Antonia Forster
She/Her
I’m bi and I’m a zoologist & science presenter. //
I’ve known I was bisexual since I was a teenager. Once I reached adulthood, I also discovered polyamory and realized that it fit perfectly with my philosophy on love. I gradually came out to friends and colleagues, and was very fortunate to receive love and support. However, because one of my parents is aggressively homophobic, I never came out to my family as bi or poly. That changed in November 2017, when I became a TEDx speaker. I delivered a talk to 2,000 people (10,000 online) about LGBTQIA+ in the animal kingdom. I wrote the talk in response to people who say “LGBTQIA+ is not natural”—as a zoologist, I couldn’t stand by while people use my subject to justify bigotry! In that talk, I identified myself as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community to share my experiences and fight for visibility. As a result, I’ve had to cut contact with one of my parents, after they threatened to kill me, insulted me, bribed me not to perform at TEDx, and offered wages if I “marry a man and act straight.” Despite this, I don’t regret coming out. This has strengthened my resolve to fight for freedom and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community.