Today Jackie Baillie opens her heart and talks lesbian

Butch, femme, dyke - what kind of lesbian are you? Jackie Baillie explores the negativity surrounding lesbian stereotypes, takes a look at internalised homophobia within the lesbian community and examines the media portrayal of lesbians on screen over the years.

So what exactly is a lesbian? Well, that’s simple isn’t it? “A lesbian is a woman who really wants to be a man. She is very butch and masculine looking with short hair and men’s shoes. She would never wear make-up and dresses nor would she drink anything but beer. She is very loud, inappropriate and aggressive and often abuses (both physically and mentally) her feminine female partner.”

This hurtful and inaccurate description of an everyday lesbian is the culmination of stereotypes that many heterosexuals and gay men stated when asked ‘What do you think of when you hear the word lesbian?’

But let’s not stop there... lesbians and bisexual women are also guilty of holding stereotypical generalisations and assumptions about each other based on appearance and personality. The words ‘dyke’, ‘baby-dyke’, ‘lipstick lesbian’, ‘pretend lesbian’ and ‘political lezza’ are too often thrown about the lesbian community, at work, in the pub or even from a friend to a friend in a jokey and cheeky way.

So why is this still happening, in a supposedly very tolerant and gay friendly society? It’s quite straightforward for all involved - stereotypes are typically generalisations based on minimal or limited knowledge about a group to which the person doing the stereotyping does not belong, such as heterosexual people and gay men. But then the posing and unanswered question of why do lesbian and bisexual women also carelessly use the terms ‘butch’, ‘femme’, ‘dyke’, and so on still needs an explanation.

Is it internalised homophobia? As ridiculous as it may sound to some, internalised homophobia in lesbians is a very common issue and can have devastating effects. This particular type of homophobia comes in many different forms and expresses itself through conscious and unconscious behaviour, which unfortunately means that most women don’t even realise they have it or are displaying it.

One form is when a lesbian feels the need to promote or conform to the expectations of heteronormativity or heterosexism. This can include forced outward displays of heteronormative behaviour for the purpose of appearing or attempting to feel "normal" or "accepted" by society as a whole. Surprisingly, many gay women display this trait, including openly out and proud lesbians. Just think about the last time you, your partner or a friend refused to hold hands with another women in the street because there were ‘straight’ people walking nearby. How about the last time you were asked by a straight person whether or not you had a boyfriend and the answer you gave was ‘yes’ or ‘I’m single’, even though you had a girlfriend?