I’ve only been here for 4 months and I’m from the UK (which is fairly liberal in terms of gay/lesbian relationships) but I’ve seen tons of what I would describe as ‘lesbian couples’. The odd thing about this is that, whereas I ‘occasionally’ see gay couples in the UK I almost exclusively see ‘lesbian’ coulpes in Taiwan -and i see them on an almost daily basis.
What’s also strange about these sightings is that these ‘couples’ (I’m assuming they are from the hand holding) seem to have a very distinct dress code; one wearing very feminine clothes and the other wearing baggy (manly?) clothes, with short hair and even affecting a male swagger. These couples are almost always between 18-25 (ish) and I never see older ‘lesbian’ couples.
I asked my girlfriend about this and she seemed equally clueless so does anyone know who these people are?
There are some very odd responses to my post :moo:
I won’t pretend to understand all of them…
But seriously, these are not boys, they are young girls dressed as boys. how do i know? Because the young guys all seem to wear exactly the same puffer jacket and the same hair cut. These girls have a hair cut ilke this:
They may well not all be lesbian’s but what with this look Girl on the left)
I have noticed the same thing. I even once saw a girl kiss her “girlfriend” on the lips at a bus stop when her bus came and she had to go. It was such a cute little shy kiss, and in plain view of everyone, but noone else seemed to notice. I teach junior high boys, and some of them put their hands all over each other. Their behaviour would definitely be considered a bit odd in the UK! Holding hands, smacking bums, grabbing crotches as a playful attack, sitting there with their arms around each other, etc. Perhaps we can look at it as the innocent, guiltless expression of normal variations in human sexuality. This isn’t a gulit-oriented Christian culture. They don’t repress things the same way we do, so maybe those little pockets of homosexual interest that exist within many straight people worldwide are not hidden here, at least not in the youth. I think the question about it being real lesbianism (or male homosexuality) as we would understand the term(s) depends on how far they go, or want to go.
You are right, there does seem to be more of what you are talking about. I noticed it as well, and have asked many times and the response is always “look at the guys”. None of them including my good friends fit into that traditional Taiwanese wife role. Plus I often hear “How could I not be a lesbian here with all the beautiful women”. I always agree on that one.
Sure I missed a lot but those are the usual responses I get.
I’ve heard this one too! I heard ‘well the guys here are so terrible…’ etc.
I just can’t accept that excuse though. People don’t just switch their sexuality on account of the guys being rubbish/insensitive etc…just look at Japan! Women there just expect less, they don’t suddenly think ‘wow, I guess I’ll just have to turn gay!’
I guess it’s like the ladyboy thing in thailand. People suggest there are more ladyboys there because basically, it’s more acceptable. this argument seems to suggest that in other countries people are just dying to become ladyboys, which I just can’t see as being true.
There’s something else going on - dissatisfaction with one’s own gender. I saw lesbians of all types in Toronto, and for the most part the women seemed happy to be women, and seemed happy to be with women. If a girl is with a girl who looks like a guy, dresses like a guy, acts like a guy, is she still really a lesbian? And if a lesbian decides she’d rather be with women, that’s fine, but when she buys special garments that flatten out her bosom against her chest, isn’t that just a denial of one’s own gender? I’d guess that these people have identity issues that run deeper than their own sexual orientation.
In many cases I suspect that it’s not dissatisfaction with one’s gender, but rather a rejection of the stereotypical requirements for hairstyle, dress and behavior. I don’t think one has to wear dresses, pink or frills, or sport jewelry, makeup or long hair to be a woman. (Of course, having the chest artificially flattened or having a third leg attached are another matter.)
I don’t think that’s it at all. According to battery9, who apparently knows about these things, most of 'em embrace the stereotypical requirements COMPLETELY. Tomboy-types HAVE to dress according to their rigidly-defined stereotypes, and the other kind HAVE to dress like hello kitty or whatever. So it appears that they positively REVEL in their strerotyped lack of imagination.
Not that I’d know – I probably wouldn’t recognise a lesbian even if she jumped out of the bushes and gave me a blowjob.
I think what it all boils down to is that some girls like to hold hands, as has been mentioned above. That kinda puzzled me when I arrived a few years ago, but I’ve since learned that there isn’t anything more to it - it’s just a few straight girls being affectionate.
That said, the lesbian and gay scene is quite large and lively, what with Taiwan being one of the in-places in Asia for that particular crowd.
A few years ago, in the Mainland, young straight males holding hands or walking close, or wrapped around one another, was attributed to repressed sexual behavior. Being sexual with a girlfriend was frowned upon and, at that time, dating relationships generally ended in marriage, so public physical affection with another guy was acceptable. Maybe there’s a similar thing going on with females who simply don’t want to be or can’t be intimate with a male.
I also agree with the acceptance of stereotyped images mentioned before. I’ve especially noticed both stocky girls and very tall girls dressing as males.
I’m not trying to be a prick… but, unless you’re a lesbian, why do you care?
I mean, we know that there are gay, lesbian and heterosexual folks here, and I suppose quite a few bi-sexuals, too. But, I know what I am, and while I am interested in certain people’s personalities and talents as individuals, I am not interested in their hand-holding, wardrobe or hairstyle choices.
Imagine if gays and lesbians made up 90% of the population and everywhere heterosexual couples went we were scrutinized and studied…
I don’t think you or your post is or was malicious at all. I don’t get that vibe from you. But, I think we’re all people and we’re all doing our own thing, or at least trying to… I wouldn’t want to be the subject of such inquiries/examination… live and let live… that’s all I’m sayin’.
When you are a lesbian here you need to choose whether you are a T or a P.(T=tomboy, P = Poa? meaning wife…or whatever)
The T’s dress like boys, have short hair, hold their gfs hair while they puke, rub their necks, get jealous and territorial…bind their breasts (not bind, but have these funky bras they wear) etc etc
The Ps have loong hair. … long nails( imagine how much action that poor T is getting…yup…not much)…impractical shoes, clothes, giggles…the usual meimei bs.
and they walk hand in hand…and give each other little pecks…and the Ps blow up their cheeks when they get angry, and turn their back on the Ts…who then have to sortof grovel like a dog that did something wrong…
it’s just terribly yuck and I’m terribly judgemental but having been stared at or blinked at with vague ’ i think I may feel a thought coming’ expressions when I answer ‘I don’t care’ when I’m asked whether I’m T or P, or like Ts or Ps for SEVEN YEARS now…
I have every right to!
the fun thing about being lesbian is that you are equal…and then BAM…welcome to Taiwan… :loco:
Women there just expect less, they don’t suddenly think ‘wow, I guess I’ll just have to turn gay!’