Anna Paquin took a powerful stance against bisexual erasure this week after being criticized for both her sexuality and her marriage to Stephen Moyer.
The “True Blood” and “X-Men” actor acknowledged the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on Monday with a series of colorful images on Instagram.
A day later, she followed up with a post that read, “I’m a proud bisexual who is married to a wonderful human who happens to be a man.” In the caption, she added, “If he doesn’t have a problem with it why should anyone else?”
Later on Tuesday, she added a second post with an even more pointed message:
The two posts were an apparent response to comments Paquin had received from Instagram users who accused her of using her bisexuality as a publicity stunt.
“I am getting tired of seeing ‘bi’ celebrities constantly advocate for it only to end up conventionally married to men with multiple children, living out the so-called white-picket-fence life,” read one comment that Paquin shared to her Instagram Stories.
“Ah yes ... the ‘you aren’t queer enough’ BS,” the Oscar winner wrote over the image, as seen in a screenshot featured in People.
Paquin came out as bisexual in a March 2010 video for Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors United organization, which was known as the True Colors Fund at the time. She married Moyer in Los Angeles later that year. The couple had been dating for about three years after meeting on the “True Blood” set.
Since then, Paquin has repeatedly used her platform to clarify long-standing misconceptions about bisexuality.
“I’m sure for some people saying they’re bisexual feels less scary than making a statement that they’re gay,” she told Zooey magazine in 2012. “For me, it’s not really an issue because I’m someone who believes being bisexual is actually a thing. It’s not made up. It’s not a lack of decision.”
“It’s not being greedy or numerous other ignorant things I’ve heard at this point,” she added. “For a bisexual, it’s not about gender. That’s not the deciding factor for who they’re attracted to.”