- Taken during Out Loud Interview at KBOO
Lynnette McFadzen – Co-Host and Producer
Hi! My name is Lynnette and I am proud member of The BiCast crew. I am a 57 year old Cisgender out and proud bisexual female. I was born in Porterville, California but grew up mainly in Oregon. I have lived in LA and Tucson in the past but now call The City of Roses my home. Portland, Oregon is a progressive and amazing place to a be part of. And very beautiful.
I have worn many hats in my life including nurse, waitress, factory worker, fast food worker, Customer Service Representative to name a few. I obtained my G.E.D. and put myself through community college twice. Someday I hope to finish at least my associate degree, but it seems less and less important to do that as time goes on.
I also am a survivor of Hepatitis C. Possibly contracted during my nursing career but how really isn’t important is it? The fact that I beat it after two years of chemotherapy is that I am now after 30 years virus free!
I am the mother of 3 wonderful women and grandmother to 4 amazing grandchildren, ranging from 21 to 6 months. I feel blessed every day. I am single but have been divorced and widowed. And at the present, celibate. But not for any reason connected to my sexual identity. It is something I needed to do in the process of healing myself. I am a walking statistic. A survivor of poverty, child molestation, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, loss of loved ones, substance abuse, clinical depression, ill health and suicide attempts. I finally came to a place it was time to restore myself. And I believe I have after many years of work.
I also am what I have heard called “latent bisexual”. Which means I came out very late in life. I struggled to prove my heterosexuality to myself over and over throughout my years. Why? Because I believed what I had been taught about bisexuality. That is was a choice and to be bisexual meant you were morally bankrupt. That you were hypersexual and unreliable. It wasn’t until I came to a place of maturity and self honesty I embraced that part of me. I had a lot of help from younger on line friends who had a better understanding of sexuality than I ever did. And from a family member who is Bisexual.
So I faced my own biphobia. And came out to my loved ones, who it really did not impact at all. We are a very diverse and progressive group. But I needed to say the words out loud, for me. A very frightening moment in my life. The fear was however, quickly replaced with relief and a sense of rightness Of finally being centered. A very happy moment for me.
I had expected grief from the straight world but was totally unprepared for the disdain and outright hate from the LGBT community that I approached for support. It was shocking and disheartening. So I went searching and found my own community. A rich and vibrant one. Full of culture, history and support. And I learned what really is like be bisexual.
Biphobia and erasure became a focus for me. I am the product of the grassroots activists era and saw how one voice can do so much to change the world. I wanted to help others know they are not alone. And show them they have a place to go for support and acceptance. Of limited funds and energy I really couldn’t be physically involved in rallies and events so I approached others about using another avenue of social media to help build our community. I found the most wonderful passionate people in our BI groups and The BiCast was born!