This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, the account appears authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or an inauthentic detransitioner/desister.
The user consistently identifies as a cis lesbian who came out in the late 1970s, providing rich, specific, and emotionally resonant personal anecdotes from that era (e.g., attending MichFest, workplace discrimination, personal trauma). The depth of historical detail, consistent perspective on sex-based oppression, and the raw, passionate emotion aligned with their stated experiences are strong indicators of a genuine person.
About me
I am a lesbian who came out in the late 1970s, and finding a community of strong, diverse women showed me I didn't need to change my body to be a whole person. My journey has been about fighting the sexism and violence I've faced for being a woman who loves women. I am now deeply saddened that the safe, joyful community I knew is gone, replaced by pressure to conform to new stereotypes. I've seen firsthand how our boundaries and medical needs are now dismissed, and our spaces no longer feel safe. I am convinced that this new ideology is just another form of the same old sexism, asking women to sacrifice their safety once again.
My detransition story
Looking back on my life, I never had a transition journey myself, but my experiences as a lesbian who came out in the late 1970s have given me a clear view of how these ideas have changed over time. My story is really about finding my place as a female who didn't fit feminine stereotypes, and how I was lucky to find a community that showed me that was okay.
I never felt particularly "feminine." I was a good athlete, I swaggered when I walked, and I only ever loved women. But when I was 19, I went to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival for the first time. That experience changed everything for me. For the first time, I saw thousands of women of all kinds—thin, fat, flat-chested, voluptuous, all races and backgrounds. We showered together in huge outdoor showers with no shame and no creepiness. I saw women building stages and running electricity, incredible musicians playing under the stars. It taught me that being female was about our shared biology and the sexism we all faced, not about performing femininity. It set me on a path to understand that we needed to fight sexism as a class of people, women.
I see now that if I had been a teenager today, with the current ideology, I might have been convinced that because I was a tomboy and a lesbian, I was really a man. I find that idea so regressive. It puts people back in boxes based on stereotypes. I was lucky to have older mentors and that community to show me a different way.
A lot of my perspective comes from seeing how things have shifted. I've felt a lot of hatred for being a lesbian, and it's gotten worse. In the past, I was raped and strangled by a man in 1979 who told me I just "hadn't had the right dick yet." It’s heartbreaking that decades later, lesbians are hearing the exact same line from trans activists. The level of open hatred towards women and gays is disgusting. I've been physically assaulted multiple times for being a lesbian, and the most dangerous place for a lesbian now feels like a pride march. The community I loved has been hated into near oblivion.
I also have a practical example of how things feel unfair. I've tried for ten years to get a breast reduction for documented medical reasons like back pain and rashes, but my insurance denies it as cosmetic. Yet, a trans friend with the same insurance was approved for breast implants as "medically necessary." The rules aren't applied fairly.
I've become very suspicious of the motivations of some male-born individuals entering female spaces. A friend was involved in an attempt to create an inclusive festival after MichFest ended, and it was a disaster. A transwoman was hanging around the outdoor showers, making women feel watched and uncomfortable. When my friend looked up this person's website, it was full of hardcore porn, photo after photo of cum shots. It was clearly autogynephilia (AGP). This person then threatened my friend, saying "I know where you work." How are women supposed to feel safe? It convinced me that it's not safe to be inclusive, and it defeats the purpose of spaces created for females to escape the male gaze and male violence.
For me, it all comes down to sexism. I never "identified" with being paid less than the men I trained, or with the violence I faced for being a woman who loved women. The idea that we have to accept everyone into our spaces, no questions asked, is just another form of that same sexism, where women's needs and safety are sacrificed. I don't have regrets about a transition, but I have a deep sadness for the younger people who never got to experience the joy and safety of the female and lesbian community I knew. They never had the mentors to show them that you can be any kind of woman you want to be.
| Age | Year | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1979 | Attended the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival for the first time. This was a pivotal experience that solidified my identity as a lesbian and my understanding of womanhood separate from femininity. |
| (Mid-20s) | 1985 | Attended the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival for a second time. |
| (Various ages) | 1979 onwards | Experienced multiple physical assaults and a traumatic sexual assault specifically targeted for being a lesbian. |
| (Ongoing) | 2013-2023 | Repeatedly attempted and was denied insurance coverage for a medically necessary breast reduction, while witnessing others receive approval for transition-related procedures. |
Top Comments by /u/MissingLesbianSpaces:
Initially I was fine with it, but not anymore. Too many MTF''s are autogynephiles getting off on larping or are sexually aroused (Google this!), and how are we supposed to know who is or isn't? Muslim women would have to leave if a bio male was present, what about their rights? I think there is a need for male, female and unisex bathrooms. Why are women supposed to solve this problem instead of the MEN preventing you from using the bathroom?
I hear you. Lesbians have been piled on because of homophobia AND sexism. In the 50s, lesbians were told we just haven't had the right dick. In the 2020's the trans activists are telling us we just haven't had the right dick. I am so disgusted with the level of open hatred of gays and women.
I don't know if this will help but as an older lesbian I have felt the exact same hatred. The look of absolute disgust, knowing that person would like you dead. It is not just that you detransed, it is that you are not currently trans and that is unforgivable. I was thinking today that this is driven by white men who feel victimised and lash out violently. They are the same person whether they are wearing a dress or a maga hat. if I had been born earlier, I might have fallen for it too. And another thought is that us older gay (and some straight people) were not into conforming to gender roles and it was more acceptable - we've gone back to the 1950s. I assume the pressure to be more masculine or feminine led you down this road in the first place. I am so sorry you didn't have the support and mentors you deserved.
I am a cis lesbian and have been trying to get a breast reduction (for 10 years now!). I have a documented with history of back pain, bra strap indents on my shoulders and other symptoms. It is considered "cosmetic and not covered for ME, but a trans friend with the same insurance plan had breast implants which were considered "medically necessary". It seems the rules are simply not applied fairly across the board - this doesn't apply to you specifically, just saying here's an example of being treated as less worthy
I attended Fest twice, first in Hesperia in 1979 and then in Hart in the mid-80s. The freedom to walk around nude or topless was amazing, no judgement, no sexualization or male gaze -- just bodies, large, small, black, white, complete freedom. There were also outdoor showers, how could any of this be safe to share those with penises? Even if rape were not a concern, that feeling of freedom would NOT happen. There is still a smaller version of this fest with only bio females that is run by a black woman I know, but I can't share this publicly.
When fest ended there was an attempt to make a new inclusive one. A friend fom Ohio was involved and it was a shit show. A transwoman (TW) was hanging out at the outdoor showers watching the naked women. Now women do NOT stare at each other and the vibe has never been creepy. The women were not speaking up about feeling uncomfortable with the TW hanging around watching them at the time (fear of transphobia accusations as usual), but after fest someone mentioned it in a group chat and there was a chorus of Me too.
My friend looked at the TW's site and found it riddled with cum shots, photo after photo of cum all over women's faces, like we are just disembodied sperm receptacles. My friend wrote back to the group about the porn and that it was an obvious AGP. The TW found the post and threatened my friend with "I know where you work". This convinced a lot of lesbians that it is just not safe to be inclusive and it defeated the purpose anyways - not to mention people like Dana Rivers will always be drawn to events like this.
This is my .02 based on attending MichFest twice which was the best thing I ever experienced in my life. But holy shit, that first one .. Going there at age 19 taught me women were strong and had value. And it stayed with me my entire life. I am so sorry so many of you never had a chance to experience this type of lesbian love, acceptance and community, you have NO idea of the enormity of the loss us older lesbians are grieving.
(Trigger, sexual assault). But it is not just coming frim the far right, is it? I am a lesbian who came out in 1978, back when we could lose our jobs and have our children legally taken from us. I was raped and strangled by a man in 1979 who thought I "just hadn't had the right dick yet". And I heard those words dozens of times since. With this in mind, I ask you to look at "terf is a slur documenting" and read the gleeful comments about violence and rape targeting lesbians. How can I be an ally of a community that hates lesbians so Fucking deeply that they are salivating over raping and decapitating us? HOW? My heart is broken that these white men are getting off on rape threats and every lesbian I know is equally afraid of the white braying mobs of "queers" (like in the UK who protested against the Lesbian Project having a meeting) and the white pieces of shit in the MAGA hat. Because at the end of the day, the pain comes from the rape, not the politics of the rapist. I hate this. And I am done with the woman-hating on BOTH sides. The most dangerous place for a lesbian today is at a pride march.
If you were on T for years, I'm sure it had a lasting effect on your appearance. I don't think this man meant to hurt your feelings, and I don't think it's fair that you expect the world to know how you identify -- did you also get angry if you were just entered when identifying as male? If so, you are still expecting the world to mold itself to your liking. None of us deserve such privilege
It's not sex denial -- it's sexism since it almost always benefits biological males. Just my observations as a lesbian (I came out in 1979) who was more oppressed by my SEX than my sexuality. For instance I worked at a publication company in the early 80s with three other women. They hired a gay guy and we all trained him. We all went out for drinks after work and he told us how much he made .... Drum roll .... NO SURPRISE, it was way more than all of us women. Then he wanted to bond with me over the hardships of being gay and I was thinking You have NO idea dude. Again, all typical. Sadly things are worse now, and doubly so for lesbians. Sexism, it is all sexIsm.
I don't think you are transphobic at all. A lot of trans ideology is about putting people in more boxes and sexist. If a woman is strong and successful, she must be a man. I lived with a transwoman for years who believed in stereotypes, it was like being in the 1950s. Continue to be a kind person and you will be okay. It is not hateful to not believe in the ideology
I have never felt particularly "feminine" and was lucky enough to have gone to MichFest in 1979 at age 19 which completely reinforced the fact that female does not equal femininity. For the first time ever, I saw STRONG women building outdoor stages, setting up the electricity, incredible musicians playing in the night sky singing about sisterhood, or women-women love for those of us who were lesbians, and showering together in huge outdoor showers where we all had different body types and no shame (and no ogling or creepiness). To see that women could be thin, fat, flat chested, voluptuous, city street smart, country bumpkin. .. That we all had femaleness in common (and only that, really, but it's a huge commonality) and how our sex affected the opportunities in life for ALL of us; well this set me on the road to realize it was all about sexism and women needed to fight against it as a CLASS. Everyone had stories and experiences and we actually heard each other.
The fact that MichFest was so attacked by the TQ is very telling; Dana Rivers is a good example of the hatred towards us; we were women of all different races, beliefs, and body types, gathering and listening to one another and finding JOY in the experience. How dare we gather together and define ourselves?
I wonder if I grew up with the belief that since I swagger when I walk, have only loved women, and was a good athlete as a kid, would I have thought that made me a man? It is so regressive, but I can see how I might have fallen into that belief as a teen if that was the only ideology I was hearing. Female is simply our biology, femininity is just performance. I'm sorry for the women here that didn't have mentors to show you that, like I was able to see at MichFest.