S3E8: Liminality as Labor: Class and Bi+ Survival with Alicia Ortiz
Episode description
Welcome back to Bisexual Killjoy! What does it mean to survive as a bi+ person in a world structured by class? In one of our most expansive and layered conversations to date, Bailey and Jace are joined by educator, activist, and musician Alicia Ortiz to unpack the taboo of talking about class, especially in queer spaces. Together, we explore how class functions as a sticky object in our lives, how bi+ people uniquely navigate systems of poverty and power, and why the myth of meritocracy doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
From identity politics and the legacy of the Combahee River Collective to Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò’s Elite Capture, we examine how movements are co-opted, how queerness is commodified, and how bi+ people are often excluded from both straight and gay narratives of respectability. We also dig into how upward mobility—whether through the military, education, or sex work—is often pathologized, and why coalition-building is essential for a liberated future.
Hosted by bi+ academics, writers, and advocates Bailey Merlin and Jace Rios Rivera, Bisexual Killjoy talks all things bisexual (pansexual, omnisexual, plurisexual, and overall bi+ness) because bisexuality isn’t a phase; it’s a phenomenon.
Were you a Bisexual Killjoy this week? We want to hear from you! Follow us on @bisexualkilljoy on Instagram or email us at bisexualkilljoy@gmail.com.
Resources
- Dalke, Anne. “Classism and the Queer Community.” Serendip Studio, 2013. https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/critical-feminist-studies-2013/ep/web-event-2-classism-and-queer-community
- Gaskins, TY. “Black Dandyism Explained—From Its 18th-Century Roots to Modern-Day Expressions.” Vogue. 8 May 2025. https://www.vogue.com/article/what-is-black-dandyism
- Stop Soldier Suicide. “Veteran Suicide Stats.” https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/vet-stats
- Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi O. Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else). Chicago: Haymarket Books. 2022.
Where to find Alicia Ortiz