Dear Tiggy,
I’m glad I found the site and your advice column. I am pretty surprised to find that I’ve made it to 42 and am still closeted about my bisexuality, especially considering how many awesome queer friends I have now and over the years. I’ve reached a really conflicted point in my life, though, and something has to change.
I believe one of the issues that has held me back from being open or pursuing any relationships with women (other than some wonderful sexual experiences in college) is that a platonic lesbian friend once really shut me down when I expressed interest in women. We had gone out to a lesbian club and I commented to her that there was a wide, empty circle around me on the dance floor. She said, “Yeah, they can smell the straight on you.” I was crushed started to feel hopeless about any same-sex potential. I am femme, completely, but that would undoubtedly be pleasing to many. I put my head down and only dated men since then, but lately her comment has haunted me. She and others have also said things to me like, “Oh, you like dick too much.”
The other issue is that, during times of potential intimacy with the man I have dated most recently, I felt really tense and broke down in tears. I chalked it up to simply not being over a past relationship; it’s partly true but I just don’t think that’s the whole story. As someone else wrote to you, when I masturbate it is exclusively to female images and women’s porn. I am becoming aware that I might like to have the chance to date another woman, but fear that I won’t be accepted by other bi women or lesbians.
I would love to hear any thoughts you might have on my history. Thank you for listening.
—Mid-Life Bi
You never dated women because someone made a rude “joke” to you, once, years ago?
I don’t think one unkind comment has the power to scare you off loving ladies forever. It’s more likely that you’re hanging on to that as an excuse not to date. But what are you so afraid of? Of course some queer women are going to like you! There’s not only a huge community of bisexuals out there, but there’s also a powerful movement of Femme Pride.
You know what I’d be afraid of if I were you? Living the rest of my life without ever discovering this fun, fascinating part of myself.
It’s pretty generous for you to describe your LBT friends as “awesome” when it seems that they’ve given you little support for your sexual awakening. The good news is that you don’t need the approval of every – or any – queer woman on this issue. They’re not gatekeepers to the Kingdom of Lady Love; only you hold the key.
There’s nothing stopping you from dating women except yourself. You can dig deep and discover your arcane reasons for doing that, but I have an even better idea: skip the self-therapy and just start dating women. Online dating was made for your situation. Bite the bullet, post a profile, and start making dates.
You don’t have to have everything all figured out; just go on some fun dates with interesting women and see if you click with any of them. It’s as easy as that. Don’t spend one more minute of your life wishing you had.
© 2011 Tiggy Upland. Tiggy Upland reserves the right to use all submitted queries anonymously, in any medium.