Can Trans Women Be Lesbians?

The short answer: yes

Yet many trans women who are attracted only to women do not rush to identify as lesbians or speak about their lesbian sexual and/or romantic identity.

At the same time, views that deny trans people’s self-identification, including their sexual and romantic identities, still exist in lesbian and feminist communities as well as conservative religious communities.

Why is it hard to count trans lesbians?

Overall, around one in eight trans women — approximately 11.3% in the cited study, Sexual orientation in transgender adults in the United States — identifies as a lesbian.

Data shown in the slide’s chart (percentage within each group):

Scroll horizontally to view the table.

The exact proportion of trans lesbians, however, is very difficult to establish. Here is why.

First, people may use different terms to describe their own experience and identity.

Alongside cultural differences, transphobia and social rejection play a major role for trans people. Many trans women are afraid to call themselves lesbians because they fear judgement or have had negative experiences.

For example, trans women may be excluded from communities of gay and bisexual women, while trans experience is dismissed as incompatible with “female gender socialisation”.

This also includes “events only for so-called biological women”.

Internalised homophobia and transphobia

Gay trans women often experience internalised homophobia and transphobia:

• fear of not being accepted as women because of their lesbian identity;
• fear of not being accepted as lesbians because of their trans identity.

Trans lesbians may try to enter relationships with men, seeking affirmation of their identity as women through heteronormativity: society’s assumption that people are heterosexual by default.

Hysteria from transphobic speakers, public figures and media about trans women “invading women’s spaces” makes many people feel ashamed of their own sexuality and preferences.

Many cisgender people, too, find it difficult to recognise that they are gay. Experiences of gender — or sex-related — dysphoria and transition can intensify these doubts.

Many trans lesbians have had romantic and/or sexual relationships with men because of doubt and shame about their own lesbian identity.

American video creator Natalie Wynn, known as ContraPoints, has an interesting video on this very subject: Shame.

Safe and inclusive spaces

That is why creating safe and inclusive spaces for trans people within LGBTIQ+ communities matters.

And that is why we want to wish all our trans lesbian followers a happy International Lesbian Day!

Sources

• Emancipation NGO’s original Instagram carousel.
• Sexual orientation in transgender adults in the United States