Laura Martinez is a young woman in her mid-twenties. I met her at Sunset Tavern during my listening post. We kept in touch so I could get to know a little more about her community and try to understand what it’s like to be attracted to people from your same sex.
Some gay men and women try to physically express characteristics of the opposite sex but this is not Laura’s case. Lesbians at times can look more masculine and dress differently. Laura does not fit the mold. She dresses in feminine clothes and if she doesn’t tell you about her sexual preference you would’ve never guessed.
She couldn’t go to Sunset Tavern this week because of her busy schedule but instead we met at a Starbucks in Kendall where she was meeting another lady for a business proposal.
Laura has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Florida International University. She works at the corporate offices of Regions Bank in Medley as an International Marketing Specialist.
Laura says that it was early in high school when she started feeling attracted to other girls. She’s currently in a lesbian relationship. She describes Martha, her partner as understanding and her “security blanket.” “She brings out the real me.” Martha and Laura have been dating for seven months.
But things were not always as smooth as they are now. Laura remembers her fear of telling her family and some of her friends about her sexual preference.
Her mother passed away when she was seven years old and she was raised by her father and his wife. Her relationship with her stepmother is a little “rocky.” Laura is the oldest of her siblings, she has a brother and a sister from her dad’s second marriage. Every day before going to sleep I would think about my father’s reaction. “I tried living like a normal person,” said Laura.
She started hanging out with a new group of friends and that gave her the courage to tell her family about her sexuality after 2 years of hiding her true feelings.
“My sexuality is still taboo at home,” says Laura. Her family knows about her relationship with other women but prefer not to talk about it.
Laura is also an activist in the gay and lesbian community. She has collected signatures with a group of other members of her community in favor or gay marriage.
Laura has wealth of stories and experiences she wishes to share with other lesbians to help them overcome their fears.
