LesbianWho Crushed the Lesbian Bars? A New Minefield of Identity Politics - good article on the disappearance of lesbian bars

submitted by ns_for_work from wweek.com

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[–]luckystar 19 insightful - 5 fun19 insightful - 4 fun20 insightful - 5 fun -  (1 child)

This article is so depressing to read... It seems obvious to me that these are just young lesbians trying to identify out of oppression. Oh you thought you were a lesbian, but now you think you're not a lesbian because you're attracted to some humans who identify as transgender or non binary? Do those humans happen to be biologically female? Because boy oh boy do I have some news for you

[–]reluctant_commenter 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Or they think it is the "nice" or "moral" thing to do to be inclusive about who they fuck.

Lacking boundaries does not make a person "nice". So many women are taught this growing up, though. I know I was.

[–]Constantine 19 insightful - 2 fun19 insightful - 1 fun20 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Lesbian bars are "trans woman exterminationalism." How the fuck did we get here? (Rhetorical question, I know damn well how - homophobia/misogyny and neoliberalism run amok).

[–]denverkrisMy pronouns are Vodka?/Yes!/please 18 insightful - 1 fun18 insightful - 0 fun19 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

"It's really restricting to me to say I'm a lesbian. That means I'm a girl who likes girls. But am I a girl? And do I only like girls? No."

What. The. Fuck.

This article was really fucking depressing.

[–]yousaythosethingsFind and Replace "gatekeeping" with "having boundaries" 23 insightful - 14 fun23 insightful - 13 fun24 insightful - 14 fun -  (1 child)

Sexual orientation descriptions aren't "restricting" when they're accurate. Good god. Like, is she bisexual? Or is she just a lesbian who pretends that "female" is not a trait shared by her and everyone that she's interested in? This latter situation is getting depressingly common.

We need clear definitions for words. If you say you're lesbian or bisexual or gay, we need to know want you mean. If you want to be ambiguous and "not feel restricted," then get new freaking words, Jesus. That's why I've come to not mind pansexual. Because I don't care what it means to someone using it for themselves. Because to me, the meaning is clear: (1) unfuckable and (2) I can stop listening.

[–]denverkrisMy pronouns are Vodka?/Yes!/please 11 insightful - 7 fun11 insightful - 6 fun12 insightful - 7 fun -  (0 children)

"Because to me, the meaning is clear: (1) unfuckable and (2) I can stop listening."

omg i'm dying laughing right now. ty

[–]BonesRedsMy pronouns are Yu/Gi/Oh! 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, no. It's only restricting to people who DO NOT FIT THAT DEFINITION. I, a real lesbian, don't find that label restricting at all. Hell, it's not even a label but rather a description.

[–]reluctant_commenter 18 insightful - 1 fun18 insightful - 0 fun19 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Craig Leets, director of PSU's Queer Resource Center, says students don't feel limited to calling themselves "gay" or "straight." For some, it's too mainstream, too apolitical. It's lost the ability to jolt outsiders like the Midwestern grandmothers who've embraced Ellen DeGeneres. "It feels too comfortable," he says.

Makes me so angry. I don't WANT my same-sex attraction to be political. I WANT it to be mainstream, apolitical!!! I don't give a fuck if it doesn't upset Midwestern grandmothers! I just want to live my life in peace!

So what does the future look like?

It looks a lot like Psychic Techniques, a queer rave held monthly until recently in the Central Eastside Industrial District.

No. You know what the future looks like? It looks like young lesbian women staying alone at home at night and never going out to bars to find other lesbian women, because we might be publicly shamed or even lose our jobs if we are out as a lesbian. THAT'S what it fucking looks like. You can all enjoy your "queer" paradise but it won't change the facts of who I am, and I can't do anything about that.

Fuck this. I fucking hate this so fucking much.

It's a great article though, thank you for posting. It's just so infuriating. Being silenced like this.

[–]AugustiJade 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Or it looks like all young lesbians transing out of it. Which is already happening.

[–]florasisHOMOSEXUAL FEMALE/Pussy is my God and I'm monotheist 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There is no need for it with apps. Gay men on average have much more money to spend, being men and all. Also, lesbians tend to be more focused on finding a long term mates, and having a very normal life homely life, rather than sexual promiscuity.

[–]divingrightintowork 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

"If lesbians didn't want to be so exclusionary why were they born with at least one gaping open bottom hole just begging for people to come in" /s

[–]ANIKAHirsch 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I don't think lesbians have trouble hooking up in Portland.

[–]yousaythosethingsFind and Replace "gatekeeping" with "having boundaries" 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (1 child)

Only if (1) they are real lesbians but don’t call themselves “lesbian” and they keep quiet about being homosexual, or if they do call themselves “lesbians,” they must also claim to be non-binary it have some other “queer” “identity” as well, OR (2) they’re not lesbian, and in many cases not even female, and they call themselves a “lesbian.”

Basically, for a relationship to exist between two “lesbians,” one or both must have a penis or at least be attracted to penises. The only ones who are allowed to not be attracted to penises are the “lesbians” with penises.

[–]ANIKAHirsch 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The struggle is real, then.