Letter: Outdated attitudes towards gays and lesbians
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Sections of the mainstream media, thanks in part to the frolics of k d lang and Cindy Crawford on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair, appear preoccupied with the hollow concept of the acceptability of the 'designer-dyke' (ie those more acceptable because of their looks and status than their lesbianism).
When the discovery of a 'gay gene' was announced last week, designer dykes were - predictably - all but forgotten in the rush to attack the idea of systematically aborting male and female embryos suspected of batting on different wickets, on the grounds that it would rob the world of gay geniuses. Your leading article (16 July) cited examples of gifted gays, including Nureyev and Michelangelo. Lesbians - whether geniuses or not - were invisible and forgotten, where the media, society (and too many gay men) insist we stay. Are we to presume that the world would not have missed the talents of Martina Navratilova, Nancy Spain, Dame Ethel Smyth, Rosa Bonheur, Eleanor Rathbone, Eve Balfour . . .
Far from becoming more acceptable and achieving more equality, the situation for most lesbians is no better. Why? Simple: it's still so hard to be a heterosexual woman and accepted on your own terms. For a lesbian it's even harder. You don't need genetic engineering to erase lesbians - ignorance and misogyny will do the trick.
Yours faithfully,
ROSE COLLIS
London, SW19
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments