How To Be Gay During The Day: Building Lesbian Community In The City

by Sasha DuBose

This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.

Finding a lesbian community at NYU is simultaneously my greatest challenge and my greatest feat. At a school with a large LGBTQ+ population, you’d be surprised at the lengths I’ve gone to find queer affinity spaces. I delved into my queer identity during college — I ended my freshman year as a bisexual Black woman and started my sophomore year as a Black nonbinary lesbian. It took me months to say out loud that I identify as a lesbian, and it took a year for me to find a lesbian community that accepts me for who I am. 

However, you won’t find me bouncing between Cubbyhole and Henrietta Hudson; in fact, my favorite spot in the West Village is my partner’s apartment. A perfect night for me is when I’m in bed before midnight. From birdwatching to bookstores, you’re not alone in craving queer spaces outside of nightlife. I’m here to show love to my daytime gays: the ones who like bottomless brunch at noon and being home before the sun goes down, or the ones who find that the safest places to be queer are local parks, cafes and smaller affinity spaces. 

Finding other queer people who share your interests is a terrific place to start. For example, building lesbian community around sports — an activity traditionally dominated by cisgender heterosexual men — can be very affirming. Steinhardt junior Maelys Monga got involved with a queer skateboarding group after meeting people at Washington Square Park.

Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.