The lesbian tool

"The garden tool I purchased was leaning against the back wall of their basement, alongside an assortment of garden paraphernalia commonly found at estate sales. But this tool was one-of-a-kind. I'd never seen anything like it, but I appreciate old things, so it practically leapt into my hands. I couldn't tell you how much I paid for it, but I would have paid more if asked."

"It is a savage-looking thing. Manufactured before I was born, I am sure. A five-pronged trident. Its five spikes curve into a claw, identifying it as something other than a trident. Made of steel, it is used for cultivating soil. The original hardwood handle is intact and worn smooth by the hands of the two women who used it. It was built to endure, and tools aren't constructed that way anymore."

A retired lesbian couple in Richmond, California, sold their house and moved to a nursing home, with one woman confined to a wheelchair. Their estate sale offered 1970s furniture, dishware, and gardening paraphernalia. An unusual five-pronged steel cultivator with a hardwood handle worn smooth by the two women was purchased at the sale. The cultivator's spikes curve into a claw and it was built to endure, unlike many modern tools. The buyer did not learn the owners' names and chose to nickname the implement the "lesbian tool" to reflect its origin.

Read at Advocate.com