Reclaiming Lesbian Pride

[BullDog]

Thanks to Martina, Julie, Dapper, Heart and others for pointing out that lesbian is as much a cultural, social, spiritual and political orientation and identity as it is sexual orientation.

Lesbian is my sexual orientation. I am also a stone butch and there is zero conflict for me in being a stone butch and lesbian. Lesbian is also very much a part of the social and cultural world that I came of age in. I knew I liked girls from the age of five if not younger. Growing up I heard the terms gay and lesbian. I did not know about queer or terms like female identified butch until I came online- neither one of those terms have much personal meaning to me. They are not a part of my history or culture. However for others those terms do resonate with them on a personal level.

I moved to Santa Cruz, California when I was in my early twenties- which is like Lesbianville, USA (one of them) and was totally immersed in lesbian culture and feminism. Lesbian is very much about my personal history, culture and politics as much as who I am attracted to. Not everyone has that same history or connection that I do. Others have a different connection with the word lesbian. Some may have a more narrower interpretation of what lesbian means than I do. That's ok as long as you don't impose your own personal meaning onto others.

I speak out often about what I see as lesbian bashing, the perpetuation of lesbian stereotypes, and narrow definitions of what lesbian is or can be in butch femme circles. It makes it tough to speak out when some BF lesbians seem to be imposing these same narrow definitions back onto people.