I’ve Never Dated Straight Men But I’m Ready To Try

When my long-term lesbian relationship came to an end in 2022, one of the first things I did was re-download Hinge and change my settings to include men. Disrupting the algorithm — which had mostly seen me swiping through women and non-binary people throughout the years — the app threw a whole mix of boys my way. For someone whose last experience of dating men involved trying to set up a throuple date with two bi guys in a long-term open relationship, it was a bit of a culture shock. So many messages, so many well-meaning straight boys whose approach to relationships was so different from my own. 
Now, despite resuming my search, on and off over a months-long process of trial and error, I’ve only swiped right on a measly two male contenders. And while I haven’t quite mustered the enthusiasm to meet up with them, I have seriously considered it. This is a major development for me and goes against many years of brushing off my occasional attraction to straight men, often on the grounds that I don’t want a dynamic that feels even slightly like stereotypical heterosexuality. With time, I’m realizing my old attitudes are more than likely a result of my own internalized biphobia: a fear that if I engage with cis-het men on any level, it invalidates my queer identity. Ultimately, this type of thinking isn’t productive and leads to tarnishing all cis-het men with the same brush.
I’ve Never Dated Straight Men But I’m Ready To Try