We caught up with the brilliant and insightful G Stone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

G , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

“Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies was birthed from my intrigue of the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality, along with my belief that bi and curious women of color lacked spaces where they can feel seen and show up authentically. With a quick Google search, it was fairly easy to find strong and thriving LGBTQ spaces and places but I was unable to find communities or spaces that centered on Black and Brown bisexual women. That gap felt isolating and “Straight” … But Not Narrow Ladies was created to fill it. Once the idea was formed, I struggled with how the idea would be received. Sexuality is a heavily stigmatized topic often not discussed in many households and communities, especially where non heteronormativity is not accepted. A happy hour meetup was scheduled to gauge interest but primarily determine whether or not I was crazy. I really needed to know if I was the only one that felt like community was needed and if bisexual fems that like fems really existed because there was little to no representation. Surprisingly, 15 women attended the happy hour and quickly formed a community. They confirmed my beliefs and that led to officially launching “Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies.

G , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I spent many years researching various aspects of both platonic and non-platonic relationships, as well as, online versus in-person connections. I am very intrigued by the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality, and am quite passionate about curating meaningful safe spaces for women, especially women of color. These interests plus my lived experiences and work as the founder of “Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies led me to becoming a Certified and Board-Approved Clinical Sexologist, Certified Master Sexpert and Dating, Relationship, Sexuality and Intimacy Coach. In these roles, offer representation, push the agenda of education around sexuality, dating and relationships and curate safer spaces (community, social events and travel experiences) for like minds to connect in meaningful ways.

I know the challenges of navigating social and cultural norms, stigmas, stereotypes and micro-aggressions as a Black “straight” passing woman living outside of the heteronormative box in America. I grew up in a household where sex, sexuality, and the complexities of having and maintaining healthy relationships were not topics frequently discussed. As a Sexologist and Coach, I work with and teach women and couples how to get clear on their goals, find alignment, optimize their experiences, lean into authenticity and have healthy relationships with themselves and others. I work with people in 1:1 or group coaching programs, workshops, retreats and travel experiences. Travel has quickly become an act of self-care for me and a means for transformation for my clients and community.

In this work, I became more passionate about communication and consent. That has led me to the path of Intimacy Coordination for TV/Film/Media. Through this, I choreograph, hold space and advocate for actors on TV or film sets that involve nudity, hyper exposed work, simulated sex acts, and intimate physical contact.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Instagram is my primary social media platform. Building an audience has been an ongoing learning experience. In the beginning, I posted content that I liked. I thought if I posted this way my audience would eventually find me. Overtime, I learned more about the algorithm, the business of social media and realized I needed to pivot quickly. I was curating a business and offerings to an audience that wanted to see me. I learned that my audience wanted representation and needed to know the person behind the brand. They needed to see me as the founder, learn from me as the Sexologist & Coach and hear “Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies’ story. That created an upward tick in follower counts, engagement, etc.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

“Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies held its first meet up in December 2019. After that successful turnout, we began hosting social events 2-3 times a month. In March 2020, COVID caused NYC to shelter in place. All of our social events were halted. At that time, our focus was solely on bringing bi and curious women together in real life. With COVID, that was no longer an option. I was determined not to lose the momentum and worked endlessly to pivot from a social group to an incorporated business with a website, online membership community and virtual events. In April/May 2020, we launched the original “Straight”… But Not Narrow Ladies website with a membership community, supporting group chat platform and rolled out the beginning of many virtual events. This pivot allowed us to stay engaged and connected throughout the quarantine, grow our audience and establish a solid online presence. Once restrictions were lifted, we launched our first girls getaway weekend as an action of self-care and transition back to socialization. From there, we’ve curated and hosted many domestic and international travel experiences in addition to workshops, retreats and social events.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.straightbutnotnarrowladies.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/straightbutnotnarrowladies and www.instagram.com/heygstone
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@heysbnnl