Sheela Lambert

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Sheela Lambert (born 1956 in New York City) is an American writer and noted bisexual activist. She is the founder of the Bi Writers Association, the organizer of the Bisexual Speakers Bureau of the New York City Area, a co-founder of the Bi Women of All Colors group and a senior organizer with the New York Area Bisexual Network and Bialogue. Since August of 2006, she has also been the curator and host of the Out Professional LGBT Filmmaker Series at the LGBT Center in Manhattan.

Since 1991, Lambert has been a public speaker on the topic of bisexuality, presenting programs at colleges, universities, high schools, community organizations and in-service trainings for counselors, psychotherapists, New York City Board of Education high school guidance counselors and their supervisors and other professionals. Topics include: Understanding Bisexuality, Famous Bisexuals in History, Border Crossings, Activist Toolkit and Marriage Discrimination: Impact on the Bi Community,

Contents

[edit] Lambert's work for bisexual rights

Bisexuality series
Bisexual pride flag
Bisexuality · Pansexuality · Bi-curious
Attitudes
LGBT history · Bisexual chic · Bisexual erasure · Biphobia
Culture
Community · BiNet USA · BiCon · Bi Community News · Symbols · Celebrate Bisexuality Day · Queer theory
Lists
Bisexual people · LGBT films · Media portrayal
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[edit] 1990's

  • During the 1992-93 television season, Lambert was the on-air correspondent and producer of Out in the 90’s, a live New York City public access cable TV news and information show for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Out in the 90's was also distributed to several other major U.S. cities. Among the subjects of Lambert's interviews were LGBT's in the military, queer high school students, LGBT parents, LGBT firefighters and other public safety personnel.
  • Lambert produced a bisexual health care report for the New York City Department of Health in 1993, examining barriers to service for bisexual people accessing health and mental health services.
  • She was the bisexual member of the Educational Coalition on Lesbian and Gay Youth (ECoLaGY), 1992-94.
  • She fought to save the Children of the Rainbow curriculum in New York City's Public Schools. (1992-93)
  • Lambert ran a Women's Safer Sex Workshop series, for bisexual women and lesbians, that ran almost three years, from March 1992 through December 1995. The Workshops were co-sponsored by New York Area Bisexual Network; N.Y.C. Department of Health, Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns, Lesbian Health Project; Gay Men's Health Crisis' Lesbian Health Project (LAP); Community Health Project (CHP, now the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center) Lesbian Health Program.
  • Friends, Allies, Community Members, Lovers, Bisexuals: A Part of Our Community, a program of song and poetry performance and panel and group discussion, was held in October 1993. This program was co-sponsored by the Mayor's Office for the Lesbian and Gay Community, BiPAC and Bisexual Women of Color.
  • In 1994, Lambert protested the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO)'s exclusion from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. She was arrested with 102 other protesters including Christine Quinn and Tom Duane and went to trial in 1998 over this incident.
  • In 1996, Lambert joined Heritage of Pride, in which she was an active Gay and Lesbian Pride organizer for two years to promote the bi-inclusive agenda as a member. In 2002 Heritage of Pride renamed New York City's Lesbian and Gay Pride events to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March, Rally, Festival and Dance.

[edit] 2000's

[edit] Response to Bisexual Erasure

Lambert has helped in the response to Ruth "Dr. Ruth" Westheimer and Dr. Joy Browne’s recent public incidents (and discovered long-term history) of bisexual erasure:

In October of 2005, Dr. Ruth made statements in her nationally syndicated advice column that "everyone is either straight or gay" and there "is no such thing as being bisexual."[2]

In November, 2005, Dr. Joy Browne (on her nationally syndicated radio show and Discovery Health Channel TV show) told a young woman confused by her attractions to women and men that she must decide: "Am I gay or am I straight?" because "saying that 'I’m bisexual' just means 'Do me!' That 'I don’t care who does me as long as some body…'"[citation needed]

Working together with BiNet USA, BRC and GLAAD, Lambert led the letter-writing campaigns for Dr Ruth and Dr. Joy Browne and designed a packet of books and educational materials on bisexuality, specially targeted to their mental health and psychology research-oriented backgrounds (paid for and forwarded by GLAAD).

Westheimer's and Browne's respective syndicated columns and TV shows have been monitored closely since the beginning of each campaign. No further incidences of bisexual erasure have been observed since they were contacted.

The Bialogue/GLAAD Bisexuality Packet for Mental Health Professionals is now available online on Bialogue’s website. It is designed as a series of documents that can be printed, copied and distributed as handouts for workshops, trainings and classes or viewed online. Additional packets for teachers, media and health providers are in development.

[edit] Ongoing Projects

Lambert is currently working on:

  • a National Media Education Campaign on Bisexuality, designed to increase bi visibility, inclusion and accuracy of reporting in both the gay and mainstream press.
  • She formed the Bi Writers Association in March of 2006.
  • Since August, 2006, she has been the programmer and host of the Out Professionals LGBT Filmmaker Series, a program at the LGBT Center designed to highlight LGBT filmmakers and their films in a more intimate and informative setting than the usual theater experience. Following a screening of the film, as program host Lambert interviews the filmmakers and moderates audience Q&A.
  • She is the organizer of Bi Lines: A Celebration of Bisexual Writing in Reading, Music and Culture, scheduled for 1 June 2007, co-sponsored by the LGBT Community Center, Lambda Literary Foundation, the Bi Writers Association and BiNet USA.

[edit] Personal

[edit] Family

Lambert has a son and is a long-time resident of New York City.

[edit] Education and Training

Lambert attended Beloit College. She received her B.S. degree in psychology from Empire State College in 1989 and is a graduate of a two-year Psychotherapy Training Program at the Hakomi Institute[3]. She is a certified HIV Counselor in New York City and New York State.

She also received formal training in Family Therapy and Group Leadership Skills; studied Intensive Case Management at Hunter College; coursework in AIDS Training for Child Welfare Staff (Center for Development of Human Services of SUNY Buffalo and the New York State Department of Social Services); coursework in HIV Medical and Technical Information (Department of Health, Division of HIV Counseling and Testing, Training Unit).

[edit] Partial bibliography

[edit] Print

  • The Pain Management Handbook: Guided Imagery and Relaxation for Pain Management and Stress Relief. Self-published, 1988.
  • Bisexual Health Care Report. New York City Department of Health, 1993.
  • Bisexuality Media Guide. Bi Writers Association (forthcoming)

Magazines

  • Reviewed the film Running with Scissors, Go NYC Magazine, October 2006[4].
  • Reviewed independent films The Gymnast, GYPO and Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing and interviewed film directors Linda Thornburg (Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing), Katherine Brooks (Loving Annabelle), Lesli Klainberg (Fabulous!) and the actress and producer Dreya Weber (The Gymnast) for Curve, October, November and December 2006 issues.

As Editor

  • Best Bi Short Stories (forthcoming literary fiction anthology)

Plays

  • Lavender Heights, a one-act play performed at the 1994 International Conference Celebrating Bisexuality.

[edit] Television

  • Producer and correspondent, Out in the 90s (1992-93)
  • Executive producer and host, Bisexual Network (1993)

[edit] Online

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Naomi Tucker, ed. Bisexual Politics: Theories, Queries, and Visions. Binghamton NY: Haworth Press, 1995. ISBN 1560249501 ISBN 978-1560249504
  2. ^ Bisexual Resource Center website Accessed 07 April 2007.
  3. ^ The Hakomi Institute
  4. ^ Go NYC Magazine website


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