Some people fight hate with logic. Others use humor. But how many individuals do you know of that fight for equal rights by combining humor with their furniture building skills?
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One father built a ‘Bi-Chair’ for his bisexual daughter because she found the stereotype that people like her can’t sit ‘normally’ to be hilarious. The chair was designed by artist Má Matiazi and built by Israel Walker, according to whom it is meant “for people who can’t sit straight.” The satirical project went viral, as the internet thought it was incredibly creative. Make sure to scroll down for Bored Panda's wholesome in-depth interviews with the artist Matiazi and Walker!
More info: Facebook (Israel Walker) | Facebook (M. Matiazi) | mmatiazi.com | Instagram
Artist Má Matiazi drew a sketch of a chair “for people who can’t sit straight”
Image credits: Má Matiazi
The stereotype that bisexuals can’t sit ‘normally’ is widely known in the bi community
Image credits: eIektranatchio
Image credits: harleivy
The stereotype that bi people can’t sit ‘normally’ was started and spread by the community itself. Pink News writes the fact that bisexual people created the meme as part of the community’s “humorous trend for self-deprecating stereotypes.” It’s one of several such stereotypes, such as the ideas that bisexuals can’t “drive, do maths, ride a bike.”
These aren’t the only stereotypes that the bisexual community has ‘claimed’ for itself, though. Wear Your Voice argues that bisexuals have also called dibs on cuffed jeans, tucked in baggy shirts, the Sailor Moon anime, Green Day, Twilight Sparkle, Wonder Woman, Lady Gaga’s music, pink hair, and space. That’s right, as in the cosmos.
Israel Walker built a ‘Bi-chair’ for his bisexual daughter, based on Matiazi’s design
Image credits: mamatiazi
Image credits: Má Matiazi
Image credits: Má Matiazi
Image credits: Má Matiazi
Walker decided to build the chair for his daughter after contacting artist Matiazi and asking for her permission to use her design. Walker’s post on Facebook was shared over 3,300 times, got over 390 comments and over 2,300 likes. Which just goes to show that this modern dad knows how to get the younger generation’s attention.
Bored Panda interviewed the good-natured and energetic artist Matiazi about her bisexual chair sketch. “It was very unexpected when he [Israel Walker] spoke to me. I was in disbelief people could be so hyped about my [crappy] sketch! Israel was very kind, he spoke to me very respectfully, which is not something we’re used to as non-famous artists. People usually just come and steal our things, you know? So for being such a nice guy with such a cool daughter, well, I was excited to see this [project] done, he did a great job!”
Matiazi couldn’t believe the amount of attention her sketch got and said that nothing else she had created had got “so much attention.” She also joked that she hopes that her comics get as much attention as the sketch of the chair.
“The chair idea was just a joke. The concept is very simple: a ridiculous orthopedic chair for anyone who sits like a bisexual. It’s a joke inside another joke, and I thought it would be humourous for a very specific public. I confess, I thought no-one would give it any attention, most of my jokes are quite forgettable!”
The artist said that she doesn’t have any other similar projects in mind currently because the chair sketch was “very spontaneous and I think it wouldn’t have worked the other way around.” However, Matiazi mentioned that she’s currently working on a 3D model of the chair with a friend: “Maybe one day I’ll go for a life-sized one. I’d love to sit in a bi-chair because I made it thinking about myself.”
Finally, when asked if she had any advice to give for bisexual people struggling to come out, the artist joked: “I have no advice because I didn’t come out yet! Oh, damn, I think I just did.”
“I’m happy to see people sharing and having fun with the sketch. Bisexuality is invisible in most conversations, so it’s nice to see my sketch about it getting so much visibility. It’s been a crazy experience.”
The chair provoked a lot of reactions
Bored Panda also talked to Walker, the man who actually built the chair. Walker stated that the motivation behind building the bi-chair was simple: “It was in the back of my mind to do a simple woodworking project with my daughter before school started again, and I wanted to teach her a little bit about turning an undimensioned sketch into a usable object, but no projects had really caught my attention. When I saw Má's sketch on a fan page we are both members of, I thought: "Hey my daughter would love that!" I got a hold of a Má and she said that would be fine if I made my own version, so that's what we did.”
According to Walker, the response to this project has been “unreal.” Walker stated that he did not “expect the story to explode the way it did.”
“My daughter loves the chair, in what I think is the standard teenager "my weird dad does cool stuff sometimes" kind of way. She is really excited about how much positive attention we've gotten for bi and non-binary folks.”
Walker is a true craftsman because he built the chair in a flash. He said that it took him “less than 2 hours” to fashion it “from a pile of wood.” However, he also mentioned that “there were several hours of answering a lot of questions you don't normally ask yourself, like: "How many degrees should a chair back be reclined?" and "How much space should there be between a seat deck and footrest anyway?"
What’s more, Walker revealed to Bored Panda that he’s got plenty of similar projects in mind for the near future: “I redesigned the rustic chair I built to be a little simpler, and I have permission from Má to give those plans away from free. Anyone who wants to build their own version of the Bi-Chair should be able to. The support from the LGBTQ community about this has been mind-blowing. I have a lot of ideas, but I never really thought people would respond so positively to this sort of thing. I'd love to build custom furniture for any size, shape, or identity of person.” Walker also said that he put together an Etsy shop for exactly this purpose.
“I'm a cis/hetero appearing white male veteran, so I'm one of the most privileged people in the U.S., and I wouldn't presume to offer advice to people who got less of a free leg up in society than I did, but I can share my experience,” Walker said. “I'm polyamorous and pansexual. I have all the same problems and insecurities I had when I wasn't out, but I don't blame them on people suspecting my secrets anymore. That's one less thing to worry about, and that does make life better.”
It’s not all fun and games in the bisexual community. Rewire suggests that bisexuals feel “less support inside and outside the LGBTQ community”, so they’re less likely to ‘come out.’ What’s more, bisexuals “are more likely to be unemployed, in poverty and have poor health than lesbians and gay men.”
A recent analysis by Pew Research shows that only 19% of all bisexuals have ‘come out.’ This may have something to do with the continued stigma associated with being bi both from inside and outside the LGBT community. Rewire states that some members of the gay community don’t view bisexuals as being “gay enough” and don’t consider bisexuality to be a “valid identity on its own.” However, there are still people like Walker and Matiazi out there, who shine a light on the bisexual community in a very creative manner.