Since starting my questioning journey, I feel like some of sexual orientation labels make less sense. I like girls (a lot apparently). I have always liked girls. Therefore as amab I am straight, I realize one day in the future “fuck it, I’m transitioning” and then I’m not longer straight. It honestly would make a lot more sense to use words like gynophilic or androphilic to describe more of what you’re attracted to instead of how your attraction relates to you
Probably too in my head about it or something. I don’t mean any disrespect in anyway. I’m just in a long unexpected journey of self reflection and used to view those a little more concretely.
Also, if I ever do get to a point of feeling like I should transition, I’m definitely coming out as a lesbian first and try to let them work backwards. It could be funny. Maybe it could ease the conversation along?
I’m rambling now, this started as (I thought) a kind of funny thought, then got too serious and I’ll shut up now.
Your orientation as it relates to you and your orientation as it relates to society are both important. A lesbian and a straight cis man are both attracted to women, but their experiences are very different, so I think having multiple options that we can use to describe our experiences is great. We find power in finding the right words to understand ourselves :)
Often, a lot of trans girls early in their journey of self ownership hesitate to use the label lesbian for themselves, because imposter syndrome is hard to overcome.
But that gets better with time too.
Either way, it doesn’t matter what labels you use or why, what matters is that they are the labels that are helping to empower you and helping you to navigate the world. If they’re doing that, they’re the right labels :)
It truly is! Even though I know all this I still struggle telling girls that I’m lesbian. But when I do and they’re understanding (99.9% of the time?) I feel happy and validated.
But nonetheless I still have my imposter syndrome :(
You make some good points. I love that I can bounce these ideas/questions off all of you!
I feel like I got more comfortable with the idea of lesbian applying to me faster than girl/woman (still questioning) but I just think about all the absolute shit cis women have to go through, and it makes me feel like, “there’s no way I can compare” and a lot of “you only really want the fun feminine parts”(😓😖😫) and I admit, there’s fun parts I like the idea of, and there’s shitty parts I never deal with because of how I was born and I do feel like “why bother if I’ll never fit” even though I already feel somewhat like I don’t fit in anywhere.
Shit is complicated.
And as The Offspring said “Shit is fucked up”