Pressure to "prove" yourself?

PumaJ · 02-24-2011, 01:48 AM

I've been talking a lot with friends about just saying I'm Queer. Not to say that I'm not a Lesbian and not to say I'm not Femme. Rather, it is to stand in the truth, i.e. that I live outside of the mainstream gender ID/sexuality/gender role dichotomy.

My fabulous daughter, who although not a Lesbian despite have a Lesbian & Gay Man as bio parents, did introduce me to a new concept that shook up my brain for a couple of days. We were talking about folks who are Bi vs. those who are hetero but could be sexual with someone else of their same gender/sex. She called such folks "hetero-flexible". Then we talked about Gay men & Lesbians who could be sexual with a woman or man respectively, on a rare occasion, as being "homo-flexible". Different than being Bi because the flex folks are really hetero, Gay or Lesbian. Then we talked about folks who are Gayley Bi. Meaning Bi but leaning toward more involvements with a person of their same gender/sex.

My daughter does ID as Bi, and has been married to my son-in-law forever. They became involved with another male & female married couple almost 2 yrs. ago. Very tight poly relationship now. My son-in-law ID's as hetero-flexible. LOL!

I decided, finally, that it is all getting too complicated, really. Just claiming Queer kind of covers all of us who not hetero. At least to my way of thinking it does.

I can't let it be my problem if folks I know can't get it about me, i.e. how could a woman who is so Femme be a Lesbian? 'Cause truth is, I'm not going to have such folks in my closest circle anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

dixie · 02-24-2011, 07:15 AM

I don't even ID as lesbian but I wear a cute lil rainbow shirt that says "All the cool girls are lesbians". It gets the point across. Although I think I'm gonna buy some of that new sparkly duct tape to put across the word "lesbians" and use a big sharpie to write "queer", since it's more fitting for me. LOL Maybe it'll cut down on the number of folks who say "But you don't look like a lesbian/queer/homo/etc".

Gemme · 03-07-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PumaJ

My fabulous daughter, who although not a Lesbian despite have a Lesbian & Gay Man as bio parents, did introduce me to a new concept that shook up my brain for a couple of days. We were talking about folks who are Bi vs. those who are hetero but could be sexual with someone else of their same gender/sex. She called such folks "hetero-flexible". Then we talked about Gay men & Lesbians who could be sexual with a woman or man respectively, on a rare occasion, as being "homo-flexible". Different than being Bi because the flex folks are really hetero, Gay or Lesbian. Then we talked about folks who are Gayley Bi. Meaning Bi but leaning toward more involvements with a person of their same gender/sex.

My daughter does ID as Bi, and has been married to my son-in-law forever. They became involved with another male & female married couple almost 2 yrs. ago. Very tight poly relationship now. My son-in-law ID's as hetero-flexible. LOL!

I've heard that term and also the term 'flexual' for those who can float easily between differently gendered partners.

fatallyblonde · 03-06-2014, 05:42 PM

I don't really get it from my friends, cos they're all queer lol XD but I have definitely experienced the incredulity and disbelief...

... I have been discussing elsewhere with others the last few months about how homophobia makes a life of 100% homosexual or same gender attracted behaviour basically impossible. A lot of women will have at least some experiences with a man because of societal pressure not to be gay. Homophobic people will often cite this as 'proof' homosexuality is just a phase when actually it's because the pressure and stigma and difficulty of being gay can be too much to deal with. Internalised homophobia can also be a factor, a very painful one. The whole world around us is telling us the way we love is wrong, unhealthy, gross, sick... I know I have been with men in the past when it just felt easier and I know others looked at that and were like "AH HAH! SHE'S NOT A REAL LEZZO AFTER ALL! JUST A STRAIGHTIE!" they could never understand. I feel like the world at large is often WAITING for us to "end up" with a man and has a grossly simplistic, shallow comprehension of the vast and varying ways homophobia and misogyny can intersect with our desires and dating practices and such.

I actually have a stalker at the moment (long story) who is continuously attacking my sexuality claiming I am a 'pretendbian' for 'social cred'. I find this incredibly upsetting, especially as my entire adult life has been spent as an active member of the queer community and in relationships with women but she is using the couple of times I have been with men (incl trans men) as 'proof' the rest is a sham... (incidentally this woman up until the last year claimed to be 100% straight and not interested in women at all)... it is again a toxic example of the kind of sexuality policing women are subjected to that doesn't take into account our environment and what kind of attitudes we are inured in... (after all some women never ever get the chance to come out and spend their whole lives in relationships with men... that's the impacts of homophobia...) and how we negotiate that and attempt to deal with it. I have PTSD and as a consequence have been very sexually dysfunctional for a couple of years and something this onslaught of hers has made me afraid of is of pushing myself into situations I'm not ready for or am not comfortable with in order to 'prove' something. It is so toxic and evil.

Homophobia has so much to answer for.

Deborah* · 10-25-2017, 03:56 AM

I'm truly confident in who I am, and am the architect of my life. I truly don't care how others feel about myself. My inner knowing of myself is what's important, I know my truths and live by them.

Deborah

Esme nha Maire · 10-28-2017, 03:52 PM

I've never had to prove myself to anybody nor would i. Explain myself, now that's a whole 'nother matter...

introverted1 · 12-29-2017, 12:13 PM

I don't feel pressure to "prove" myself as it were, but being femme, I'm definitely not visible. Nobody would guess I'm a lesbian.

homoe · 12-29-2017, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by introverted1

I don't feel pressure to "prove" myself as it were, but being femme, I'm definitely not visible. Nobody would guess I'm a lesbian.

Perhaps you need to get some sort of rainbow thingy? Either a pin or some trinket to give a signal to the butches......just saying couldn't hurt

introverted1 · 01-03-2018, 07:25 PM

Thanks, Homoe...bought myself some rainbow bling yesterday. We shall see what happens!

02-24-2011, 01:48 AM	#1
PumaJ Member How Do You Identify?: High Femme Queer Feminist Preferred Pronoun?: she, her Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Portland Metro, Oregon Posts: 200 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,419 Thanked 500 Times in 147 Posts Rep Power: 1652642	I've been talking a lot with friends about just saying I'm Queer. Not to say that I'm not a Lesbian and not to say I'm not Femme. Rather, it is to stand in the truth, i.e. that I live outside of the mainstream gender ID/sexuality/gender role dichotomy. My fabulous daughter, who although not a Lesbian despite have a Lesbian & Gay Man as bio parents, did introduce me to a new concept that shook up my brain for a couple of days. We were talking about folks who are Bi vs. those who are hetero but could be sexual with someone else of their same gender/sex. She called such folks "hetero-flexible". Then we talked about Gay men & Lesbians who could be sexual with a woman or man respectively, on a rare occasion, as being "homo-flexible". Different than being Bi because the flex folks are really hetero, Gay or Lesbian. Then we talked about folks who are Gayley Bi. Meaning Bi but leaning toward more involvements with a person of their same gender/sex. My daughter does ID as Bi, and has been married to my son-in-law forever. They became involved with another male & female married couple almost 2 yrs. ago. Very tight poly relationship now. My son-in-law ID's as hetero-flexible. LOL! I decided, finally, that it is all getting too complicated, really. Just claiming Queer kind of covers all of us who not hetero. At least to my way of thinking it does. I can't let it be my problem if folks I know can't get it about me, i.e. how could a woman who is so Femme be a Lesbian? 'Cause truth is, I'm not going to have such folks in my closest circle anyway, so it really doesn't matter. __________________ PumaJ

02-24-2011, 07:15 AM	#2
dixie Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: I usually just poke it with a stick. Preferred Pronoun?: Bitch Relationship Status: Intertwined deeply Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: We're all a little mad here. Posts: 6,627 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 10,972 Thanked 21,383 Times in 4,808 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	I don't even ID as lesbian but I wear a cute lil rainbow shirt that says "All the cool girls are lesbians". It gets the point across. Although I think I'm gonna buy some of that new sparkly duct tape to put across the word "lesbians" and use a big sharpie to write "queer", since it's more fitting for me. LOL Maybe it'll cut down on the number of folks who say "But you don't look like a lesbian/queer/homo/etc".

03-06-2014, 05:42 PM	#4
fatallyblonde Member How Do You Identify?: lesbian femme Preferred Pronoun?: She/Her Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: earth Posts: 446 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 389 Thanked 770 Times in 181 Posts Rep Power: 7054721	I don't really get it from my friends, cos they're all queer lol XD but I have definitely experienced the incredulity and disbelief... ... I have been discussing elsewhere with others the last few months about how homophobia makes a life of 100% homosexual or same gender attracted behaviour basically impossible. A lot of women will have at least some experiences with a man because of societal pressure not to be gay. Homophobic people will often cite this as 'proof' homosexuality is just a phase when actually it's because the pressure and stigma and difficulty of being gay can be too much to deal with. Internalised homophobia can also be a factor, a very painful one. The whole world around us is telling us the way we love is wrong, unhealthy, gross, sick... I know I have been with men in the past when it just felt easier and I know others looked at that and were like "AH HAH! SHE'S NOT A REAL LEZZO AFTER ALL! JUST A STRAIGHTIE!" they could never understand. I feel like the world at large is often WAITING for us to "end up" with a man and has a grossly simplistic, shallow comprehension of the vast and varying ways homophobia and misogyny can intersect with our desires and dating practices and such. I actually have a stalker at the moment (long story) who is continuously attacking my sexuality claiming I am a 'pretendbian' for 'social cred'. I find this incredibly upsetting, especially as my entire adult life has been spent as an active member of the queer community and in relationships with women but she is using the couple of times I have been with men (incl trans men) as 'proof' the rest is a sham... (incidentally this woman up until the last year claimed to be 100% straight and not interested in women at all)... it is again a toxic example of the kind of sexuality policing women are subjected to that doesn't take into account our environment and what kind of attitudes we are inured in... (after all some women never ever get the chance to come out and spend their whole lives in relationships with men... that's the impacts of homophobia...) and how we negotiate that and attempt to deal with it. I have PTSD and as a consequence have been very sexually dysfunctional for a couple of years and something this onslaught of hers has made me afraid of is of pushing myself into situations I'm not ready for or am not comfortable with in order to 'prove' something. It is so toxic and evil. Homophobia has so much to answer for.

10-25-2017, 03:56 AM	#5
Deborah* Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Relationship Status: single and not looking Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Texas Posts: 354 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 304 Thanked 420 Times in 180 Posts Rep Power: 2658954	I'm truly confident in who I am, and am the architect of my life. I truly don't care how others feel about myself. My inner knowing of myself is what's important, I know my truths and live by them. Deborah

10-28-2017, 03:52 PM	#6
Esme nha Maire Member How Do You Identify?: Tomboyish eccentric antique femme Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: UK Posts: 642 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,196 Thanked 2,078 Times in 541 Posts Rep Power: 19310770	I've never had to prove myself to anybody nor would i. Explain myself, now that's a whole 'nother matter...

12-29-2017, 12:13 PM	#7
introverted1 Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: introville Posts: 250 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 422 Thanked 740 Times in 212 Posts Rep Power: 7058202	I don't feel pressure to "prove" myself as it were, but being femme, I'm definitely not visible. Nobody would guess I'm a lesbian.

01-03-2018, 07:25 PM	#9
introverted1 Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: introville Posts: 250 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 422 Thanked 740 Times in 212 Posts Rep Power: 7058202	Thanks, Homoe...bought myself some rainbow bling yesterday. We shall see what happens!