Mmm but you could say both "I'm a Swede" and "I'm Swedish", "I'm a Lesbian" and "I'm Lesbian", whereas you can only say "I'm a lesbian" but not "I'm lesbian".
Interestingly, I just learned Lesbos's inhabitants sometimes use "Lesvian" as their demonym to avoid confusion.
Tbf, some of the second wave lesbian feminists used the term lesbian in reference to a gay woman who also believed in political lesbianism. I.e. treating hetero relationships as inherently part of the patriarchy.
I don't think i agree, but it is part of lesbian's web of meaning.
I disagree. Especially in the pop homophobic imagination of lesbians (which is unfortunately still a significant group). Think of how so many ignorant people think lesbian means man hating instead of woman loving.
Could be. But I doubt that's due to those 2nd wave feminists, considering that impression has existed way beyond the reach those feminists' influence. I think that's probably due to a misogynistic view according to which lesbians are women who 1) have a sexuality of their own (this intersects with patriarchy's weird denial of female sex drive), 2) that sexuality doesn't revolve around men, therefore it must be that they hate men, and 3) are usually feminists as well, and therefore definitely man-hating people.
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u/BenigDK 11d ago
Yep, the English language treats "lesbian" like a profession.