Blackwell Reference Online

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Although it is generally accepted that “lesbianism” refers to sexual contact between women, this is by no means an adequate definition. Indeed, it is not possible to provide such a definition. The complexities of the political economy of sexuality mean that the word is subject to continual contestation among many diverse interest groups, to the extent that there is not even agreement that sexual contact – or even desire – is necessarily definitional. Lesbianism is equally subject to theoretical contestation, in particular between essentialists and constructionists. It is, therefore, something of an exemplary topic for demonstrating the political and theoretical processes at work within the social sciences more broadly, as well as being the commonly accepted descriptor for a group of women marginalized and subject to varying degrees of stigma and sanction because they prefer other women as their sexual partners. There are two main strands of debate concerning the nature of lesbianism, the theoretical and the political. Both have their origins in the social processes which gave rise to the concept of lesbianism in the first place, so it is helpful to begin with a brief historical overview. Etymologically, the word “lesbian” is of late nineteenth-century origin and refers to the island of Lesvos/Lesbos in the Greek archipelago where, in the classical period, the poet Sappho lived. ... log in or subscribe to read full text