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Robyn Ochs is an educator, speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men.

Her writings have been published in numerous bi, women’s studies, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ anthologies, and she has taught courses on LGBTQ+ history & politics in the United States and Canada, the politics of sexual orientation, & the experiences of those who transgress the binary categories of gay|straight, masculine|feminine, black|white &/or male|female.

Among other things, she crafted the definition of bisexuality that is used by many bi+ activists around the world: “I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge in myself the potential to be attracted — romantically and/or sexually — to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree.”

She was named by Teen Vogue as one of “9 Bisexual Women Who are Making History,” and she was chosen to represent Massachusetts on the Advocate‘s “50 States, 50 Heroes” list.

Robyn is deeply committed to intersectional and sustainable activism, to working with others to build coalitions across identities and across social movements, to supporting emerging leaders, and to learning and growing. She is particularly interested in bi+ health, the experiences of bi+ people in the workplace, the global bi+ movement, and bi and LGBTQIA+ youth. An activist for 50 years (so far), she is in it for the long haul.

Robyn and Pixel

She lives in Massachusetts and on May 17, 2004, the first day it was legal to do so, Robyn married Peg Preble.

Robyn served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of MassEquality, Massachusetts’ statewide equality organization and for 3 years on the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently Campus Pride’s Voice & Action Award, the Bisexual Resource Center’s Community Leadership Award, PFLAG’s Brenda Howard Award, the National LGBT Task Force’s Susan J. Hyde Activism Award and the Harvard Gender & Sexuality Caucus’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2009 at the Creating Change Conference the National LGBTQ Task Force awarded Ochs the Susan J. Hyde Activism Award for Longevity in the Movement. As she presented the award, Creating Change Director Sue Hyde told Ochs: “We hear your clear voice, we see your staunch advocacy and we respond to your loving insistence that our movement includes all of us.”

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Robyn Ochs is a US-based speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men. An advocate for the rights of people of ALL orientations and genders to live safely, openly and with full access and opportunity, Robyn’s work focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of complex identities and mobilizing people to be powerful allies to one another within and across identities and social movements, with special interest in bi+ health, the experiences of bi+ people in the workplace, the global bi+ movement, and bi and LGBTQIA+ youth. Robyn was named by Teen Vogue as one of “9 Bisexual Women Who are Making History.”

“A phenomenal asset to the queer community and an extraordinary advocate for love.”
-Michelle Wheeler, Student, St. Olaf College

Robyn has probably done more than any other person in the U.S. and perhaps even the world to educate the general public about bisexuality.

― Genny Beemyn, Director of the Stonewall Center, UMass Amherst

You make people feel like they matter and that they have the power to do something about the issues that concern them, even if it’s something small on an individual level. That is a beautiful gift.

― Kristen Smith, student, The University at Albany

Robyn Ochs can help you put the B into LGBT… As someone poised at the intersection of theory and action, Ochs introduces complex ideas in an energetic and accessible manner, and she leaves her audiences thinking and poised for action.

― Generation EQ, Human Rights Campaign

Robyn’s workshop was tremendously informative and engaging, and it has stuck with me for years… participants see what genuine diversity and fluidity look[s] like. The result is a rejection not only of the notion of binaries but of the dominant societal narratives about orientation.

― Paul Lucas, Playwright, Trans Scripts

The students LOVE you. You are by far the most anticipated recurring event next to the drag show. Sorry, the queens always win out!!

― Emily Calfo, Florida Gulf Coast University

[An] incredibly phenomenal, amazing, insightful, creative, and genuine educator… by far one of the most intelligent, thought provoking, and engaging people I’ve ever met.

― Bryan Keith

“The absolute empress of sexual fluidity.”
-Kate Bornstein

The absolute empress of sexual fluidity.

― Kate Bornstein

Thank you for an evening that expanded me beyond my expectations… I am still figuring out where/what/who I am as it relates to my sexuality. Last night was a compassionate compass.

― Shelly Daniels

I just wanted to thank you personally for the workshop last night. It was one of those things that change the way you look at the world in general, and that doesn’t happen very often.

― Ryan Thoreson, Harvard University

The word was, ‘She’s REALLY cool.’ It does my heart good for our students to be exposed to such positive role models, and you fit the bill quite nicely. Also, your workshop really opened some minds, some in particular that really needed opening.

― Professor Charles LoPresto, Loyola University

Your presentation in my class was everything I had hoped it would be: thought-provoking and important in a very accessible way. You do such great educational work!!

― Anne Phibbs, University of Minnesota

One person described their time with you as being at an ‘LGBTQ spa,’ so I think it’s safe to say that you recharged a lot of batteries and renewed and refreshed the spirits of our faculty and students. Thank you.

― Kimberly, University of Illinois Springfield

“Robyn has an uncanny ability to make you feel loved and safe while talking about really hard hitting topics.”
-Ben Vivona, University of Louisville