I am myself. I chose to say that I am a lesbian. Yes that is what I am, but I also want to feel comfortable with how I express and define my sexuality. As a feminist I am a little loathed to use terms such as ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ as they are mostly societal constructs. But as a scientist, I acknowledge that there are traits that are influenced my female and male hormones and underlying genetic differences. I don’t like to define myself completely as a woman in a feminine way, but I have to once again acknowledge that I am feminine in how I ‘display’ myself. I like to wear dresses and make-up and look like a lady! But not because society says I should, but because that is what I LIKE and identify with. I know I have been somewhat socially conditioned when I was a girl and young woman – which I rebelled against a little – I didn’t wear dress for about a year and I loathed pink, but as I grew up I embraced being a woman and was proud to be a woman. I wear pants and dresses, but sometimes when I am really in touch with my own lesbianism and identity, I want to wear dresses a lot and be all feminine and girly. Loving my lady and being in touch with my sexuality makes me want to be more girly. I consider myself a ‘semi-femme’ as I identify and like the lesbian/queer expression of femininity, but the definition that femme relates to attraction to butches and the butch-femme convention/interaction/dynamic doesn’t fit with me. I’m not really attracted to butches and I don’t think the femme identity has to be defined by necessitated by interplay with the butch identity. This is my own personal view and how I choose to identify if I want.
Archive for the ‘Lesbian Identity’ Category
I am myself, but ‘femme’ means something to me as well
Posted in Femme, Lesbian Identity, Lesbians, Queer Politics, tagged Lesbian on March 16, 2012| 2 Comments »
A positive feeling
Posted in Femme, Lesbian Identity, Lesbians, Queer Politics on March 16, 2012| 1 Comment »
Reading femme lesbian blogs and identifying as a ‘semi-femme’ – a term I feel fits how I see myself, gives me a positive feeling of affirmation, camaraderie, self-expression and pride. It makes me feel proud to be a lesbian who wears dresses and make up and is womanly. And finding out that there are femmes who are into vintage and rockabilly stuff is great – because I like this too! Although, what is truly awesome and joyful is going to a rockabilly meet with my and sharing this interest with her. Well I am going to endeavour to wear more vintage and rockabilly clothes and have pride!
Labels
Posted in Lesbian Identity, Queer Politics on March 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I see myself as being an individual, unique and ‘just me’. I am ok with labels, but I use them for myself or identify with them by my OWN CHOICE and I define / meld / modify the label how I see it and how it relates to me. I have chosen to use some labels that I feel
comfortable with, identify with and hold the same ideals. I am a sex-positive lesbian feminist. I am left-wing, a liberalist, an atheist and a believer in equality for all, social justice, queer/LGBTQI rights, environmental protection, socialism and animal rights. I am a scientist, a microbiologist, a writer and blogger. Although these labels express and ‘define’ me, they do not totally encompass who I am. But it does give a sense of solidarity and self-expression.
Femmes, lipstick lesbians and science
Posted in Female Scientists, Lesbian Identity, Lesbian Scientists, Lesbians, Queer Scientists, Scientists, Women in Science on March 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Could a funky femme or lipstick lesbian with an interest in science or who is a scientist encourage an interest among lesbians for science?
The word ‘sapphic’ and male directed porn. I’m mad!
Posted in Lesbian Identity, Lesbians, Queer Politics on February 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I was on my Twitter account and out of curiosity I did a couple of searches for ‘lesbian’ and ‘sapphic’. There were some genuine lesbian angled posts, but most of the results for ‘sapphic’ were for porn – obviously for a heterosexual male audience. This made me mad and disgusted! The appropriation of lesbian sex, porn and erotica for male gratification. Sex between lesbians is not at all for men. It has nothing to do with men! And I loathe how lesbian porn (directed to straight men) is described – strangely admiringly, misogynistic and objectifying. I am ok with porn in a sense (I haven’t really watched it, erotica and sex in movies is more my thing), but I am for genuine lesbian porn – by lesbians, for lesbians, featuring genuine lesbians. Because lesbian sex is for lesbians, it is our sex lives, and we have sex for our own and our partner’s gratification, NOT for anyone else! And I’m for ethical porn and sex in arthouse movies where this less objectification, genuine representations of different body types and identities and it is about sex being a combination of the physical, sexual, erotic and emotional.
Sapphicscientist's Blog 