what ARE mspec lesbians?
an mspec lesbian is someone who identifies as a lesbian but experiences attraction to others than just women! there’s multiple labels that fit under this term such as bi lesbians, pan lesbians, etc.
mspec stands for multi attracted or multi gender attraction.
why would someone id that way?
there are numerous reasons why someone could identify as an mspec lesbian! one of the most common is that someone may use the Split Attraction Model (SAM). the SAM is a system that separates different forms of attraction. for example someone who’s asexual and biromantic would be someone who’s using the SAM. this can work the same way with non asexual/aromantic individuals. they may use bisexual and homoromantic to explain their attraction, so bi lesbian just works!
another reason someone may identify as a lesbian is because they primarily experience attraction to women, or feel a disconnect from their connection to other genders. it may be easier to explain their attraction based on their strong connection to feminine attraction rather than just saying their mspec and leaving a core party of their identity out.
there are many other reasons someone may identify as an mspec lesbian, such as being attracted to non lesbian NBs, and using lesbian as an umbrella term etc. these reasons should be respected and are valid!
mspec lesbians in
history
mspec lesbians such as bisexual lesbians
have existed since at least the 1970s (see below image) as lesbian was and still is an umbrella term. due to exclusionary
infighting bisexual lesbians were pushed
out of their community due to not being
only attracted to women and therefore
seen as not enough or filthied up by a
mans touch.
another reason for the exclusion of mspec women and nonbinary people in the lesbian community was due to the blaming of them for bringing aids and hiv into the lesbian community.
these reasons are both routed in unnecessary division, and victim blaming and in reality there is no reason as to why mspecs should be excluded from the lesbian community.
linked below are an article relating to three different multi attracted lesbians and their stories, which has existed since the year 1999, a harvard article of a woman from 1987 explaining her relationship with sexuality as a bisexual lesbian, and an article from the 1973 lavender woman who explains that bisexuals can i fact be lesbians!
my personal attraction as a lesbian
i personally don’t identify as either mspec or mono strictly due to my complex relationship with gender in relation to my sexuality, but i do identify as a lesbian who experiences attraction to all non men and non exclusively male alligned people! while i don’t experience attraction to men, i am attracted to more than one gender meaning i would be “technically mspec.” the reason i don’t identify as mspec though is because i do identify with most of the genders i feel attraction too (all but binary woman) and because of this i consider myself in a sort of grey zone between an mspec and mono lesbian. i also don’t feel as though i am an mspec lesbian due to the fact that generally the mono term of lesbian encompasses both attraction to women and nonbinary people.
FAQ
this place will be filled with answers to questions i receive! if you have questions, i would love to answer them on @notyrRIOTGRRRL on twitter. any hate or harassment will just result in a block as i don’t care to interact with negativity.
QUESTION:
why would someone ID as mspec and a lesbian?
ANSWER:
many reasons! please see the above sections for explainations and my own personal experiences!
QUESTION:
why not just use sapphic?
ANSWER:
these two words historically have the same meaning, though some may use lesbian to as well as explain their attraction to women, to explain their complex relationship with womanhood and gender due to their attraction and how society views attraction to women.
QUESTION:
are mspec lesbians harmful?
ANSWER:
no! mspec lesbians have existed for decades, and the only reason for them being pushed out of the community is fear and hateful exclusion.
© @notyrRIOTGRRRL. All rights reserved.