//thread/ This was the very first experience I had in an L…

Pretty much all the members were female, with the exception of one gay man and one trans woman (who was 31). Not one single girl in the group identified as bi or lesbian, but rather several combinations of ‘queer’, ‘pansexual’, ‘genderfluid demisexual’, and ‘non binary’.(2)

We began by introducing ourselves and stating our preferred pronouns. I already felt super out of place but I went along with it anyway. When introducing myself as a lesbian, the head of the club kindly asked me to refer to myself as ‘queer’ or ‘gay’ so as to be inclusive of (3)

everyone’s identities. I apologized and agreed to the terms but it stirred up something inside me, pretty much the exact same feeling I had when I came out to my family and they refused to acknowledge or accept that I was a lesbian.(4)

The topics of discussion ranged from dating, gender expression, and the difficulties Victoria faced as a ‘trans lesbian’ and how so few people in her life would validate her identity. Victoria was showered with praise and support, and not one single person had any (5)

qualms with hercalling herself a lesbian, despite being male. None of the discussions we had were same-sex focused, everything was about gender identity politics. Conversations were choppy and awkward because everyone kept inadvertently misgendering each other and had to (6)

keep pausing to correct themselves and apologize. I was denied to openly call myself the very thing that I am and the entire reason I joined the club in the first place, so what was the point? For a lot of young lesbians, these spaces are all they have and the only place (7)

they know to go. They are sold the idea of a ‘loving community’ that will protect them and represent their needs and experiences, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Many of them get stuck in these toxic communities and pulled into TRA ideology because it’s easier (8)

to be complicit and inclusive than to stand up and be left behind. Female socialization accelerates this. Queer Theory has rebranded homophobia and misogyny as progressive and underneath all the flashy rainbows and colourful language, it is silently destroying lesbian lives(9)

This was almost 6 years ago and I will never forget the experience. I will never forget the way I felt when the head of that club told me it was wrong to be who I was. I will forever be disturbed at the enthusiasm of those young women as they coddled a 31 year old (10)

military male in a pink dress and pine green lipstick. And I won’t forgive the institutions that push this regressive rhetoric and leave us lesbians behind as collateral damage (11)

I am thankful I walked out of these circles when I did, and I can only hope that young lesbians will come to the same conclusions too. Radical feminism isn't always perfect, but I am much safer and far more understood here than I am in any kind of pride community. (12)

Someday I hope we will reclaim our culture and spaces. For now, all we can do is keep speaking out, and hope the world listens (13).
#getthelout #lgballiance #sexnotgender

//thread/

This was the very first experience I had in an LGBTQ social circle when I first openly came out as a lesbian at 18. I had just gone through a difficult breakup and was depressed and lonely for lesbian community, so I thought I would go to my university’s Pride Club.(1)

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//thread/This was the very first experience I had in an LGBTQ social circle when I first openly came out as a lesbian at 18. I had just gone through a difficult breakup and was depressed and lonely for lesbian community, so I thought I would go to my university’s Pride Club.(1)

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//thread/

This was the very first experience I had in an LGBTQ social circle when I first openly came out as a lesbian at 18. I had just gone through a difficult breakup and was depressed and lonely for lesbian community, so I thought I would go to my university’s Pride Club.(1)