Evan Rachel Wood wants you to know some things about bisexuality, so listen up

Since she came out as bi in 2012, Evan Rachel Wood (actress, musician, and LGBTQ+ activist) has been very outspoken about LGBT rights and issues—and rightfully so. In a society where the increasing acceptance (yay!) of the LGBT community tends to still require that someone either identify as gay or straight, it’s only now becoming more common to see celebs and other influential figures publicly identifying as bi.

We always love hearing from Wood about her experiences because she doesn’t sweep over the negative aspects of our society when it comes to how we treat members of the LGBT and queer community.

So what does Wood want you to know about biphobia?

1. There are *so* many misconceptions about bisexuality.

In a recent interview with Motto, she explained dealing with biphobia, saying, “I think because we’re usually erased, people just don’t have the information. There’s so many negative connotations with that label.”

Basically, people overwhelmingly just don’t get bisexuality, so they don’t think it’s real.

2. Some people really feel empowered by the label.

She addressed concerns about labels, too, saying, “I understand the argument about labels and the desire to do away with them altogether. I think that’s a great idea. But before that we have to give people a chance to identify with somebody or a group in some way. That helped me.”

Bisexual people and especially bisexual women are extremely likely to deal with feelings of isolation and invalidation that contributes to mental health issues, something Wood herself has discussed at great length.

3. Bi folks need to know their stories really matter.

“It’s so confusing, especially when there’s not a lot of information out there,” Wood said of the lack of accurate representation of bi people. “Erasure is causing people harm and diminishing self-esteem and putting people in harm’s way. It’s a real need. I want people to know that it’s ok, [bisexuality] is valid, and their stories matter.”

It’s so important to see influential celebs like Wood being *so* open about their own experiences with biphobia. Not only does it validate what many bi folks are feeling, but it also reinforces the major necessity of representation in mainstream media. When marginalized identities are represented, we’re able to hear a larger variety of voices and ensure that everyone can see people like them in the world.

We totally *heart* Evan Rachel Wood, and hope she’ll continue to speak out against issues facing bisexual people. It’s all too important to keep that dialogue going in the mainstream.