Thank you for hearing out my criticism.
However, I hope you understand where I'm coming from. The lesbian community is under heavy criticism for being "biphobic" pretty much every day, and it gets worse when we're supposed to be celebrated - like during pride, although I know it celebrates bisexuals as well (any queer identity, in fact). But we're always the ones under fire. If we speak there's something wrong with what was said, and if we don't words are still put in our mouths.
Everyday lesbian creators cannot speak on the lesbian experience without it being biphobic in one way or another. Majority of lesbians denied their identity their entire lives because patriarchy and comphet runs so deep in us, much deeper than in anyone else. Vast majority of us have identified as bisexuals. Making a game about a woman who plays in lesbian women's faces and calling her a victim of biphobia is disingenuous and DOES paint us in a bad light. I have read comments on here literally saying they can experience the biphobia despite never actually going through it - what does it even mean ? You can picture how terrible lesbians treat bisexuals when bisexuals make up for 3/4 of the sapphic community ? And once again, are lesbians so wrong for being mad and upset for making someone so extremely wealthy she could retire and live more comfortably than most on the basis that she is like them and understands their unique struggle and experience when all of it was a lie ? I'm aware this discourse exists IRL and has since forever. But because lesbian-baiting is a real thing and the concept in itself is lesbophobic. It's not that women aren't allowed to be bisexuals, it's that after making their entire brand loving women and women only, them dating a man understandably feels like betrayal. It is not about bisexuals being less than lesbians, it is about lesbians being a hook for easy popularity and money.
A gay man can be gay, a bisexual can be bisexual, but a lesbian's sexuality is always "fluid" on the risk of being called biphobic. Have you ever looked at this discourse in the POV of lesbian women ? Why they're so angry and so desperate for someone who understands them ? If you do, the hurt this game causes will make much more sense to you.
Ayla's ex reminds me heavily of the "les4les" discourse that is never ending, it feels like a callout to lesbian women who wish to only date other lesbians (and are called biphobic for it every single second of the day). Ayla is not a victim to the decisions she made as a grown woman, even if she was heavily influenced into making them.
Regarding Cheri, as someone said in here, she heavily feels like a woman written by a man (even if I know you're a female solo dev). Her mannerisms are very child-like. I'm aware she's younger than Ayla but no 20+ year old woman acts that way. Having the only non biphobic lesbian being a huge fan of Ayla who drinks her words like water and who acts like a child is not pleasant to experience either.
I'm aware what the lesbian tag includes, I browse it every other day. It does not change my mind. I'm unaware if any other lesbian woman such as myself as played this game but after showing it to my lesbian friends all of them were as angry as I am - though i'm also aware we often hang out with like-minded people. I'm not saying my or my friends' feelings dictate what EVERY lesbian would feel playing this, but it is heavily possible most of them would not enjoy the experience.
Thank you for taking this seriously.