Freshman year of high school, I came out as a lesbian. I did not get hate from anyone which is very surprising considering the conservative yee-haw town that I live in. The things that I did notice was the locker room situation. It felt like none of my friends wanted to get changed in front of me. It made me feel bad because I really did not look at them in that way. Like at all. No offense to any of my friends from high school who are reading this, but you guys are not my type. And I told you guys that but you still didn't really want to have a locker near mine. Senior year, I took weight lifting. Of course, I had friends in the class but I was so used to choosing a locker away from my friends because I didn't want them to think I was looking at them.

I have noticed that when the stereotypical locker room lesbian is spoken about it seems very perverted. I have been asked if I "go in the bathroom to masturbate" after I changed in the locker room with all those girls. The answer is NO. Who does that? I feel like I can speak about this on behalf of a good percentage of the LGBTQ+ community. We aren't middle schoolers. We know how to act around other people.

Now that I am in college, I feel like the tables have turned. I can go into a locker room with a bunch of people that barely know me and they don't have a problem with getting dressed in the same locker room as me.

My girlfriend, who attends James Madison University, has problems with her hallmates using the same restroom as her. Her roommate avoids being in the room at the same time as her just because she is gay. They all avoid going to shower at the same time as her because that is just how society is these days.

To all girls who believe that every lesbian is looking at them in a sexual way, don't flatter yourself.