kinda just saying this to stop it plaguing my brain bc it has been and I need some catharsis

there are completely non-lesbophobic & -transphobic reasons that the labels ‘lesbian’ and ‘man’ can coexist to describe an individual’s identity/attraction/both.

one reason is multigender people who’s identities include ‘man’ are lesbian if that’s what suitably describes their attraction.

another reason why is that genderfluid people whose identities may at any point simply be ‘man’ are still experiencing lesbian attraction when experiencing (an)other gender(s). whatever their current gender, they can be lesbian.

another reason is that binary trans men who at one point in the past felt they belonged to the lesbian community for thinking they’re wlw shouldn’t be excluded if they still feel their (straight) attraction to women is lesbian attraction.

another reason is that there exist cis monosexual wlw who still experience attraction to men due to comp-het conditioning and know they are truly exclusively attracted to women, but their remaining attraction to men doesn’t mean they’re never experiencing lesbian attraction.

another reason is m-spec lesbian attraction that can include being attracted to men for various reasons. again, as with mono lesbians facing comp-het, attraction to men does not negate their lesbian attraction.

on a final note, saying lesbianism includes men is not to say misguided cis straight men can genuinely call themselves lesbian to mock our attraction to women, nor is it to say all lesbians are/can be attracted to men.

ultimately, I think everyone would benefit from remembering that the denial that men can exist in lesbianism is a very separatist stance, which also hurts m-spec ppl, plural/detragender ppl and people who just want to find strength in solidarity & community.