Mekalar, take a look at the links on the last post on page 1, I think you’ll get a bit of an understanding.
Just been reading through these posts (yes, I am a lesbian). A few thoughts
- At my first encounter with a Macmillan nurse at the hospital, she started filling in a questionnaire with me. I was with my sister (and still had my hair then), after a short while something felt wrong, I checked and the woman had assumed I was my sisters husband/partner and ticked ‘male’ in the gender section, - this is completely true!!!
- Almost without exception headwear websites for cancer patients advertise their wares as ‘feminine’ and ‘pretty’. This really p*es me off and is excluding. Can’t they at least manage ‘unisex’?
- going to a Look Good Feel Beter day next Tuesday for a laugh more than anything, will be interesting to see how hettie orientated that is.
- Are there really so few lesbians/bi women on here???
Sue xx
i was a bit rude to the help line today. I rang up and they answered my questions and then they said they wanted to ensure that they were reaching everybody and would I answer some questions. so they asked about my age, location and ethnic background. I said–you have not asked about my sexuality. she said something about being aware of lesbian and bisexual womens needs and accomodating them. So I asked her why then they were not monitering how well they were doing at reaching people of different sexualities in their survay. ( i am hetrosexual, it just seems lopsided to me)
I wonder if they will change the survay
Cheers OAL !
There must be more, getup, but not many posters.
Hope all my lovely friends on here (of all orientations) are doing ok, take care everyone and have a good weekend.
Julie xx
Sadly the world still makes assumptions about all of us. We have to ‘fit’ somewhere. I’ve never fitted anywhere. I’m hetero, grammar school girl, pregnant and married off at 17, divorced at 24 with 3 young children, did my best to me a mother and grow up at the same time. I’m now 57, have just last November sailed across the Atlantic on a 56’boat with 4 men, and I wasn’t just there to do the cooking! I’ve backpacked round S E Asia at 54, I learned to play the guitar at 45, formed a band and did some singing at 50. I have 8 grandchildren. I know about marine diesel engines and paint in oils. I make jam. Where the heck do I fit in? Not enough boxes for us all thank goodness.
sorry, completely off topic, but your mentioning boxes reminded my of the day I had to ring up to cancel my mothers readers digest subscription. it was obviouls a new customer service guy, who asked all the right questions and was gaining confidence by the minute, until he asked" and why are you cancelling her subscription" “because she’s dead” “help” he said " I havnt got a box for that" poor lamb, he had to hand over to his supervisor.
by the way, i started to learn to play the drums when i was 50 and am also in a band that i found on the internet, oo-er perhaps not fitting in boxes is what gives you canceer.
Have been scrolling through the threads and have mixed feelings about some of the posts. I am surprised to find that lesbians are treated differently to heterosexuals.We’re all women, we all have the same body parts, don’t we? At the other end of the spectrum I take slight exception to the reference “about grey haired women watching Jeremy Kyle and discussing knitting patterns or grandchildren” or something along those lines! Isn’t this putting people “into boxes” also? We don’t all shin up mountains and sail the seven seas…well done to those who do…but don’t knock the ones who settle for a life of homemaking. This doesn’t make us stupid, I’m more than content with my life of knitting, sewing, painting, baking and gardening etc plus working nights and seeing my grandchildren on my days off. BTW I don’t watch JK!!
Vee, I agree with the surprise, but read through the documents on the links posted earlier and you will see exactly what sort of different treatment our fellow women have to go through. I was also surprised, but it’s been an education. And it’s also rather sad. I suppose because I’m part of the majority that I just wasn’t aware of the little things that affect the minority, that add up to a big thing.
(And the day I turn on the telly to deliberately watch Jeremy Kyle is the day I’ll be looking to shove my head in a gas oven, I can’t imagine anything worse!)
…and the issues are also very tricky for Transgender individuals, too, whose reactions to the loss of breasts (in terms of ‘feeling like a woman’) just might be very different. And who might feel very nervous about expressing those feelings amongst women who may feel very differently to them. Having others to talk to about it in a supportive sense might be very important.
Ann x
who’s Jeramy Kyle??
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