My experience as a lesbian woman in a same-sex relationship
Arisa Alli
Contributor
Being in a public, same-sex relationship is something I am still getting used to.
Whenever I am out with my girlfriend and we hold hands, people stare. I couldn’t care less about what people think about my sexuality, but what bugs me is the constant staring. The continuous glances, the arched eyebrows, and the judging eyes make me feel vulnerable because I am being so blatantly judged.
My girlfriend and I try not to let the persistent stares bug us because we know at the end of the day, it’s us against the world, but sometimes we can’t help it.
There are times I just let go of my girlfriend’s hand, so that people will stop staring, but she gets upset because she feels like she’s not good enough, and most of all, that I care more about what people think.
I just want to be accepted. If letting go of my girlfriend’s hand is what I need to do to not be overwhelmed by the stares, then I will let go of her hand.
I feel as though people judge too quickly when they see two people of the same sex holding hands, but the truth is same-sex couples act the same way as heterosexual couples. We fight and have arguments. Homosexual couples and heterosexual couples have the same relationship problems and deal with them the same way.
The only thing different about same-sex relationships compared to heterosexual relationships is the gender.
At the end of the day, I love my girlfriend dearly and she loves me too. Whatever stares we get don’t matter because they are from close-minded people. My friends are very accepting of my relationship. We all hang out together and I often go on triple dates with my girlfriend’s friends.
I think the future for same-sex relationships is getting brighter; we just need to remember that not everyone has the same values and opinions. And that doesn’t mean that everyone is disapproving (there are lots of people who approve), so once you focus on them, what other people think doesn’t—and shouldn’t—matter at all.
Some people are just stuck in one way of thinking and hopefully; eventually, they’ll learn about today’s.
