at worst the world will sing along

feminine-femme:

Years ago, I thought I was a lesbian.

As a result, I was bullied until I no longer felt safe disclosing my identity.

More recently, I came out as aroace.

As a result, I was bullied until I no longer felt safe disclosing my identity.

The same things said to me when I thought I was a lesbian get said now.

But homophobes and exclusionists insist on keeping the discourse, and it drives our communities apart.

And it’s so stupid, when my twelve year old self was told “you’ll change your mind when you find a nice guy”, and my twenty one year old self is told “you’ll change your mind when you find a nice guy”.

At 12 I was told I was lying. “There’s no such thing as lesbians,” one boy told me, “girls have to like boys.”

But even though I found out I was wrong I was not lying.

At 21 I am told I am lying. “There’s no such thing as aromantic,” one person tells me, “girls have to like boys.”

But I am not a girl and I am not lying.

And when I speak up I am told to stay quiet, that I’m making life harder for others, that I’m wrong and lying and deserve to be bullied.

And I look at my 12 year old self, at how worms were shoved into my locker, at how my classmates outed me to my teachers, at how my teachers then took me aside and told me I shouldn’t talk about my sexuality because it’s innappropriate.

And to think that my 12 year old self told me it would get better, but nearly ten years later my sexuality is still innappropriate.

Our communities should be helping each other, but especially AFAB and female aromantics and lesbians.

Because our experiences overlap, and we can help each other more than homophobes and exclusionists would like us to think.

Being a lesbian is revolutionary. Daring to let yourself love when you’re told you aren’t real, you’re wrong, you’ll find a nice man, is amazing. Be proud, whether you’re out or not. You’re fighting against people who think women should like men, against people who think lesbian relationships aren’t “real”, and that is incredible.

Being aromantic is revolutionary. Loving purrly platonically when you’re told it doesn’t count, it’s not real, you’ll find someone and it’ll be better, is amazing. Whether you’re out or not, you’re fighting people who think you should like the opposite gender, that platonic relationships just aren’t as strong as romance, that there’s something wrong with you, and that is incredible.

Aromantic and Lesbian solidarity for the win.

💖💚💖💚💖💚

(via patrocool)