L.i.

To begin with, I address myself to lesbians, dykes, queers, Marys, those who say they are sure, those who think they are sure, Saras and basically every butch/fem bulldozing dizzy dyke who reads this i.e. women.

The first thing I'd like to explain is my opening salut-ation. Especially if you fall in the category of being either of those who say you are sure or those who say you aren't, because frankly my dears I don't give a damn. Please do not misunderstand me. We spend so much time telling or not telling that we're lesbian, that coming out becomes at least for some, putting a gloved hand just outside our own little closet. So even if some day the glove is snatched a hand is all that is exposed. It is very common to say that lesbians are not seen and not heard for obvious reasons such as losing jobs, friends, family, face, need I go on? Yes, we should. Personally I must say that I'm happy to be with a woman, without pushing my sexuality on her if she naturally does the same. But where does that leave us. On the one side we could all rave on about our sexuality (but for one reason or another I doubt I'll ever see the day that seeing two women hold hands, gloved or bare, is a regular occurrence. To some this could be classed as raving but even the British women can do better and on the other we stay as we are, but either way nothing will change.

We, Irish lesbians, have so much to learn and so much to give I am not surprised that the laws in this country do neither condemn nor condone nor do they even recognise us, as we are for the most part invisible.

Even when asked for support, most women demonstrate readily, but for fear of being classed as lesbian, they also demonstrate the fact they are feminist. Surely we are all women first and our sexuality need not come into play when support is called for. It is only a disgrace to themselves, to those women who firstly say I'm not lesbian and then wage their support. Take, for example, the women demonstrating at Greenham Common. For the most they are ordinary women. They are harrassed to say the least, called "dirty lesbians." But, of course, they know there is no point in denying being lesbian. After all there is a little bit of dyke in us all. So if I end saying I'll be back on a lighter note next month with a story of love, lust and laughter, I hope you'll be yourself as this could be the beginning of dare I say it, a meaningful relationship.

Cheers to queers and those who are not sure.

Lesbian Ireland