The first lesbian I ever knew was our family dentist. My sisters and I called her Tita Vitang. When I was eleven years old I noted that she was different from the majority of women. While she was filling my cavities she held a long conversation with my aunt Ning, who was sitting inside the clinic, about her beloved--a woman--who recently left her for another. She was very bitter about it. Later, at home, I asked my aunt why Tita Vitang's partner was a woman. My aunt patiently explained the situation to me.