Haha the article is horrible. She's also a sex worker and is a bit of an SJW. Maybe she's afraid of her reputation. Who knows. I can understand that being invested in being one way (or thinking you're one way) for so long and then having that change, can be scary. Buttttt...is it right to misuse a label?

I think there are a lot of factors that could go into this, but here is something fundamental about humanity. While we may not like labels we as a species desire labels. Now what we do with those labels unfortunately is up to the individual.

I'm not sure how you can fix this issue. There will always be some people who use labels to stigmatize or out-group people. There will also always be people who base there entire identity around a label. I'm not sure we can change either of those we can only try to help those it affects.

I think she could still be a lesbian, but I would lean toward it being more likely she is Bi. I also see how another lesbian who can't see that as a possibility would not see her as a lesbian. Now do you make a new label like Bi-Lesbian to define a woman who mostly likes women but finds some men attractive? Does it matter or are we just trying to ridicule her? Honestly it is all about intent for why we want to make a clarification.

I honestly think most people reading the article would say she is Bi and just didn't realize it or want to admit it. That is something she will need to struggle with. As for the title of the article, I think it needed a change to relate that maybe she was questioning herself. Unfortunately I think this could easily be used by religious extremists as a validation that being homosexual is a choice. You can't stop that, you can only clarify the subject.

I think there's a lot of internalized biphobia, for the reasons you mentioned. I even struggle with it sometimes, as if my liking women will mean I'm "less valid" as someone who likes men. I do think sometimes people fear exclusion in coming to terms with their bisexuality within the LGBT community, not only in dating (I touched on in a previous comment that I think at the end of the day sexuality will always be up to individual preference, but I do wonder how much biphobia colors the perceptions of bi people in a dating sphere, for both gay and straight people), but with feeling "gay enough" to actually belong. Like you pointed out, a gay/lesbian label can mean a lot for those who identify with it, so to come to the realization that she might be bisexual might feel like a "step down" within the community, in a sense.

That's all just speculation and things I've felt myself that I've struggled with.