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What I've seen from the lesbian community recently has been a lot for me to think about. I haven't handled my interactions with it the best, and I genuinely apologize for any lesbophobic comments I have made. This thread is meant to be a calmer look at what I think and feel.
Queer/GRSM/LGBTQIA+ solidarity and liberation is something I really desire. Regardless of our own internal divisions, as oppressed peoples, I believe it is important for us to band together and help each other.
This includes our lesbian, Sapphic, and wlw/nblw siblings.
(Throughout this thread I'll be using lesbian as shorthand for these groups because of the character limit, I hope no one finds this offensive).
(Throughout this thread I'll be using lesbian as shorthand for these groups because of the character limit, I hope no one finds this offensive).
There seems, in my experience interacting with the community, to be a lot of lesbians that take issue with that.
The lesbian community seems to be very self assured, and it seems really intent on asserting itself as a unique and special community all on its own. Honestly I applaud that, be proud of who you are and your love of women, that's wonderful.
However it seems to have begun to be taken in a harmful direction. Lesbians recently seem to be asserting themselves at the detriment of some groups of people.
These people being: Trans women, Trans mascs, Nonbinary people, Ace people, Bisexual people, Pan people, AROSPEC people, people with GNC pronouns, mlm/nblm, and even butch people.
That's by no means a comprehensive list, but those are some examples of people who I have seen been harmed by this type of lesbian extremism(?).
(I'm aware lesbian extremism sounds ridiculous, it's just the best way I can think to put it briefly, sorry again if anyone finds that offensive).
There is a lot of bigotry towards other queer people right now in the lesbian community, I and many others have recognized it, including many lesbians themselves.
To my knowledge this originates from the influence of TERFs, the idea of lesbian separatism, and largely 2nd wave feminism.
I'm not an expert on these topics, there are far more educated people than I, but these are the general seeds I've seen that have grown into the current situation.
Within the lesbian community a certain group is generally being prioritized.
Cis monosexual allosexual women who are exclusively attracted to women.
This also seems to be the only group that the term lesbian unambiguously covers.
Cis monosexual allosexual women who are exclusively attracted to women.
This also seems to be the only group that the term lesbian unambiguously covers.
Trans lesbians are a debate within the community thanks to TERFs. The old "lesbians are not attracted to men" (men here meaning trans women because TERFs are awful) originates from them.
Asexual lesbians are a debate within the community because of the general misunderstandings of asexuality, as well as some lesbians rejecting the split attraction model.
Non monosexual lesbians, ie MSPEC lesbians are the current hot button issue, and I'll avoid commenting on them here because they're not the focus of this thread.
Whether or not lesbians can be Nonbinary is a debate, whether or not lesbians can use he/him they/them or neopronouns is a debate.
Basically, there is really no one consensus right now about what the term "lesbian" means within the community.
And since being a lesbian is, rightfully, a very personal and emotional aspect of many of these people's lives, they get defensive.
And since being a lesbian is, rightfully, a very personal and emotional aspect of many of these people's lives, they get defensive.
This is understandable, and really not that surprising at all.
Now is the time to be reasonable though, and unfortunately we (as in the community) can't all win here.
Compromise is necessary to continue.
Compromise is necessary to continue.
What is that compromise? I have absolutely no idea. I am not a lesbian, nor am I even vaguely affiliated with that community. It is not my decision to make.
Personally I support anyone identifying in the way that makes them most comfortable. But I don't get to decide what the community at large agrees on. I'm just here to point things out.
Okay so thread over I guess. I need to develope my thoughts on this more, but I figured I needed to make some definitive statement on the subject given my recent Twitter activities.
Lesbians and Sapphics of all kinds, I open this to you. Tell me what you think, I'm here to learn
