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Lesbians delay coming out due to ‘harmful and damaging stereotypes’
Just Like Us found 68% of those surveyed feared they would be perceived as ‘man-hating’, ‘over-sexualised’ or ‘anti-trans’.Around 30% feared being viewed as ‘cringey or awkward’ while 25% worried they would be viewed as ‘wrong’.Some responders worried they would be seen as ‘taboo’, ‘masculine or butch’ or ‘unattractive’.And over-sexualisation of lesbians was found to be the biggest barrier for young lesbians age 18 to 24 (36%).Overall, one in 20 lesbians delayed coming out because they could be seen as ‘anti-trans’. This reason was cited by many in the 25-34 age category.One respondent, Niamh, explained coming out to both schoolmates and family was ’embarrassing’ at the time.She added: ‘At school it was already a rumour, and I knew people would gossip about it, and they did.