Was wondering what people think about the label "lesbian" and what it means, and who should or shouldn't use it.
There was someone on Bluesky who was upset when they learned I sometimes identify as a lesbian because I'm a woman in a long term relationship with a woman, even though I'm technically bisexual. (I've only ever dated women, would only ever want to date women.)
They said I was appropriating the label "lesbian", that I was lesbophobic, and that I was communicating that it's shameful to be bisexual. (For clarity, I don't hide that I'm bi, I will identify that way in some contexts, and in others I will identify as a lesbian - usually I identify as lesbian around straight people, and among LGBT+ folks I'm more likely to identify as bi or communicate more about my sexuality; tbh it doesn't come up much, and my sexual orientation not a big part of how I like to identify).
I tend to think a label like "lesbian" communicates a sexual or romantic relationship between two women, so I'm surprised to interact with someone who was so rigid about the label that it cannot apply to someone who is even capable of opposite-sex attraction ...
I'm not sure I would ever date a man, so sometimes "lesbian" or "sapphic" are labels that feel more accurate to who I am than a term like bisexual, which implies more openness than I actually have. It's also irrelevant for me since I'm in a long-term monogamous relationship with a woman, from the perspective of others in my life, I have been and will continue to be a lesbian ...
I just wonder where the rigidity comes from, and why the person thought I was lesbophobic. I wasn't able to ask her or learn about her perspective, so I was hoping someone would help me understand wtf just happened, lol
I think that there will be people who dislike whatever label you choose for yourself. I'm bisexual, agender, with she/her pronouns, and people love to tell me I'm wrong about my labels.
I've heard that I shouldn't call myself bi because its transphobic, people say that being AFAB and calling myself agender is anti-feminist, I've been told that she/her pronouns are for women only and I'm actually a confused trans man, that agender doesn't exist, I've heard that I shouldn't call myself a tomboy because its misogynistic, that I shouldn't draw a line between romantic orientation and sexual orienation because I'm being a tryhard, etc etc.
You pick what label feels right to you, not the other way around.