Diva editor, responds to 'lesbian rights alliance' article in the times.

[garam]

Another strongly worded restating of support for trans rights....

"A Times article, published today, announces “lesbian fury at Stonewall over ‘trans agenda’”, as if the 135 signatories of an open letter speak for every lesbian in the world.

Sorry, but you're wrong.

Given DIVA’s unequivocal stance on trans issues, I’m sure it goes without saying, but for anyone not quite sure: those 135 signatories do not speak for us, or for the majority of cisgender lesbians.

The letter, from an organisation calling themselves the Lesbian Rights Alliance, accuses Stonewall of erasing lesbians and says: “Stonewall has rarely represented our interests. Now in your single-minded policy to promote the trans political and ideological agenda you not only fail to represent us but you actually promote lesbian invisibility – and lesbian erasure.”

I do agree that lesbians are underrepresented in the LGBT community. But it's worse for bisexual people, and even more so for trans people who are also lesbian or bisexual. That's why it's so important that a magazine like DIVA exists, and that an organisation like Stonewall is women-led and promotes bi and trans inclusion. It's the likes of DIVA and Stonewall who are making us more visible.

In fact, I'd go further. It is not Stonewall – or any other LGBT organisation – erasing lesbian identities, but these so-called feminists who, by peddling hateful and transphobic rhetoric, make people like me not want to use the word lesbian to describe myself because I don’t want to be associated with their views. What a sad state of affairs.

The letter continues: “We urge you to stop claiming to represent us and leave the L out.”

Take your own advice, LRA, and stop claiming to represent lesbians. You do not speak for me, for DIVA, or for the majority of our community.

As I’ve said before, and I’ll say again, trans women do not erase lesbians. I believe we are enriched by trans friends and lovers, parents, children, colleagues and siblings.

Groups like the LRA would have you believe that it’s “them versus us”. It’s not. They are us. We’re one and the same, and we can’t let divisive, hateful and misguided people drive a wedge between us.

DIVA publisher Linda Riley agrees with me. She says: “It seems ironic to me to complain about a lack of lesbian visibility while, at the same time, asking the L to be removed from LGBT.

“We are stronger as a community and 135 lesbians should not be able to decide what a whole community should believe.”"

Hurrah! Good to see lesbians speaking out and being given a platform for a change

You appear to want to sleep with everyone else but each other🙄

How absurd to present a belief that you've the right to sex with whomever you want.

Thankfully there will never, ever come a time when you can command lesbian women to accept your penis. You can't erase them - even if they're not part of any movement they'll still exist.

You can't bear that they don't centre men. This whole things sounds rapey...aiming to insist that women have to sleep with you. No - they don't. & they won't.

I shouldn't think it'll be too long before your real agenda, which is to to subjugate women, becomes apparent.

Great article. Every little step on the road to peak trans-ing swathes of the nation helps

I've said before Garam, it makes me really sad that people who have sex with penises and vulvas are still too ashamed to admit they are bisexual. Internalised biphobia is not only alive and well, it is being encouraged by LGBT organisations :(

The only sort of sexuality which any person should be ashamed of is one which involves anyone other than freely consenting adults. This applies to everyone on both sides of a potential sexual encounter whether male, female, trans ... fundamentally is it any more complicated than that?

I would have thought that even if you are a bisexual, that you may not feel sexual attraction to a strange chimera of human bodily form that is the penis plus boobs look of the AGP. Or even just a bodily male in female identification mode.

Agree Erroll, there is getting to be increasing evidence that lesbians are coerced, bullied, shamed, tricked, hounded etc into sex with transwomen whether with or without a penis. Even if a lesbian refrains from this it is unacceptable to be verbally shamed for your sexual preference.

When I started a relationship with a man I was excluded from my lesbian community and lost friends. It was obviously a deeply upsetting experience but I understood why and didn't insist they hung out with me and my BF!

Or you may not be attracted to anyone who tries to exert any sort of pressure or emotional blackmail on you to have sex. Not whether you have a dick but whether you're behaving like one.

The equality act also states for the purposes of the act trans women are treated by default as female, so .. nice source.

OMG. You think EqA gives penis access to vagina, whatever vagina might have to say about it?

Way to fly your flag. Thanks for the open rape apologia.

As others have said, I hope nobody reports this post so that it is left to stand for all to see.

I'm bisexual. I would not have a relationship with a trans person for the same reason as I dont have relationships with other people who's beliefs are in direct opposition to my own. I wouldn't fuck a member of the BNP, I wouldn't fuck a devout Catholic and I wouldn't fuck someone who believes in that a woman is anyone who says they are one.

I like effeminate men, I even like men in women's underwear and stockings. I like women who are soft butch or androgynous. I like feminine women. I like masculine men.

I could be attracted to a androgynous woman then find she identified as a man. I would then rule out any sort of relationship or intimacy, not because they are trans and I'm a bigot, but because I cannot have any sort of relationship with a person where one of us has to lie about our beliefs to appease the other.

Linda Riley, publisher of Diva, was appointed by Dawn Butler as lead of the LGBT+ diversity board.

Linda Riley is a board member of GLAAD.

Dawn Butler is shadow Women and Equalities minister.

In an entirely unrelated matter, Dawn Butler accepted a £14K trip to LA for the GLAAD awards in April this year. For 9 days.

And in another entirely unrelated matter, Dawn Butler received Ally of the Year award from Diva magazine recently.

Yes, garam - how do you feel about the incestuous chumocracy Popchyk illustrates? Do you feel that such a tiny niche of community members mostly concerned with mutual backslapping should be speaking for the entire community? That would seem rather elitist.

Yy lacy, everything you said.

Langcleg......
*The equality act also states for the purposes of the act trans women are treated by default as female, so .. nice source.

OMG. You think EqA gives penis access to vagina, whatever vagina might have to say about it?

Way to fly your flag. Thanks for the open rape apologia.

As others have said, I hope nobody reports this post so that it is left to stand for all to see.*

Hilarious :-D
typically bat-shit.

My statement was..... The equality act also states for the purposes of the act trans women are treated by default as female, so .. nice source.

And you read the rest into it....... brilliant!

If I need to clarify, everyone has the absolute right to choose who they sleep with, no if's no buts.

However you do not get to tell lesbians who choose a trans lesbian partner, they are no longer lesbians.

THAT is literally lesbian erasure.

Sexual orientation is a protected characteristic and refers to same sex relationships. Nothing to do with gender feels.

Stop being so homophobic garam

telling lesbians they are now bisexual for being with a trans woman, is actually homophobic.

It's not a same SEX relationship however much you try to obfuscate. Words and definitions matter especially regarding the law and protecting rights.

Words have meanings.

I am really sorry that you had to hear that OP but there it is. Have a and a little sit down and you'll feel better. Maybe breathe into a paper bag?

telling lesbians they are now bisexual for being with a trans woman, is actually homophobic.

Break that down for me, in simple terms - are you saying that humans can change sex? You don’t believe that do you?

Yes, do double down, garam. We're all ears.

I'm happy to double down.........

If I need to clarify, everyone has the absolute right to choose who they sleep with, no if's no buts.

However you do not get to tell lesbians who choose a trans lesbian partner, they are no longer lesbians.

THAT is literally lesbian erasure.

I can't quite see how it's homophobic, unless the person thinks there's something wrong with being bi.

Who the fuck would think DIVA has anything to do with lesbians?

Pomo queer take over laaang time ago.

trans lesbian partner

Unless you mean a transman whose preference is females, there's your logic fail.

'no if's no buts' no cocks

lesbian = adult female homosexual