Lesbian spaces
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Formerly exclusively lesbian spaces are increasingly being opened to men who identify as women. In addition, lesbians are being pressured to accept these men as sexual partners.
Transgender ideology, with its insistence on “gender identity” taking precedence over biological reality, has particularly harmful effects on lesbians.
Lesbians, by definition, are homosexual, meaning they are exclusively same-sex-attracted, not same-gender-attracted. However, male “transgender” rights activists insist that “trans women are women” and, therefore, a “trans woman’s” penis is a "female penis" (note that approximately 85% of all “transwomen” retain their male genitalia). Lesbians who object to having “transwomen” as sexual partners, or to the presence of men in lesbian spaces are vilified as "transphobes" or called “TERFs”, and often silenced by the very organizations which claim to advocate on their behalf. Transgenderism's assertion that “gender identity” trumps biological reality effectively serves to erase homosexuality. In addition, it insidiously attempts to coerce lesbians into accepting male-bodied sexual partners – a new form of "corrective rape" and, ironically, even conversion therapy.
Recently, homosexual organizations such as Vogay or Lilith in French-speaking Switzerland have expanded their audience to include “queer” people. Vogay – originally an association for gay men founded in 1996 – changed its name to Voqueer in 2024. And Lilith – originally an association for lesbians founded in 1994 – extended its membership pool to include “queer women” in 2022. What does “queer women” really mean? Does it include women who identify as “nonbinary”? Or maybe sometimes also men who claim to be lesbians? In fact, the lesbian bimonthly party LOL in Lausanne is now open to men, and other formerly popular single-sex events are also being opened to both sexes. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, many gay and lesbian organizations have recently renamed themselves “queer” (e.g. Pinkapple Filmfestival, Queersicht Bern), an umbrella term that can basically include everybody – the word “lesbian” has been completely removed. On its website, the Swiss national lesbian organization LOS advocates for the interests of “lesbians, bisexuals and queer women” (“Lesben, Bisexuelle und queere Frauen” on the German website, “personnes lesbiennes, bisexuelles et queer” on the French website). This means that gay and lesbian organizations are no longer exclusively for homosexuals, as “queer” can include straight people as well.
Under the influence of gender identity ideology, lesbian organizations are not only tolerating men who identify as women as members, they actively encourage the idea that a man can be a lesbian. On March 9, 2023, a conference in Lausanne under the title “Lesbian (In)visibilization: Are lesbians endangered?” (Invisibilisation lesbienne: les lesbiennes sont-elles en voie de disparition ?) invited a man, Raphaëlle (Raphael) Guglielmetti, as a guest speaker, mentioning his female pronouns in brackets. Men calling themselves lesbians were also invited to take part in the queer podcast on Swiss Television RTS “Welcome to Gouinistan” & “Welcome to Vieillistan”.
The lesbian community is sharply declining, even disappearing, and the public spotlight is increasingly focused on “transgender” people. The inclusion of heterosexual men who identify as women and call themselves lesbians by LGBTQ lobby groups changes the dynamics and essence of existing communities, spaces and events. Placing “trans” issues at the forefront of discussions not only leaves lesbians on the periphery, but has gaslit lesbians into accepting that these heterosexual men should be treated as “marginalized and misunderstood”.
A survey on the impact of gender identity ideology on lesbian communities, culture and wellbeing was undertaken in the UK in 2021. Its result, published in April 2025, gives voice to lesbians who have been silenced. The report describes their concerns about the widespread and deeply-resented impact of gender identity ideology on their community, e.g. the redefinition of the word lesbian to include men, the loss of single-sex spaces, the fear of sharing views on gender identity ideology within LGBTQ organizations, the lack of lesbian (particularly butch lesbian) role models, and the disproportionately high number of young lesbians undergoing the harmful medical process of “transitioning”.
In the UK, as a result of trans ideology having fully captured leading LGBTQ advocacy organizations, a breakaway group was formed in 2019. This new organization, the LGB Alliance, recognizes that transgender ideology is at cross-purposes with the lived experiences and aims of lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. Kate Harris, a signatory to the LGB Alliance’s position statement, told the British newspaper The Telegraph: "The main difference is that lesbians, gays and bisexuals have something in common because of our sexual orientation, that has nothing to do with being trans."
Femina Helvetica rejects the notion that lesbians can be attracted to “gender identities” (men who claim to be lesbians). We support same-sex attracted women in their right to openly and proudly acknowledge their homosexuality, and to set their own sexual and cultural boundaries, free of guilt, coercion or harassment.
Links to supporting documentation of this issue:
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The vast majority of men who identify as women still have a penis.
https://fairplayforwomen.com/penis/ -
The change of name of Vogay to Voqueer in November 2024.
https://voqueer.ch/association/ -
The statutes of Lilith that includes “queer women”.
https://www.associationlilith.ch/_files/ugd/74c485_46f483167fa043a594462e9c26de1c25.pdf -
The conference under the title “Invisibilisation lesbienne” organized on March 9, 2023, mentioning the male guest speaker Raphaëlle (Raphael) Guglielmetti.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anne-fournand-287bb9196_ravie-danimer-la-table-ronde-de-cette-soirée-activity-7039480426368782336-5bD8/?originalSubdomain=fr -
An article about the policeman Raphaëlle (Raphael) Guglielmetti’s coming out as “non-binary trans woman”.
https://insertion-vaud.ch/actualites/article/-j-aurai-pu-mieux-preparer-mon-coming-out-au-travail -
A picture of Raphaëlle (Raphael) Guglielmetti before his “transition”.
https://fr.skimble.com/people/1jywjecae4jl -
RTS Queer Podcast inviting men who call themselves “lesbian”.
https://www.rts.ch/audio-podcast/2022/audio/les-placards-defonces-s1e1-voyage-au-gouinistan-25806151.html -
The lesbian organization LOS welcoming men to march with them. Picture published in Le Courrier on 1st December 2024.
https://lecourrier.ch/2024/12/01/tabou-gene-et-immunite-presumee/ -
The survey “Lesbian erasure” by Women is This (WIT) Collective, published in April 2025.
https://witsurveyreport.org/lesbian-erasure/ -
LGB splits from Stonewall in the UK.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/23/stonewall-splits-accused-promoting-trans-agenda-expense-gay/ -
LGB alliance Switzerland is born.
https://www.lgballianceswitzerland.ch -
An article by l'Impertinent about the rise of LGB Alliances around the world, including Switzerland. https://www.limpertinentmedia.com/post/censorship-misogyny-mutilation-of-minors-homosexuals-worldwide-condemn-the-rift-of-the-queer-co