Lesbian Chronicles: Coming Out Later in Life

I came out 3 years ago at age 47 and after two hetero marriages. Alli and Melisa have given me a support group and so much validation. They helped me navigate this big move in my life with confidence and integrity.

This podcast is threatening to the lgbtq community as Alli & Melissa reinforce cis-Hetero, norms through a white capitalistic patriarchal lens. Weekly Alli & Melissa discuss and joke about essentially using ‘ catalysts’, or lesbians who have been out, and then discarding them after their needs weren’t met. This problematic behavior reads toxic straight community, and gives lesbian’s who came out later in life a bad name. Alli & Melissa’s gatekeeping is disheartening, and especially within an already marginalized community. This podcast could do, and should do a lot more for the community, not just take from it. Be forewarned not everyone is welcomed on this podcast. This is not a lesbian podcast, it is a Bisexual podcast. Inaccurate name. Unfollowed.

I want to like this podcast. While very different from my own experience, I love hearing coming out stories. But…these women are so ungrateful to the women who cleared a way for them. They denigrate lesbians who are more stereotypical and have so little diversity in their guests. I often cannot make it through a full episode. Sigh. What a drag.

I question the premise of lesbian 50 shades equivalence. For lesbian romance/erotica recommendations you should probably read The Lesbian Review or pay attention to the annual Lambda literary awards. The assumption that all lesbian erotica/romance (except Sarah Waters who actually writes lesbian historical fiction) is trashy (I avidly listen to any lesbian romance read by Abby Craden) is clearly a problem and probably homophobic. You probably won’t read The Lesbian Review or pay attention to the annual Lambda literary awards. How could you even know about such resources since you seem to think you belong to some unique LGBTQ group? We’ve all been there and at some point most of us embraced the diversity of our queer nation if only to give up our internalized homophobia. And the fact that you’re looking for a lesbian 50 Shades is absurd, a best seller, but well written? My lesbian romance/erotica recommendations: Any book by Harper Bliss, particularly the series “French Kissing.” Any book by Lee Winter; EJ Noyes “Loyalty” series. KE Lane “And Playing the Role of Herself;” JE Leak “Shadow” series. Lynn Ames “46.” I haven’t even mentioned the lesbian romance greats: Gerri Hill, Radclyffe, Jae, Georgia Beers, Melissa Brandon, among many others, but I’m sure you’d find them trashy as if 50 shades isn’t. Some of us came out of the womb waving the rainbow 🌈 flag. We marched on Washington to demand our civil rights; we reclaimed the word queer for our queer nation; we acted up for AIDS relief; we went to law school and changed the law for equal marriage. What’s the point of claiming an LGBTQ identity unless we can also embrace our diverse community?