Lesbian Identities and Their Meaning
Parker, River
Parker, River
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Abstract
Within the LGBTQIA+ community, no definitive answers exist to the question: ‘what does it mean to be lesbian’? The language used to describe lesbian identities are fluid and unfixed. Lesbian identities are as relevant now as they have ever been. The aims of this study are to gather reflections from lesbians about their relationship to the term ‘lesbian’, their personal lesbian identity, and their experiences of moving in the world as a lesbian. Fifteen people living in the U.S. and representing diverse backgrounds and identities participated in the study. Three themes emerged through analysis: (1) Lesbian identity intersects with gender identity and expression; (2) each person defines lesbian in their own way and (3) being part of the lesbian community creates a sense of belonging. Lesbian identity is a way of being, a culture in and of itself; it is a dialect, a lifestyle, a feeling of rightness in the gut, a reason for camaraderie, a subversive and deviant society. The power of this identity comes in its difficulty to pin down, exactly, what is meant by ‘lesbian’.
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Graduate
Date
2023-01-01