-2.

(3) Ibid.

(4)http://www.binetusa.org/bihealth.html

(5)Gaze Magazine, Issue 213: 4/1/1994. “Contents” Page 9.

(6)Matthesen, Elise. “”Because We’re Bi, That’s Why!” Gaze Magazine, Issue 213: 4/1/1994. Pages 34-37.

(7) Ibid.

(8) Ibid.

Part of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: 100 Queer Places in Minnesota History, (1860-1969), (1969-2010)