I went to a girls’ school and I’m not a lesbian

After being at a girls’ school from the age of eight to eighteen, I’ve been faced with all the stereotypes under the sun. But can they all stop now please.

I’m a lesbian

I’m a strong believer, like most, that you’re born the sexuality you are. Even if you don’t believe this, I still can’t fathom why anyone would possibly think that being trapped for ten years, surrounded by girls would make you a lesbian? If anything, it would push you far from it.

Being at a single sex school may not have “turned me”, but I think it may have genuinely affected my immune system.

The lack of testosterone at school meant that anytime I’d kiss a boy, or just sit too close to them, guaranteed I’d come down with a cold two days later. I spent the first term of uni constantly ill just trying to alert my immune system that it needed to get used to living with this male species.

Keep me away from those boy germs

I’m posh

This goes back to the never-ending debate that all people from private schools are posh. We’re not. I take the bus. I don’t have a cleaner. I shop in Primark. I don’t own a horse. I don’t have a car ‘Daddy’ bought me. I don’t call my parents Mummy and Daddy. I don’t own a signet ring. And I do have a student loan.

Yes I say Barrrth and Grarrrss, but I’m from the South. That is normal. Doesn’t make me posh.

Standard afternoon by my pool

I’m a bitch

This is a tricky one. High school for me was full of two faced, bitchy, petty, sly girls. All schools had them, but co-ed schools just had the bitchiness watered down by the presence of boys.

Am I a bitch now? No. I may be a straight-talking, no bullshit, blunt kind of person. But that just means I’m a bit of a miserable sod, not a bitch.

People often mistake me telling people straight up “that dress makes you look fat” as bitchy. That’s just friendship. Obviously I don’t just tell random people they look fat. I’m not Katie Hopkins with her excessive fat-shaming. So no, I’m not a bitch.

I made my friend this badge so she made friends at her new school. How is that not caring?

I’m a slut

“Posh girls have good manners, but they go like the clappers, because they never got to hang around with boys at school.” Classic lyrics from Scouting For Girls (guilty pleasure).

Now I can think of some situations when friends of mine have been suddenly dropped into a co-ed school for Sixth Form and went a little crazy…You know who you are. But in general no, going to a single sex school has not made us all sexually deprived sex demons.

I can’t generalise too much. I’m sure there are girls who have left their single sex education and jumped straight onto every cock they can find. Buuuut, we’re certainly not all like that.

I don’t have male friends

Why do people think girls don’t socialise outside of school? Yes I did know boys before uni. I even had a boyfriend. Who was actually real. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

If I do not let go he has to be my friend

I wore suspenders to school like in St. Trinians

Firstly, suspenders just shouldn’t be worn at school. It’s not some porno. Secondly, there weren’t guys to look good for. No make-up and dry-shampooed hair was the norm.

Yes, some people did make an effort. We weren’t all just slobs, but there wasn’t any of the slutty school outfits going on. (Well, only from one person). Sorry to crush that fantasy.

I was involved in physical cat fights

No, physical fights were not a thing. Crying in the toilet because someone called you fat was a thing. But slapping certainly wasn’t.

Huddling on the sofas in the common room and having some deep meaningful chat instead of going to your Games lesson happened. But again, two girls wrestling each other on the floor didn’t happen. Another fantasy crushed.

We all loved each other really

I only ate salads because I’m a girl and can’t eat cake

Bullshit. I like my food. I like my food a lot. I’m only 5ft6 and a size 10, but if someone ever tries to steal my chocolate they will get a slap. And potentially a slap in the balls if it was my last bag of chocolate buttons.

If anything eating decorum suffered because no-one cared if you dropped a chip on the floor and ate it. Or if you did eat your dessert and then your friend’s. And your other friend’s…

These stereotypes are stupid. Yes some girls may match them, but most of us don’t. If I had a pound for every time somebody has asked if I was a lesbian because I went to a girls’ school, I could pay off a fair bit of my student loan.

Have you had any of these said to you? Tweet us @TheTabYork #GirlsSchoolStereotype