The Much Maligned "L" Word

Me and a truckload of lesbians headed for the pride parade in Dallas, circa 1991.

Dear Readers,

As we start this new year, I offer many thanks to all of you who read “Oh, Kay” — Lavender Stories, with a special tip of the hat to those of you who are paid subscribers. The stories I write reflect a labor of love for me driven by a moral imperative to celebrate lesbians — an effort to reclaim prominence in our alphabet of a community.

The “L” in LGBTQ+, as we all know, stands for lesbian, a noun and identifier which has sufferd mercilously through the ages. Gay men have a history of routinely ignoring and disparaging the word, insisting we are gay women. In today’s world, many young lesbians want to be called queer because, they argue, it’s an all-inclusive label. Some even say the “L” word, when spoken, is an ugly sound that does not roll trippingly off the tongue — a rationale which I politely beg to differ with, in more ways than one.

It’s hard to celebrate our lesbian selves when folks don’t want to call us by our name, the consequence of which is the eventual erasure of us — whether by our very own LGBTQ+ community or the dominate, homophobia-leaning heterosexual community. Cherishing the word lesbian is how we keep our stories alive, preserve our history.

I am not alone in my moral imperative and want to continue, along with other lesbian activists, to shift the paradigm. But I need your support.

When I began publishing in early Autumn of 2023 I simply wanted to build readership and was reluctant to add a paywall. To date I’ve published 20 segments of my memoir — which include my childhood as an out and proud tomboy, my grandmother who was a lesbian, and the time I spent in the 1980s and early 90s as a political activist and proprietor of Curious Times, a lesbian/feminist bookstore in Dallas.

Additionally, not only did I put the paywall on hold, I opened the archives to all readers, whether paying subscribers or not so that all readers had access. Now that I’m growing closer to zeroing in on publishers while I continue to write, it’s time, I believe, to ask for a bit of remuneration. So, if you are finding my work valuable, meaningful, or the least bit inspiring, I’d truly appreciate your support. In gratitude, ~ Kay

• Monthly: $5.00

• Annual: $40.00 (a bargain!)

• Eternal Gratitude: $150