A few things to know about me: I have followed a lesbian meme account on Instagram called “lonely_lesbian_gang” for close to a year. I have openly flirted with several girls in my past. I participated in an almost whirlwind lesbian romance that resulted in one party leaving the country and the other feeling lost; I’ll let you choose which one you want to believe I am. 

But most importantly, I have also dated a man for close to five years.
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College dating is on a whole other level in comparison to dating in highschool, particularly when you’re queer. In highschool, as with many non-heterosexual identifying teens, my sexuality and understanding my sexual preferences eluded me to a large extent. In high school, I had exclusively dated guys, but dating as a whole didn’t really appeal to me in the way it would most teens. This was mostly due to the fact that I just wasn’t really interested in men, but I also wasn’t aware that there was any other option than the standard hetronormative one.

“I’m not transphobic, I just couldn’t date a trans person.”         

​It’s not at all a new or shocking take. In fact, it’s the norm; the vast majority of people — 87.5 percent according to a study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships — say they wouldn’t consider a relationship with a transgender partner. In a trans renaissance of X’s on licenses and nine-dollar gender changes, it seems that certain things never change. With Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s time to ask: why the adamance?