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Jodie Kline
PhD candidate, Department of Political Science, University of Melbourne.
'Discovering Lesbian Community: Lesbian Feminism to Queer and Back Again?'
Research into Lesbian community has been largely neglected since the mid 1980s. Consequently, its current form and influence remains undocumented. This paper uses self-administered questionnaires and recent Lesbian and Gay street press to discuss the character of contemporary Lesbian community (1997-2003) and identify the impacts its existence has on the lives of individual Lesbians. It addresses the ways in which Lesbians in contemporary Australian society are being impacted by a distinct shift from Lesbianism being grounded in feminist thought, to the emergence of 'new Lesbianism', which seems to stem from queer culture. The paper also indicates future directions for Lesbian community that could lead to the re-emergence of Lesbian community based on feminist principles.
In Australia from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s communities consisting of women's centres, Lesbian venues, wimmins lands, political groups and interacting social networks mainly of political Lesbians, provided a visible point of reference for much of the Lesbian population (Krieger, 1982; Lockard, 1986). It was assumed that all Lesbians held in common their Lesbianism and the related feelings of isolation and experiences of discrimination associated with identifying in such a manner (Barnhart, 1975). Feelings of solidarity were perceived by many, particularly white, middle-class, educated Lesbians. During this time frame, to attend Lesbian events, read feminist publications, and interact with Lesbians of diverse political, cultural and spiritual persuasions, was to experience Lesbian community (Stein, 2001). The physical actuality and ideological notion of Lesbian community appears no longer to fill the same space. 'Lesbian community' has become fragmented, resulting in the development of isolated Lesbian social networks that rarely interact with one another (Stein, 2001). Queer movements have prompted changes to 'Lesbian' sexual and social practices, which has resulted in a sharp split between radical Lesbian feminists and queer women (Stein, 2001). It appears that Lesbian versions of masculinity are becoming increasingly popular. The apparent celebration of masculinity through drag, acting out violent 'fantasies', sadomasochism, bondage and discipline, and a resurgence of butch/femme role-play suggest that men and specifically 'male behaviour' are no longer regarded as undesirable. This presents a sharp contrast to the Lesbian feminist rejection of most forms of masculinity in the 1970s and 1980s.
The mark left by transgender debates created further tensions among Lesbians of varied political persuasions and has resulted in some Lesbians choosing to identify with men who share their political convictions, rather than with other Lesbians (Jones, 1999). This form of coalition politics appears to prioritise the development of an 'inclusive' Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community over the development of autonomous Lesbian community. Finally, steps toward inclusive social and political policy mean that being Lesbian is not necessarily regarded as the most significant factor in one's life. Lesbians who feel this way can be inclined to seek social relationships based on the person, not the sexuality of the person (Stein, 2001).
Given this context, there seems to be a departure from assumptions of shared Lesbian oppression and isolation. These experiences once acted as a unifying force, bringing many Lesbians together in what they often identified as Lesbian community (Lockard, 1986). Further, there no longer appears to be the throng of Lesbian feminist publications and wimmin only venues that provided an institutional base for community. As such, 1980s understandings, definitions and explorations of Lesbian community seem dated and must be confined to the herstorical period they were formed to represent. New understandings must be determined to account for the contemporary environment, and to indicate future directions for possible community development.
The responses of self-identified lesbians, who completed questionnaires distributed as part of my PhD thesis on the topic of Lesbian Community, are used to discuss the current state of Lesbian community. These women (and men) have developed individualised understandings of what Lesbian community is, indicate diverse interpretations of 'queer' oriented activities, and present a comprehensive picture of how different Lesbians develop social and support networks. They also reveal some of the complex approaches to placing oneself in relation to the concept 'Lesbian community'. In addition, these responses provide direction for building Lesbian (and not uncommonly Lesbian feminist) communities that incorporate adequate support structures. These structures largely reflect a desire to provide spaces for countering hetero-normative ideals and developing self-esteem, self-appreciation and interactive skills. These are all priorities previously identified by Lesbian feminists in the 1970s and 1980s (Barnhart, 1975; Krieger, 1982; Lockard, 1985; Wolf, 1979).
Bio: Jodie Kline is a radical Lesbian feminist who has been an active participant in grassroots feminist campaigns for almost a decade. She has been involved in the organisation of various community-based actions in the Geelong region including Reclaim the Night, International Women's Day celebrations, body image campaigns, numerous environmental protests, Reconciliation events, and Anti-war rallies. She was part of the organising collective for the National Lesbian Conference and Festival in 2001, and was employed as Lesbian Liaison Officer and Women's Officer at Deakin University.
In addition to student union positions Jodie has worked as a lecturer and tutor in Women's Studies at Deakin University, and as a tutor in the Sociology program at the University of Melbourne. She has completed a Bachelor of Arts with honours in Women's Studies and a Master of Teaching. She is currently undertaking a PhD in Political Science at the University of Melbourne. Her thesis is entitled 'Discovering Lesbian Community: An exploration of lesbians' experiences and perceptions of shared community.'
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