Lesbians and the men they call their friendsI've always been perplexed by the "man-hating lesbian" stereotype. Ever find yourself included in a mass e-mail of man jokes? If you have, I'm sure you've noticed that most of the recipients — and the sender — are straight females. It makes sense, because why on earth would lesbians, whose dating drama doesn't involve men, ever be compelled to unleash such vitriol against guys? Here is a snippet from an actual e-mail that was passed along by a straight woman to 10 other straight women — and me.
Seriously, I can't relate. Send me an e-mail about an exciting new product with which you can spray the walls of the one or two lesbians bars in town to repel your exes so that you can scope the ladies in peace, and I'll think about being amused. Fortunately, however, the world is coming to realize that lesbians and straight men have a lot in common and might even gravitate towards each other as buddies. A recent feature in Details magazine examined the relationships between lesbians and "Lezbros," or "straight guys who like, but don't like like, lesbians."
Here's an excerpt:
For the lesbian, hanging out with a lezbro may provide more freedom to engage in unfiltered commentary about other women, which can sometimes be a no-no among groups of lesbians. Let's face it: Sometimes you want to relax and unleash your inner frat boy, and you don't want to be pilloried for being un-PC or coming across as unenlightened. "I can talk to a straight guy about sex in a way I can't with lesbians," says Dina, a lesbian who often hangs out with lesbro pals at New York City bars like Cubby Hole. "If I say, 'That girl's got great tits!' They'll say, 'Yeah, she does!' but lots of lesbians have hang-ups, and get mad at me for objectifying women."
Mentioned in the Details article is the short film Lezbros, which made the rounds in the festival circuit last year. The film, produced by a collective of queer filmmakers called "4 Dykes Presents" based out of San Francisco, is a lighthearted anthropological study of men who share a bond with lesbians, and it concludes with a humorous theme song and music video. I was able to catch Dara Sklar, creator of Lezbros, for a few minutes last night to answer some questions about the film and lesbian/lezbro relationships in general. AfterEllen.com: Since I am designating you - and your fellow filmmakers — as the experts on lesbian/lezbro relationships, tell me why lesbians and guys make natural buddies. For example, your co-producer, Brynn Gelbard, was quoted in Details as saying, "There is just this really amazing bond between men and lesbians. That absence of sexual tension allows you to talk openly." Would you agree? Dara: I actually conceived of Lezbros because I saw Brynn having these extremely close friendships with men that fascinated me. I had never really had guy friends, and here she was living with guys, being trusted companions and supporting each other like family. They all came out to help "4 Dykes Presents" make Lezbros too, creating the graphics and theme song, helping edit and put on performances. On and off screen we dove deeper into what sustains the lezzie/lezbro relationship and to determine if its unique just to Brynn or San Francisco. Taking the film to festivals all over the world, we discovered that lezbros are a global phenomenon with common characteristics from Zurich to Seattle to Sao Paulo. Sure, there are shared interests (yes — girls!), but the lezbros also described a freedom to not "be the dude" or have to "be the seducer" which creates a space to express emotions and be vulnerable in a way men said they don't often feel allowed.
AE: In the film, a schoolteacher draws what appears to be the queer family tree on a blackboard, which includes the "lezbro" descending from the "bear" branch and the "fag hag" descending from the "twink" branch. Both have a little bit of "drag queen" in them, but based on your diagram, fag hags and lezbros are located on opposite branches of the queer family tree. Why is this the case? Is the lezbro a completely different species from the fag hag? Dara: While most people associate the lezbro with his unfortunately named sister, the fag hag, few know that she is actually only his half-sister. The lezbro is a direct descendant of the drag queen and bear, and he inherited both his mother's impeccable style and father's rugged good looks. On the other hand, it was a drunken evening of dancing and other debauchery with a twink after which drag queen gave birth to his fun-loving half-sister. Perhaps the fag hag’s little-known heritage explains her ever-youthful attire and biting sarcasm. AE: The Details article cautions that among true lezbros lurk "turners," i.e. men who pretend to be friends with lesbians but are actually trying to get into their pants. Have you ever come across such a specimen? What advice would you give to a lesbian whose lezbro is revealed to be a turner? Dara: I don't think desire is as simple as gay, straight or bi, so its hard to say what "turn" means. As you'll see in the movie there is often a playful element to the lezzie/lesbro bond and its not uncommon for lezbros to kiss or even make out with their lesbian friends. And I certainly know some dykes who want to top their lezbro dudes. I wouldn't say that anyone is being "turned" by those experiences, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are some Chasing Amy types or bi-male-curious dykes with ulterior motives too. I'm an advocate for respect and being clear about boundaries as well as being willing to stretch preconceived limits sometimes too. AE: So do you think the "man hating lesbian" stereotype is finally gasping its last breaths? Are we going to see a post-gender, post-orientation, post-Dworkin reality — at least in terms of friendships? Dara: In many ways Lezbros epitomize post-identity friendships. While at first glance the "lezbro" may seem another addition to the identity laundry list, the concept of "lezbros" actually questions what is "masculinity" or "straight" and even "lesbian," making "man hating lesbian" pretty much extinct (finally). In its place we now have a name for the genuine loving, nourishing and unique connection that perhaps has always existed between dykes and guys. The best part about making this film is hearing from women all over the world declaring love for their Lezbros and guys telling us how much they adore and value their lesbian friendships. We would love to see your pictures of you and your Lezbros and invite creative remixes of "Way to Go Lezbros" too (located at http://www.myspace.com/Lezbros) that share your special bonds. AfterEllen.com has procured an exclusive preview of Lezbros, which you can see below. The entire film will be premiered on LOGO, both online and on Real Momentum at 8pm on August 28. (Also, be sure to check out the latest "4 Dykes Presents" project, Jew Lo, if it comes to a festival near you.) Submitted by on August 14, 2009 - 5:00pm. |
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I want me some lezbros
i have none yet, but I haven't given up. I don't want to have any sex with them, I want buddies. Hard to find. But I'm glad many women got them.
Of course, being half a boy in my case, the interest of men is different than in a sweet woman's ear... It's more threatening and the confidence is simply not there...
HAHA. At my old job, I think
I want to be a bro
Hey if that's your real photo you must get a lot of female attention and having a vag to boot well that must be a real hit with the ladies. Props on that :-)
I wish I had some girl friends. Not girlfriends, I'm married to a gem, but rather girl friends of the kind that perfer to hang with girls. I don't like the term "lesbian" because it suggests a class distinction and I don't think what consenting adults do with their private matters warrents a class distinction.
*****
Women who seek equality with men lack ambition.
I'm bi, but I have a friend
I'm bi, but I have a friend like this. He's a good buddy and we talk about girls and such, but it's never been sexual and he's never done anything to push it to be. He even comes to dyke bars with me and hangs. He's one of my best friends, and one of the most understanding as well. I wouldn't trade him for the world!
"No problem is insoluble, given a big enough plastic bag."
OMG!!!
I did not know about the term "lezbro" I usually just call my straight guy friends my "fag hags" HAHAHAHA. They might actually like this term better. IF I decide to tell them about it. I might just stick with the other. LOL!!!
Great article
lesbro here
Awesome...
i've trying for months to think of a male fag hag term, love it!
Lezbros are awesome, my 2 best m8's are straight guys who i also live with and i could imagine life without. i totally find it easier just to chillax with them than i do when i'm hanging with my girl mates.
i meant to say...
Wow this article describes
Big Brother
This completely describes my relationship with one of my male mates who is like a brother too me I love him to pieces!!! I love the guys nights out + me that we do on a regular basis xxxx
xx SB
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light"
I've always heard 'dyke tyke'...
...but lezbro does sound so much better.
Girl-clad lion.
'Dyke tyke'
I remember reading an
I remember reading an article on dyke tykes!
This is interesting, I wouldn't mind more on it. The Spanish Apartment and Willow and Xander in the later seasons of Buffy are the only good pop culture examples I can think of.
i love this
it's soo true. i actually have some lez bros. i love straight boys. they're so simple and easy to talk to. lez bros are awesome, like this article.
(the number of times i used the term lezbros in five sentences is slightly annoying, but it's a fun word!)
and in our honesty, together we will rise. out of our nightminds and into the light at the end of the fight...
Dina! I love you. "If I
Dina! I love you.
"If I say, 'That girl's got great tits!' They'll say, 'Yeah, she does!' but lots of lesbians have hang-ups, and get mad at me for objectifying women."
I suddenly don't feel so alone anymore.. haha.
This article is spot on. Every single one of my friends are guys and always have been since about 7th grade.
It's honestly really weird that as I get older and older that I have no women I can call on the phone and be like "let's go out for coffee."
All my room mates have always been guys, my guy friends are like my brothers, we've been through hell and back together, they've got my back, I've got theirs. It's this understanding we have, it's this closeness that we have that I have never had with a girl as a friend.
Maybe it's because (in my experience) guys are so much more laid back, they tend to have a better sense of humor (women aren't big prankers, I am..) and there's not a lot of judgement.
Best example: last roommates were my two best friends, one of them started dating this girl. We're all up early eating breakfast one morning and Ann Curry comes on. I make a comment about how sexy she is and how she has great legs to boot.. the guys agreed, laughed, one made a "pacific rimmer" joke. The girl friend took major offense and started a stupid argument.
I'm in no way saying that's all women lol. I'm just saying that in my experience, men are so much more laid back.
www.twitter.com/ashleymaiile
lmao
lol i now have a word to describe my straight male friends woot! gay men have their "fag hags" now i have my "lezbros" lmao
"Hands upon my back again.
Survival is my only friend.
Terrified of what may come.
Remember I will always love you,
Even as I claw your fucking throat away.
But it will end no other way"
personally i've always had
personally i've always had more guy friends than girlfriends. my two best friends are both men, one of them is straight and one is gay. i really do love hanging out with women but every friendship i've ever had with a girl always ends up being so messy and complicated. i mean if they're gay then you might have that little spark of sexual tension, and if they're straight you might have that little spark of sexual tension. i just really cannot explain it. it's always this weird emotional thing. either someone ends up crying or yelling. so not true with my guys friends. so i love them.
"Time ain't gonna cure you honey, time don't give a shit."- the kills
I really do love hanging out
I really do love hanging out with women but.. if they're gay... and if they're straight you might have that little spark of sexual tension. it's always this weird emotional thing... so not true with my guys friends.
Lol, being Bi it can be hard to get away from the sexual tension as well, (from either the girl or guy side) and even if they’re straight as you say.. which can just be so emotionally exhausting at times!
I have pretty much an even number of male and female friends of who are all fairly equally fun, frantic, emotionally-deep, crude and easy going people, so feel that I have a good mix of company and convo from both in my life. I couldn't just be friends with guys.. or just friends with girls like some people can be because I like the qualities of both sides in how the differ or can sometimes be somewhat comparatively the same (..depending on whom they are). So for me I just like the friends term of description without all this other separating terminology between the sexual/gender groups (..even though lezbro is quite a nice description for a guy and certainly a lot better than fag-hag which I absolutely detest for the girl description).lezbro
i've only had one guybuddy ever since. sure i have guy friends but i can't really relate to them since most of them are too busy being macho and meatheads all the time. i love this article i can't wait to tell my 'lezbro' about this :)
lezbraa!
This is wicked. I have a gay guy friend, making me a fag hag, and he could call me a lezbra (though I am bi, I think we'd both agree it's too good a word to waste).
I have two
This article is awesome. I have two lesbros, whom one i treated like my own brother. Both of them are married and our friendship actually blossoms more once they know of my orientation.
They claimed that they feel safe sharing their (marriage) problems with me, and what you said is true. We can totally hang out because we have one thing in common: women.
And from my side, having married guy friends is better because they dont attempt to 'straightening' me up when talking to me.
__________________________________________________
"Why can't I love God and her at the same time?".. Jeannete from Oranges are not the only Fruitum..Can someone decode this
um..Can someone decode this for me?
-I speak in random thoughts
My lezbro
is my bestfriend. I just came out to him about a month ago, and it's been the best month of our friendship. He is so wonderful, and honestly talking to him about girls is the most liberating thing ever..we can be brash and sexual, and we can be sensitive and kind. He told me yesterday that he thinks we're the same person, I'm honestly starting to believe that!
<33 him.
my lezbros
my lezbros
most of my friends are dudes, half gay half straight and we get along great! I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
*Rosie, Rosa je vous aime Rosette*
I love my lesbros!
I live with four men. Each and every one of them mean the world to me. The only girls (other than queer love interests) I really associate with are their "lady friends," if you know what I'm saying. Most of my friends are guys.
I have a really profound connection with one of them in particular. Since he moved in, it's almost like I gained a platonic husband. We take care of each other, and act like a couple in every way except for the physical stuff. And neither of us is interested in that. I feel really blessed for having something like that that's never going to go away because of romantic entanglements.
x Rage More x
my lezbro
He has been one of my best friends for only a year and i feel like i can totally be myself with him. I mean he was the first person i really came out to, and he has been unbelievably amazing, especially since then. I told him the day after he got back from Costa Rica and a couple days before he was going to Michigan. And even during the whole time while he was away he texted me everyday. He continues to be extremely supportive as i continued to come out to my family and other friends.
Most of my friends that r girls tend to just like to hang out and do movies. while my lezbro is the one i turn to have fun in any case. We have played tennis for hours in the heat, both sweated a lot and laugh at eachother; watch stupid movies together, go swimming, even go shopping. We are also planning on doing some camping by beaches to get some surfing and skimboarding (hopefully this summer), going kayaking, and hiking. I can't wait to have more crazy fun times with him.
I want lezbros!
My lesbro
I share my lesbro with my group of lesbian friends. He is bi not straight but he is like a brother to all of us which is awesome. You can call him in the middle of the night and he will be there to listen to all the lesbian drama from my group. Hes cool, hes straight up and hes the best lesbro you could ever have.
It is better to be hated for who you are than loved for what your not.
Haha!
I want one! but i've always
my lesbros
Ah, the lezbros. My lezbro buddies are all really cool. I've got several who are my smoking buddies. It's great to just sit and chill and laugh... and bitch about nagging girlfriends (and boyfriends... several of my lezbros are gay).
And I'm pretty tight with my Dad's golf buddies. I've been in their group ever since I helped them win a few scrambles lol... we go out and trash talk each other drama free and everything.
Spot on! the only thing
Spot on!
the only thing you have in common: Women
great.. hahah, this make me wonder that i could really be gay [still in the middel of confusion]. I'm always hanging arounds with the dudes,
oops
doubled
I have two lezbros and I love them to death!
i've often thought that
i've often thought that straight men and bisexual women have the most in common. it's like noone knows what to expect of us,but there are so many assumptions as to how we are meant to be.
one thing we do have in common is women, and often objectification of women. i think in some ways lesbians are often interpreted as (or even actually have) a higher ground, particularly if they're the gold star variety. gay couples get to be poster people for reform-what do we get? straight men continually get demonised just for having a different way of viewing women and bisexual women don't really get to be the poster people because we have the potential to love men, it's assumed that for us it's a choice. we either have to be 'gay' and bear the burdens, or 'straight' and fit those societal stereotypes and blend in. because if we say bisexual, it's translated as 'promiscuous'. or'confused'. or 'greedy'.
ok i went a little off topic.
I HAVE ONE
speaking as someone that
speaking as someone that just came of a long relationship with a man this year, the last joke is actually funny.
Than you
Now i finally know to call my many guy friends they fit the "lezbro" name all the way. They were the first i came out to.
I love my "LEZBROS"...lol
∞ ∞ Shakora ∞ ∞
Ohhhh
This is so awesome.
I have one
I have 3 best lezbros ever
Lezbros are the best bros
Haha, so we call them lezbros? Lol :P Most of my true friends have always been men. I seem to get along with more men than women. Straight women tell me men are intelligent but it is men who I have the most intellectual conversations with. Men don’t like all the drama that women are into neither, I don’t like drama myself. Men are better friends to me but women are better lovers. Most of my male friends are straight and two are gay but the only thing about them is that sometimes they end up liking me but for the most part, they respect my sexuality or have learned to anyway. I never have to worry about feeling comfortable or feeling like a dog when I look at a girl and talk about her hotness when I am with my straight guy friends. I feel free with them because I am not trying to impress them, so I am completely myself with my lezbros.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.”exactly
bodyguards!
I agree with a different kin...
I just got back from a church camp
I recontly moved and all my friends are from church and honestly I get along better with the guys
And I totally get it cuz its the whole guy and girl just friends without any sexual tension [as long as your out]
And sometimes the guys can tell you stuff they wouldnt talk about with other guys cuz theyd be made fun of or whatever
And for me sometimes there is stuff I couldnt say around any girl straight or not
Honestly its just nice to have a variation of friends so you can always have someone to talk to even if it isnt the same person
And ya guys can be the best of friends especailly when your out and theres less sexual tension, well less drama in total
hahaha lezbros
But then again,
There are men who are threatened by lesbians. I don't know, maybe it's like a self confidence thing for them, but they don't want you to know that you're getting girls, and they're not. Thus, they like to turn their noses up at lesbians. I don't know... Maybe those are just the guys who have yet to mature...
Hope you have a good day ^^