Hey! I'd love to participate if it's still not too late to do so. This really does look like an interesting questionnaire. 😃

(Part 1)

1. What are your thoughts on terms like butch, stem/futch, and femme? I do appreciate these terms to describe the various lesbian types and I feel they are somewhat needed as well. Over where I am, the dating community is roughly divided into Butch/Femme, Femme/Femme and Butch/Butch. Each has it's own tastes, outlook of women and expectations. So, it's important to have some understanding and not assume everyone is universal. Even bisexual women within the women's dating community also sometimes sort themselves following these ranges. For example, stricter Femme/Femme bisexuals tend to align along with lesbian Femme/Femme ideology. That said, it's not compulsory for lesbians to put themselves into any one category. Some lesbians don't feel they fit in either and that's fine.

1a) Do you use these terms? (If so, how would you describe yourself?) Yes, I do. I identify as a Femme lesbian, and am part of the Femme/Femme dating demographic.

1b) Can other groups(such as the G,B, and T) use these terms? It'd be really strange for gay and bi men to use these terms, irregardless if they are normal gay/bi men or a part of those who desire to transition. It'd also cause a lot of confusion as people would have to differentiate whether you are talking about a man or a woman. Thankfully, gay/bi men seem to have no desire for such things and they have their own gay male terms.

I have no opposition to bisexual women who are active within the lesbian/bi woman's dating community using these terms. This is because bisexual simply stands for your orientation and has nothing to do with what type you are. You can be Femme or Butch in appearance and you can like either, and women will be attracted or dis-attracted to you, plus relationships can be different, based on that. However, bisexual women who have left the women's dating community and are monogamous with men should not be using these terms, as they are for special dating dynamics between women only.

Straight trans have no business using any of these terms, as these are special dating dynamics for women only. This is due to the different natures and socialization of women in comparison to men. Straight men have their own outlook which can never be changed, and heterosexual pairings have their preferred dynamics and attraction which is not always the same as the lesbian one.

Do you have a "gaydar" to where you can normally tell someone else is a lesbian? Gaydar is not particularly relevant for me as I'm more highly attracted to conventionally attractive women, and they aren't any different from straight women if they are not in a setting where they could freely be out. That said, some chapstick types can be a bit pingeable as gay.

Are you a feminist? Yes.

If yes, what type?[Ex radical feminist, intersectional, choice(?) feminist] I would say that I'm the type which supports women human rights. To be treated like a human. To be able to go to school, get a job, own property, have her own hobbies and life, be treated fairly at the workplace. Families should not be allowed to have property rights over their daughters where they can sell them into marriage. Women should have full autonomy rights over their body and have the right to vote. There should be protection/defense against sexual assault.

One thing that differentiates between real and false over these matters is that real feminists are aware that society never wanted women to have these things. It's a partial stroke of luck that it happened due to world events and so the clock might be in danger of being wound back. It has been a mere 100 years or less since women in modern societies have the full range of these rights, and already there is backlash. From growing misogyny, to the redpill to the insidious trans and gender agenda, it's a clear attack. I do also agree with some of the radfem views that patriarchy will probably never see women as human beings.

What are some important issues that should be tackled/discussed in lesbian circles? I think lesbians should definitely put the most onus into building our own communities and not rely on mainstream/straight people to do any of that. There are some lesbians with very odd perceptions when it comes to community. There is this assumption that a community is a hive-mind where you only join if you are ever the same, or that community is strictly about marshaling a cause. But that isn't what community is. It's simply about finding kinship whenever you wish to with people who you can connect with.

Sexual orientation is unique. You see, if someone isn't of the same orientation as you, they will never truly understand, care, or get it, in the way another woman(for lesbians) who is like-minded and of the same orientation as you would. It's simply about connection and that actually gives strength. Also, lesbian communities don't have to be homogeneous groups. There can be multiple differing lesbian groups under one umbrella. Like, the dating community over where I am has Butch/Femme, Femme/Femme and Butch/Butch. Each are their own thing, and provides representation to different types of lesbians. Attractive and varying lesbian/bi couples are quite the inspiration and also make many lesbians feel at home.

I also think that some lesbians can be a bit stubborn when it comes to dating, often erroneously blaming a "small lesbian dating population" for their woes. I do believe the lesbian population is 10% and not 2%. Every-time I come across a fellow lesbian woman who isn't very successful at dating, despite really wanting a relationship, 9 out of 10 is because they themselves are not putting in effort or not putting in the right effort. Since our pool is smaller, and it's women whom you are dating, it's also means you need to take more initiative than what a straight woman has to do. Every lesbian who has done all the above and desires a relationship, I've seen them be completely successful in finding one with a bit of patience. But some lesbians can just be too stubborn to heed good advice. I think the line of thought that lesbians shouldn't have to follow mainstream dating logic "just because we are lesbians" kind of hurts more than it helps.

Do you feel as though you are a part of the LGBTQIA+ as the L? (Please explain) I do generally feel like a part of LGB. I don't have much interest in being part of the LGBTQ+ as they are against lesbians.

5a) As the L, do you feel supported by the other letters? Perhaps casually, as there is some mutual interest.

5b) What is a good way to support the L? Mutual respect mostly. Not being invasive in the lesbian/bi communities. And general freedom for lesbians. The first 50% of it really comes from the ability to have women's human rights (as I wrote above). The other 50% is where being lesbian or gay is not a criminal penalty and the freedom to create lesbian/bi content/entertainment content. That's about it. No one needs to purposely turn into lesbians or pretend there is no such thing as gender to suit us!

5c) Thoughts on "Leave out the L"? Neutral and good (if it's distancing from the malicious TQ). In the first place, we should be building our own community (as I wrote above). Gay male communities are not the same as they are men and we are not dating each other. So, it shouldn't matter if we are left in or out, as we should already be having our own lesbian community.