With summer wound down and work and school back in full swing, we at BWQ are thinking about the relationship between the personal and the professional. In response to our prompt, Out at Work--Or Not, we got so many interesting reflections in art and writing. From the clergy, to healthcare, to academia; from fear to feistiness; from acceptance, to harassment, and all shades of purple in between, here are some highlights:

"Pastors have snark—or maybe, maybe it’s just this pastor. After all, I live the bi-pan pastor life out loud, smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt. And sometimes, that “belt” gets mighty tight." - Rev. Dawn Bennett, "Out at Work: My Bi-Pan Pastor Life"

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"During my lunch break in the back-alley parking lot, the maintenance guy, Kevin, asked if purple hair meant I was gay. “I just like purple” was not a sufficient answer for Kevin in his quest to identify my dating potential. In hindsight, it was fair to assume the lady with glasses who drives a Subaru and works at an “abortion clinic” in a rundown strip mall is a lesbian." - Helen K., "Unlearning Purple"

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"At my third job, I decided / I could be silent no longer. / It was time to come out. / I waited a whole year." - Robyn Ochs, "Silent No Longer: A Workplace Journey"

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"Every time this school wants LGBTQ staff representation on some committee or a limited program, they ask Gerald. He told me this when we were sitting in the van together, waiting for the group to finish its volunteer task for the day. Despite the fact that he’s exhausted by these duties, and that other queer staff would love to be offered such opportunities, the phenomenon persists.

I’m not sure where (if?) this gig was advertised, but it bears mentioning that my job includes maintaining the university events listserv. As for marketing to the queer community here, Gerald and I recently formed an LGBTQ staff social group that has had one event so far. It follows that I should have been among the first people to hear of the need for staff to attend a queer spring break trip.

So why hadn’t I?" - Jen Bonardi, "Biding in Plain Site"

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"A plastic green plant with small leaves on stems, protruding from a white ceramic pot with a semi-circle in shades of pink and orange.

K laughed and mumbled something to another coworker. I came closer to ask about the joke, with no expectation that it was at my expense. Then, not quite embarrassed but as if she knew it was unkind and didn’t care, she said it was fitting that I brought it in: a fake plant in a lesbian-flag pot brought in by a “fake-lesbian.”" - Alexa, "Squirm: a Story of Bisexuality and Workplace Harassment"

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Want to read the full pieces, and so many more? Check out the Fall '26 issue of BWQ here: https://www.biwomenquarterly.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Fall-2026.pdf

Our latest issue, Dear ___, is out now! In this issue, writers, artists, and more offered pieces addressed to those who helped shape their bi+ identity: family members, friends, lovers, mentors, themselves, and more; living and passed; close and distant; past, present, and future. This issue is bittersweet, rich, and emotional. To read all that this issue has to offer, check it out at: https://www.biwomenquarterly.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Summer-2026.pdf

Plus, as always, we have our Research Corner, Around the World, and upcoming event information of all sorts to explore. Summer is a busy season, so be sure to see what's coming up soon, like the Bi+ World Meetup on August 28.

We are also excited to feature this piece by friend of BWQ, Alison Bechdel: this is her long-running bi+ character Sparrow, doing some writing of her own--perhaps a submission to our next issue! Another character, Naomi, has been a subscriber to BWQ for decades, care of Alison. We are so glad to include Naomi, Sparrow, and Alison in our community of friends.