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'Grey's Anatomy' Star Sara Ramirez Has Something To Say About Bi-Erasure

She made remarks in response to Dustin Lance Black's "When We Rise."
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Sara Ramirez is speaking out about what she sees as bi-erasure in “When We Rise,” Dustin Lance Black’s new mini-series about the LGBT movement.

Ramirez took to Twitter earlier this week to share her thoughts on the exclusion of bisexual pioneers from the mini-series’ narrative, which premiered last month. She tweeted a quote card featuring the words of bisexual advocate and founder of the bisexual political action group BiPOL, Lani Ka’ahumanu.

.@WhenWeRiseABC didn't include #BiHistory & our story needs to be told. #MustRead https://t.co/xaRVHOKrIZ @babn #LaniKaahumanu #bierasure pic.twitter.com/ALOFoywupE

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) March 13, 2017

Ka’ahumanu’s words were included in a recent blog post by Martin Rawlings-Fein, which discussed the implication of the exclusion of bisexuals in “When We Rise.”

“[T]he truth is that we have been telling our stories separately for years and being told to ‘shut up’ because nobody in the gay community wants to hear them,” he wrote. “Our stories are not convenient, they do not fit into the boxes in which others try to place them.”

Black responded to Ramirez’s tweet, saying that bisexuals are included in his series, but they simply did not define themselves with such a label at the time.

I admire you greatly @SaraRamirez, but this statement is not true. Real bisexual people & bi activists are portrayed in WhenWeRise. https://t.co/fUxlEkRxoM

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 14, 2017

@ellynruthstrom When did you start using the word bisexual?

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

@BiNetUSA The real bi people portrayed disagree that they are not bi. For them to put modern words to it in 1970 would be anachronistic

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

@rj4gui4r Agreed. Bisexuality is certainly worthy of its own history, narrative & a deeper dive. I hope filmmakers will tell that story.

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

See earlier tweets. I understand there are alternative facts out there that no real bi people & stories are in #WhenWeRise but that is false

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

@elielcruz The show is based on real, living people. If you do not like how they defined themselves back then, you can take it up with them.

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

As for Ramirez, she is ready to work with Black to help get bi stories told.

Thank you @DLanceBlack I respect ur thoughts on this. I also respect our LGTQ Bi+ elders. I admire ur reaching out abt this in this manner.

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) March 14, 2017

Perhaps we can set up a time to share our thoughts directly? I'm open to it. DM me if you are. Wishing you well @DLanceBlack

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) March 14, 2017

@rj4gui4r @SaraRamirez Happy to help work on that solution.

— Dustin Lance Black (@DLanceBlack) March 15, 2017

Looking forward 2 you DM'ing me to start the conversation & working together on solutions 4 better bi rep in media @DLanceBlack

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) March 15, 2017

The “Grey’s Anatomy” star came out as a queer bisexual woman last year at the True Colors Fund’s 40 to None Summit for homeless LGBT youth, and spoke about elevating the “complex narratives” of many in the LGBT community.

“It made sense for me at this time as it was one piece of a larger context I was communicating,” she told HuffPost. “Our most marginalized youth touch on many intersections, and in describing the concept of inter sectionalities, I decided to describe the ones that exist in my own life. The days of pressuring our LGBTQ youth to conform to one homogenized way of presenting LGBTQ are over. We must acknowledge and maintain awareness around their complex narratives.”

A rep for Black was not immediately available to comment.

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