My feminine proclivities really didn’t help with the whole “looking gay” thing. Yet, I left all my nail art tools and rainbow of glitter polishes to collect dust in an old cookie tin. I did, and still do, feel most authentically myself with my hair curled, my makeup done and clothing that reads as feminine, preferably with a dash of glitter or sequins thrown in. While I kept the body hair, I always gravitated back to more femme outfits. In the beginning that meant trying butchier clothing styles and not shaving my legs or pits. Like many other queer people, I took coming out as a chance to experiment with my gender presentation. How was I ever going to fit in with my new community if I didn’t look like I belonged? But, I was already deeply insecure about my sexuality and so I developed an equally deep anxiety about “looking” gay. It’s not like the lesbian police were knocking on my door and trying to take away my manicure tools. (Yes, I do really need both the blueish green and the greenish blue, and there is a world of difference between a scattered glitter, a linear holographic glitter and a flakey sparkle, thanks.) I’d always experimented with at-home nail tips and found the satisfaction of painting a long, pointed nail is truly a pleasure.Īll that to say, finding out that my love of fancy, femme nails and my new identity were at odds was a major blow. I’m also a snob about it, seeking out high-end brands that go beyond what you find in the drugstore aisle. I’ve always been a nail polish fan-those colorful little vials are the only thing I truly collect. To baby-lesbian me, this was a total bummer. Long nails and finger penetration don’t jive, for painfully obvious reasons. If you haven’t caught on-or just need it confirmed-yes, it’s a sex thing. There’s even a so-called “lesbian manicure” that accommodates for long nails except for the index and middle fingers. (Date going well? Better sneak off and find the nail clippers.) In fact, a poll from queer women’s website Autostraddle found that 95% of lesbians keep their nails short-so it’s a stereotype very much grounded in reality. It’s such a common stereotype that many lesbians have embraced it as part of our dating rituals IRL. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single article about spotting lesbians that doesn’t mention nail length. “Leaning to straight, but we still need more info,” Shane concludes, before they move on to assessing the queerness of the woman’s shoes.Īnd it’s not just on TV. “They’re long and polished,” Dana replies. “Are they polished or natural? chimes in Alice. “Dana, look at her fingernails, are they long or short?” asks heartthrob Shane. In the series’ second episode, the gang is at a coffee shop, testing tennis player Dana’s gaydar. I’d been rewatching The L Word as part of my research, which for all its shortcomings is still a go-to reference point for lesbian culture.
The answers I found on Tumblr, in pop culture and in Instagram memes were every stereotype you could imagine-short hair, plaid flannels, snapback hats, cuffed white T-shirts, a penchant for vests….Most frequently, though, I came up against the “rule” that you had to have short, bare nails. But what did it mean, culturally, to leave heterosexuality behind? How could I spot potential dates in the wild? It was 2013 and I was 24, so the ship had sailed on finding a campus group for support. Not the liking women part, I had that down. I wanted to know what it meant to be a lesbian. I guess I'm just outta luck.When I realized I was gay, I did what I always do when confronted with something new and potentially scary-I researched. I'm not satisfied with how my fingers look with the normal nail so this leaves me to go all around my state from shop to shop just to find a nail tech who is willing to do duck feet. If Im paying you for it why not? Its business. I'm not saying all do this but some have the experience but refuse to do the whole style period, I mean why? I don't want mines like the pic here. Like I said I'm not in favor with the extreme duck feets in the pic, but I do like the ones that are more subtle. Some techs have made my nail experience the hardest experience in the world simply because they won't do what I ask them to, which is the style I want. My whole reasoning for getting duck feet nails is because straight normal angeled nails make my fingers look even more awkward than they already are and even more long and skinny not to mention i dont like short nails so length makes my situation worst. As a female I have inherited long skinny fingers instead of short ones or short fat ones.
The ones shown in the picture I don't like because they are too flared and wide for me (extreme) so i think I'm attracted to the baby flare (more flare than your average nail).