Coming Out
Politics of Gender
Ever since I was a little person they made fun of me. I didn’t play with dolls. I threw like a boy. I wore construction boots. I never liked the frilly dresses. My Schwinn five speed was not a girl’s bike. I hated pony tails, ribbons and lace - I liked baseball caps, leather and […]
The Ins and Outs of Being Out in Education
“So, when did you come out?” If you’re like me, this is a very confusing question. Deep breath. I love this game. “I officially came out to myself in college when I acknowledged the serious case of butterflies I got every time I thought about this woman I had just met; from the moment I […]
Be a Part of Invisible Femmes: Our Stories!
Today marks the two year anniversary of one of the most read articles on The L Stop, Invisible Femmes. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out! Then make sure to come back here and find out how you can share your story for the upcoming book Invisible Femmes: Our Stories. First, let me […]
The 6 Steps to Coming Out
By Kristen Baker 1) Know who you are. At least the truth of who you know yourself to be today. Your knowledge of yourself is going to CONSTANTLY evolve. Constantly. Don’t be afraid of that, lean into it. Just trust who you know yourself to be today. And challenge yourself to keep peeling back the […]
Out and Proud After 30
Coming out is a unique process for everyone. Some people know they are queer from a very young age and have the “born this way” feeling, while others go through a much more gradual self-realization. Sometimes this development of self takes one all the way into their 30s, 40s, or even 50s and up. I […]
Heart of Glass
Hi oyster shuckers! What’s happening? Over here in Chicago, it’s been weird-weathering for weeks. Nothing like what you faggettes have on the East Coast, but seriously. In January, we had a 24-hour period in which it was almost 70 degrees one day and raining warm rain—I mean I saw two kids laughing hysterically and […]
Dear Diary: A Narrative Journal of my First Years as a ‘Fag Teacher’
By Stacy Fox “Ms. Fox, can I ask you a personal question?” It was the night before grades were due for the first marking period in my first year of teaching, at an inner-city public high school on Chicago’s South side. I stayed entering grades until the building locked for the night, and I was […]
Born This Way—L Stop baby dykes brought to life
As the summer cools down and political climate heats up, we are hearing a lot on the news about gay rights and our fight for equality. What we’ve earned or what should be. It got us thinking, we don’t need to “earn” anything! This isn’t new. Like Gaga said, we were born this way. It […]
The Gay Ballerina: why sometimes you have to come out twice
By Lauren Warnecke When I told my mother I was a lesbian, she said she would have been less surprised if I told her I was becoming a nun. That was ten years ago. I was already out of the house and none of the typical signs were there; well, not really anyway. I’m not […]
Megan Rapinoe - US Olympian, World Cup Soccer Star, and Lesbian
Megan Rapinoe is no stranger to the limelight. The former Chicago Red Stars player (until the WPS announced it’s suspension) moved on to become one of the key players from last year’s Women’s World Cup. This year, as she prepares for the Olympics in London, steps into a different light; the rainbow colored one. That’s […]