Dear Dan,
Is it a super douchey move to pretend to be a lesbian to avoid unwanted male attention? I'm a straight single woman in my mid-thirties and a very plausible lesbian in terms of sartorial stereotypes. Occasionally a guy will hit on me in an awkward or creepy way and I'll trot out a line about "not being into men." Most recently I used this pose when a courier broke down in my driveway and I invited him in for a glass of water while he waited for the tow truck. It was really uncomfortable and a little threatening when — after establishing that I lived alone — he asked me out. I guess I use this as an excuse so as not to hurt their feelings, but also to shut the conversation down as quickly as possible if I'm feeling vulnerable.
Is this a harmless white lie, or a major cop-out that would offend actual lesbians? Can you suggest some better strategies?
— Lady's Entirely Zany Identity Enquiry
"I'm not offended by this," said someone I thought was an actual lesbian.
I shared your question with this person — a woman I thought was an actual lesbian — because I wasn't offended by it either, but wanted to check with an actual lesbian just to be safe. Turns out my friend doesn't identify as a lesbian, but as a woman-who-loves-women-but-does-not-identify-as-a-lesbian-because-she-sometimes-finds-the-odd-dude-hot. So for the record: my friend is speaking for the WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH community here — which often intersects/sexts with the lesbian community — and not the lesbian community.
"But even though I'm not offended by it, I have to say I've found the 'I'm into women' line to be totally ineffective," said my not-a-lesbian friend. "The creeps I've used it on get even more riled up after hearing that line. Sometimes I check out and start ignoring these creeps as if they're wallpaper, but that can rile them up too. Same with a polite 'I'm not interested.' The only success I've had with warding off creeps is by actually yelling at them, asking them if they'd like to be treated the way they're treating me, and if their mothers, sisters, et cetera, would appreciate that treatment."
My not-a-lesbian friend — who, as it turns out, identifies more strongly with the term "bisexual" than she does WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH — has also had some luck with the lose-your-shit strategy (e.g., screaming, yelling, and waving your arms around like a crazy person).
"You kind of have to treat these people like bears at a campsite," said my not-a-lesbian friend. "You have to make yourself big and loud and scary so they don't get closer. Because they will get closer."
Dear Dan,
I've been with my husband for twelve years, and we've been married for five. We were best friends, and I was already in love before we ever had sex. I should have known in the beginning that we weren't sexually compatible, but I chose to ignore it (or I chose stability and friendship). I chose my best friend, and have been suffering ever since.
Luckily, I listen to your advice and I've started having more open conversations about my feelings and my wants and needs. About a year ago, my husband and I decided to open our relationship. We agreed to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and a month ago we finally acted on it. I met someone in an open relationship and had sex with them. It was amazing — everything about it. In the end, I didn't feel guilty, but I did want to tell my husband. If he gave me the go-ahead, even though everything was my idea, should I feel guilty, or just happy for finally getting what I needed from someone? Are there baby steps I can take to tell my husband these things, or do I just keep them to myself? I feel like this is saving our marriage, but society probably just looks at me like a cheating whore.
— Feelings Are Insanely, Terribly Hard For Unsure Lovers
You have your husband's approval to do what you did, but his approval was contingent upon you not telling him what you did. Honor the commitment you made to your husband, FAITHFUL, by keeping your mouth shut. You'll doubtless have conversations in the future about your relationship, and about monogamy, and you can ask him if he wants to stick with "don't ask, don't tell." If he says yes, continue to keep your mouth shut.
