The absolute cutest dad built his bisexual daughter a “bi-chair” because she thought the stereotype that LGBTQ+ people can’t sit “normally” was hilarious.
Má Matiazi designed the chair and Israel Walker constructed it. According to Walker, it is made “for people who can’t sit straight”. It went viral because the internet loves a good satire — especially a sweet one!
The stereotype the group is mocking is that bisexuals cannot sit “normally”.
The community itself was in on the joke; it originated with them and was spread by them.
Pink News writes that “[u]nlike harmful biphobic stereotypes though, these tropes seem to have been created by, with and for bisexual people.”
So when Israel Walker built this chair for his daughter, everyone was in on the joke.
Walker first contacted Matiazi for permission to use her design to actually construct the bi-chair.
Bored Panda spoke with Matiazi about the viral sensation:
“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!”
“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!”
Matiazi told Bored Panda that she did not have any other similar projects in the pipeline. She did say she is working on a 3D model of the chair.
“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.”
Bored Panda also got a chance to talk to Walker, the dad who built the chair.
Walker built the chair in “less than two hours…from a pile of wood”. As any woodworker knows, there were questions about construction — but he still slapped it together fast!
“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.”
And if you’d like in on it, Walker made an Etsy shop!
Walker’s support is important; bisexuals can feel “less support inside and outside the LGBTQ community”, according to Rewire. Pew Research ran an analysis that showed only 19% of bisexuals have come out and there still exists a stigma against bi people in and out of the LGBTQ community. Thankfully, people like Walker and Matiazi are working to hold up their community and show support.