The Fesbian Trend
By Sarah Cox | Jan 26th, 2010
Photo by Flickr user Radboiz
Fesbian = Fake Lesbian; A female (often in the public eye) pretending to be of homosexual orientation for personal gain.
As we continue on our path through the twenty-first century the members of the LGBT community are slowly but surely gaining the civil rights that straight couples have enjoyed throughout history. However, total equality does not seem to be in the near future. The passing of Proposition 8 in the state of California has set a standard for other states to withhold or relinquish their own legislation for marriage equality (Hello, Maine). Aside from the religious aspect of the argument against gay marriage, various social issues seem to be preventing progress in the struggle for fair legislation. In our society members of the LGBT community are often not taken seriously. They are depicted in the media as flamboyant or butch caricatures and are often seen as the butt of jokes rather than contributing members of society.
It is a strong belief of mine that the actions of people in the public eye are a huge part of the American lack of respect for gay minorities. Young actresses especially seem to be the under the impression that coming out as lesbian or bisexual is an instant fix for a lack of publicity. Lindsay Lohan for example, has been in very public and very rocky relationships with both men and woman. Her recent antics involving drug use, DUI charges, and a stint in rehab have been followed by the ceaseless public stalking of her ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson. By coupling her sexual preference with her promiscuous and irresponsible behavior, Lindsay Lohan is giving lesbians and bisexual women a bad name. She is promoting the idea that homosexuality is a lifestyle embraced by those who are both unstable and desperate for attention. Lohan continues to use her now dissolved relationship with Ronson to promote her fame on an almost daily basis, turning to Twitter to reveal details of their never ending breakup as well as to refute tabloid claims regarding their relationship. Lindsay Lohan is the worst Fesbian of them all.
Although we can all agree that Lindsay is a hot mess, the title of most ridiculous Fesbian goes to the likes of the hottest trailer trash to hit Hollywood this decade, Megan Fox. Miss Fox claims bisexuality; however, her particular branch of bisexuality comes with a catch. According to The Sun, Fox explicitly states that she would never have sex with another bisexual woman, explaining that she thinks men are dirty. SERIOUSLY? These outlandish remarks don’t make sense. She won’t sleep with a woman who has slept with a man but she WILL allow a “dirty” MAN to physically enter her body? Foxy here is marketing bisexual women as fickle children who simply can’t make up their minds. Am I really the only person who is calling BULL on this?
In my opinion, members of the LGBT community need to unite against these elaborate naysayers in order to gain the civil rights that they crave and deserve. Coming out should be a significant steppingstone in a person’s life, NOT a ruse for media attention. By making spectacles of their alleged sexuality these actresses are going beyond the realm of spreading awareness and are subsequently denying the LBGT community the respect that it deserves. They are also leading young and impressionable American women to believe that experimenting with their sexuality for attention (the WRONG reason) goes without repercussions. Pretending to be bisexual or lesbian only for attention is a serious offense that can easily hurt the feelings of a person that is actually gay or bi. Coming out in this manner is selfish and harmful both to the individuals involved in the charade as well as to society as a whole. Women as a population should have more RESPECT for themselves as individuals and for the LGBT community. Exploitation of something as serious as sexual preference for personal gain should not be taken lightly.
This post is extremely offensive and is the kind of uninformed nonsense that the LGBT community does not want to see. We do not need one of our own’s sexuality being negated because they are considered a bad role model or example by you or others.
Lindsay Lohan has been in an on-off relationship with Samantha Ronson since at least February 2008 and as late as November of 2009 they were reconciled – before there was a rift. Just this weekend Lohan responded in a positive manner when asked if she still loved Ronson. There are also strong rumors that she has been with women before and may have been with Ronson back in Spring 2007 for a short while – both US Weekly and Vanity Fair advising of these rumors in 2007. There are also rumors of her bearding that go back to 2006. This may shock you but before her romance with Ronson became public, The L Word clearly based a character on Lindsay Lohan – a character who slept with men for her career but fell in love with women – and it was not surprising to find that the person who wrote most of that character’s storyline was a former film director of her. You state she is a fake lesbian. Lohan admitted to being neither straight or a lesbian. The closest she has ever come to stating a sexual orientation is a Harper’s Bazaar article where she indirectly confirmed being bisexual. Therefore the title of fake lesbian is insulting and, in this case, a derogatory slur that is unearned. She has never stated she is only attracted to women and she is not fake in that she feels Samantha Ronson is the love of her life. If you want to attack someone why not attack the many cowardly lesbians and bisexual women who live in the closet.
You act as if Lohan tweets about her problems with Ronson for publicity or promotes her romance with Ronson for personal gain. Are you serious? Her publicists and her family were adamant against the move she made in being out about who she loves. Being known as a young actress in a romance with a woman is anything but considered a viable career move. This wasn’t kissing a girl for publicity. This is two women who loved each other living together, traveling together and making a life together. And the fallout, which includes Lindsay crying on Samantha’s doorstep and tweeting (which is usually deleted by the morning) – which she does when Samantha will not apparently respond to calls – is painful to see because it is very real. .
I suppose she faked the screaming match with Ronson on Sunset Blvd. in May of 2007 for publicity too – the one where she ended up being arrested for DUI. I supposed she faked what happened two days later with Samantha when she was photographed passing out. By the way, since when are incidents that happened in 2007 such as the rehab stints, considered recent. What a shoddy piece this is. Next time try being informed about what you are discussing. There is not one LGBT person out there that has the right to negate a queer person’s sexuality because she is not a role model or because they think a bad image is being promoted. Lindsay Lohan is queer and it doesn’t matter what agenda you have, she will remain so regardless of who she dates next or if she goes back with Ronson.
BTW, the term for a woman who pretends to be a lesbian is faux lesbian. Here’s a couple of clues. They don’t live with their girlfriend for over a year. They don’t passionately try to win their girlfriend back. They don’t get jealous of their girlfriend being even looked at by other women. They don’t date soft butches. They don’t have their woman followed by paparazzi. They don’t stalk their girlfriend. Fake means they are not even interested in a woman. Please think next time before you post.
Chris H. D. said it all.
I hear your concern that these women are creating a negative image for the GLBT community; however, I think we must be careful about attempting to name others’ sexualities for them. As a bisexual woman, people are constantly trying to tell me that I’m not bi, I’m actually a lesbian or I’m actually heterosexual. This is just one manifestation of biphobia.
I am inclined to think that Lohan and Fox are inarticulate when it comes to the topic of sexuality. And one can understand why! Sexuality is so complex. The Bisexual Resource Center (located here in Boston) has some great resources. Instead of calling out these women as ‘fakes’ I think that a better approach might be for the GLBT community and particularly leaders in the Bisexual community to arm these women with the language to discuss their sexuality in an informed manner.
Thanks for the article. I think this is a conversation that needs to happen.
I think you’re right w/ the Megan Fox bit. I’m not sure if all these celebs claiming homosexuality are just doing it because it’s socially more acceptable now, or because they know it will get them more publicity and their fans are of the generally more accepting digital generation that wouldn’t turn away just because of their sexuality…
Jackie, if that article would have focused on the many faux lesbians from TaTu to women that kiss women in bars to excite men it may have had a chance. It’s decision to bring Lohan into the discussion doomed it. Why someone would decide to write an article about fake lesbians and use Lindsay Lohan, a person who is a self-admitted bisexual and spent almost two years living with her female lover, is beyond me. It was a poor decision and, in reading the article, it was caused by not being informed. The usage of the photo also seems agenda driven by the writer of the article. There are probably thousands of Lohan with Ronson and many of Lohan with other rumored girlfriends and this is the one that is used?
Even the use of Fox is a bad one. I agree with BW that Fox’s comments come across as not really well said but it hardly means she is a fake lesbian (and again this is someone who is an admitted bisexual not lesbian). Oddly enough and certainly not condoning her comments but, while I find them annoying, those are things I have heard lesbian and, yes, bisexual women say. I don’t agree with it but that is Fox’s choice.
Sarah Cox.
Please think (if possible) before you publish. THis is incredibly offensive on several levels and I don’t think it is up to you to deem who is a “true lesbian.”
I’m a cowardly lesbian who lives in the closet for fear of, at 31, now looking like I’m just doing it for attention. I’m not happy but got married and had a child and now I’m trapped. Attacking I do not need Chris.
I believe the tone taken to this article by Chris is wrong there are people who pretend to be gay to exploit and rape gay culture. Can you say Madonna, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, these fake gays never get discriminated against, get bullied or want to commit suicide if fact they make money off our backs who is doing the marching, who is fighting anti discrimination, these fake gays are treating homosexuality as a lifestyle choice, which in turn is making the rest off society think being gay is a choice, the real gay the people who lived in fear and fought for us who be turning in there graves if they saw was going on is this what they fought for a community for gay people being trashed and used by straights and when our community is trashed who will get the blame it will be us the real gays, Gay people are not foolish, dysfunctional people, like Lohan,we are people with jobs, lives, honor and respectability. Lohan is liar and fake and we should not be afraid to say so.