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Lesbian Visibility

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Level N Human, Oct 29, 2012.

  1. Level N Human

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    Is it just me, or does it seem like most LGBT organizations are more catered towards gay men than lesbians? I'm not active in the LGBT community at all because I personally feel underrepresented & misrepresented. It feels like the face of LGBT is a flamboyant gay man (and you guys are great!) but where's the visibility for the rest of us? It feels like people are only ready to accept certain personalities of LGBT that they consider 'entertaining'.

    On a related note: at times I don't feel like I'm 'gay enough' for the community. I want to bond with people over things other than my sexual orientation, and I feel sort of ostracized when I'm not responsive towards 'gay culture' because I'm not the stereotypical lesbian.

    Anyone here feel me?
     
  2. Mogget

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    It's not just you. The LGBT movement has a long history of promoting the interests of white upper-middle class gay men at the expense of gay men of color, poor gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and especially trans people. I once saw it expressed as "Glsomeothernotveryimportantletters."
     
  3. Pret Allez

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    :roflmao: OMFG that's great!
     
  4. Level N Human

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    I guess by asking "Is it just me?" I really meant "It's totally not me." Oh well, time to start a BLT club; free sandwich for new members.
     
  5. Caudex

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    :roflmao:

    Anyhoo, I think it is because history has been more male-centric and men are just more likely to do famous things in general. Luckily, that's changing of late, but thousands of years of historical precedent are not instantly erased.
     
  6. Ticklish Fish

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    well, women's right need to step up their game! and I don't mean the "I see a man and let's kick his nuts" type of misguided feminist. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  7. Level N Human

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    I promise I don't want to touch your nuts.
     
  8. Ticklish Fish

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    yeah, I don't want you to have nut allergy :roflmao:
     
  9. Pret Allez

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    Yes, and there are just sooo many of those around. :rolle:
     
  10. SheWhoHasNoName

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    It is not just you. Sometimes I feel like I have to wear guy clothes and shave my head so people will believe I'm a lesbian. Nothing wrong with that though. I just like wearing female clothing and having long hair.

    Hmmm... My brother thought I was playing a joke on him when I came out...
     
  11. Mykayla

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    Yeah, same goes for bisexuals and transsexuals as well. It's really quite annoying how lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals are pushed to the background in favour of promoting tolerance of gay men (no offense intended to anyone on this site who is gay).
     
  12. Caudex

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    Mykayla, I think your statement is a little unfair. You're making it seem like we're selfish and greedy, hogging all of the promotion for ourselves, while in reality most of us are not like that and it's only a few anomalies causing the difference in public perception.

    Another thing is that gay men "stand out" more. This is just because our society places more of a stigma upon men who act in a manner stereotypically considered gay while it's far less scandalous for a woman to wear jeans. While I am not saying that lesbians deserve less attention, what I want to get across is that it's not our fault that we are more polarizing.
     
  13. midwestgirl89

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    You're not alone. I also feel underrepresented and invisible. I feel this with books, movies, tv shows, clubs, organizations, historical documentation, health clinics, etc etc. And I also feel like I don't fit into the LGBT (more like G) community. I'll take a sandwich please! lol.
     
  14. Pret Allez

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    Here?

    It's definitely mostly about the struggles of gay men, which is actually rather frustrating. For one thing, lesbians are really, really tokenized. Like all that objectification of women that happens is like times three with lesbians. And of course, the body fascism of straight men is like three times worse, too. (As in, if you're a lesbian, you better be three times as beautiful or you're a tomboy, a dork, or even worse, fat.)

    Then there's the "you're just doing it for attention" thing. Or the "you just haven't found the right guy" thing. (As if any given straight man is God's gift to women, and he's enchanted with magical heterosexual conversion powers.) Or my very favorite: "can I watch?"
     
  15. sguyc

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    Maybe its the fault of lesbians for not having a stronger community or presence? Instead of gay men..

    (Ok this is a little trollish, maybe, but that was my first reaction).
     
  16. Pret Allez

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    More than a little.
     
  17. sguyc

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    Then refute it.
     
  18. midwestgirl89

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    Very trollish indeed. I "strongly" disagree that it is lesbians' fault for their own under-representation or mistreatment.
     
  19. Pret Allez

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    Well, you're admitting that your trolling, so is there any value to this discussion?
     
  20. sguyc

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    Well my description of my opinion was more to the fact that it was controversial. And generally, if someone trolls, their point is very easily refuted because it was just designed to spur a bunch of posts aimed at refuting it, so ya. I don't think my opinion is wrong just because it doesn't jibe with the "men are evil and excluding us" feel of this thread. Edit: That's not really the feeling in this thread, its happier, but still I think lesbians should look towards each other, I think they isolate themselves more than gay men.