How do you feel about the word "lesbian"?

[silentsound]

I was thinking about this today. I used to really really loathe it. It sounds like an infectious disease and, to my mind, has a negative connotation I don't like. Recently I find that I don't mind it so much, but I am still not a huge fan. I'm just wondering what other people think, because I have seen girls who hate it and girls who really like it.

[Apocalypte]

I really, really don't like it.

I don't like it either. When women are gay I just say so. Just like I would with men; there are gay men and gay women.

[George]

I view it the same as the word homosexual. I hate it. If a woman is GAY, then she's GAY. If a guy is GAY then he's GAY.

I really don't like the word homosexual that much either. It's always used in a negative light.

As for "lesbian", it depends on whether they prefer "lesbian" or "gay"

I used to not like it. Now I don't really care.

[Absentminded]

I don't like it.

[silas99]

I'm not really bothered to be honest, although I'm not too keen on titles....irrespective of the word. Being a geek though, I love the ancient Greek connections and the origin of the word. Did anyone hear on the news about 5 months ago about how the islanders of Lesbos wanted to make it illegal to refer to gay women as lesbians in Greece. They felt that a true Lesbian is someone who originates from the island and they didnt like the "negative connotations" surrounding the word. What I found hilarious was that a bunch of blokes were interviewed and it was so funny hearing these men say that they were proud to be lesbians! Not surprisingly they lost their appeal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7520343.stm

[Maddy]

I don't really use it to describe myself. I don't like it much, but I don't object to it either.

[Markio]

I like when the rumors started about Ellen Degeneres coming out on her show, and she would correct people by saying things like, "No, one of the characters finds out she's Lebanese", or "Actually we're introducing a new character, Les Bian."

[Linkmaste994]

I used to really hate it. Coudnt bring myself to say it at all. Sounded like a freaking disease and ugh just dislike it. I use gay. Why cant there be a more...easy going word for woman? Oh well lol.

It doesn't really matter that much to me-- I prefer "gay," but won't freak out if someone calls me a lesbian.

I wasn't even aware that it had negative connotations.

To me, it is just another word used to describe something. And I don't think lesbian is abused as much as gay has been. I mean, lesbian, gay, homosexual... they all mean the same thing essentially. I compare it to the use of african american, black, colored or whatever. Sometimes certain words are more politically correct than others, but they all are trying to label/describe an aspect of a person.

Could someone explain to me what is wrong with it? I'm interested.

[killthedirector]

i've always thought it sounds like an std.
clamydia, anyone?

[silentsound]

Originally Posted by Numfarh

I wasn't even aware that it had negative connotations.

To me, it is just another word used to describe something. And I don't think lesbian is abused as much as gay has been. I mean, lesbian, gay, homosexual... they all mean the same thing essentially. I compare it to the use of african american, black, colored or whatever. Sometimes certain words are more politically correct than others, but they all are trying to label/describe an aspect of a person.

Could someone explain to me what is wrong with it? I'm interested.

I guess the "negative connotation" depends upon two things: your age bracket and your general world outlook. I am only a freshman (and I go to a 7-9 school and I hate it) so I am in an environment where any girl who is different in any way or overweight is called a "fat lesbian" and where "popular" (I prefer "drug addict" because it is more apt, but whatevs) girls call each other lesbians as obnoxious jokes (not unlike telling their rail thin friends that they are "SO OBESE!" (because when your brain is being eroded my pot, ecstasy, heroine, and god knows what else age 15, that is hilarious).
As far as the outlook on life goes, the word lesbian always lends itself to one of two images: no makeup, obese, beer stained flannel shirts, slummy women not making anything of themselves; or thin, slutty, and making out with anything with boobs for attention.

...but that's just my take on how it is perceived in the fish bowl I live in

[Miles D]

I guess I don't like it. But I don't mind...
back when I was in my gender/sexuality questioning stage, I really didn't like it, just because I knew thats not how i identified... but i guess for me its a moot point.

[White Sundog]

I use "gay" to refer to people of both sexes, just because it's easier to say, I think. It could also have to do with the fact that the first gay woman* I ever knew referred to herself as "gay." Lesbian just doesn't sound as good...and while it may not be used as a stock insult as much as "gay" is, it does seem to be heavily fetishized, associated more with the straight man's imaginary threesome than the gay woman's real romantic bliss.

*This is not counting a cousin of mine who used to identify as a gay woman, but now identifies as a trans man. If he had always been a trans man deep down, but didn't realize it or act on it until later, he might not have truly been the first gay woman I ever met. And besides, he didn't really talk about his sexuality with the extended family.

...the word lesbian always lends itself to one of two images: no makeup, obese, beer stained flannel shirts, slummy women not making anything of themselves; or thin, slutty, and making out with anything with boobs for attention.

I can see that being an issue in highschool. Lesbian for most of us just meant the lesbians in our grade. (One of whom was super hot.) For that description, we used the beautiful word...

Dyke.

Now that's a bad term.

I actually don't mind it. When I was coming out I used it more then I would ever use the word gay, I think that was because gay was always being used as an insult and I just didn't feel comfortable saying it but for some strange reason i found lesbian fine. Now I don't mind so much and I sort of use both equally.

Originally Posted by Numfarh

I can see that being an issue in highschool. Lesbian for most of us just meant the lesbians in our grade. (One of whom was super hot.) For that description, we used the beautiful word...

Dyke.

Now that's a bad term.

I have to agree with that.
I absolutely HATE the word dyke, and the words queer and fag.