Dear Bi Men: A Black Man's Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries, and Combating Erasure

An unapologetic guide for readers who are Black, masc, and bi--unlearning biphobia, coming out, combatting erasure, and embodying your whole self

Through cutting social analysis, personal stories, and need-to-know advice, Dear Bi Men reclaims bi+ visibility in a culture of erasure--and unapologetically centers Blackness in a practical and deeply researched guide to navigating life, work, and relationships as a Black bi+ man.

Popular representation of bi and pansexual men is growing, but we're not there yet: It's mostly white. It collapses bisexual identity into tired, hypersexualized tropes. And it fails to interrogate the deeply entrenched stereotypes that insist: You're confused. You just don't know you're gay. You're greedy. You must be great in bed.

Author, peer counselor, and creator of #bisexualmenspeak J.R. Yussuf pushes back against these stigmas and misconceptions, exploring how white supremacy reinforces biphobia and dictates what society thinks it means to "be a man." He contextualizes discourse around queerness and bisexuality within a larger framework that honors readers' intersecting identities. And he offers deeply practical advice, sharing how to:

• Unlearn internalized biphobia and homophobia
• Navigate an increasingly hostile digital landscape
• Think about coming out: who to tell, why to tell them, and how to do it
• Fight back against erasure and stigma
• Navigate sex, dating, partnerships, marriage, friendship, and work
• Understand your bi+ sexuality through a political lens
• Process Black bi+ representation

Rich with personal narratives, insightful analysis, and practical advice, this book is a powerful resource for Black bi+ men to reclaim their identity, counter biphobia, and get empowered--and an offering to all readers looking to fight back against the erasure and dehumanization wrought by patriarchy.

Author: J. R. Yussuf
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published: 04/16/2024
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.80h x 6.00w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781623179687

Review Citation(s):
Foreword 04/25/2024

About the Author
J.R. Yussuf is the award-winning author of The Other F Word: Forgiveness and creator of the hashtag #BisexualMenSpeak for bisexual+ men and masculine-identified folks to have the space to speak for themselves and talk about how being bisexual+ impacts the way they move through the world. Yussuf maintains a podcast called Let's Heal Already, revolving around mental wellness, self-improvement, and emotional literacy. Yussuf secured a peer support certification from the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (B.E.A.M.) and has used his training to support countless Black bisexual/pansexual men. Yussuf's writing has appeared in Men's Health Magazine, Thrive Global, Black Youth Project, Queerty, Queer Majority, Positively Positive, The Good Men Project, Escarp, Instigatorzine, and The CultureLP.