Lesbian separatism and identity development: Making space for themselves
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Continuum
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
52784
Abstract
This study documents the stories of lesbians separatism during the 1970s-80s in Western Australia, exploring aspects of identity, community, safe space, culture, and connection. Although there is increasing literature on the subject in Australia, the phenomenon of lesbian separatism has received little attention, particularly the Western Australian context. Therefore, sharing these marginalized women’s stories addresses this gap in the literature, provides a sense of identity in the past, and acknowledges the contributions lesbians had on society and culture. The research involved a narrative study of six informants who self-identify as lesbian, collected in multiple interviews. The purpose was to understand informant’s subjective experiences, perspectives and meaning about identity, separatist community, and lesbian culture. This study explores a unique aspect of Australian history and demonstrates the significant contributions lesbian separatists made to LGBT acceptance and women’s history and culture.
DOI
10.1080/10304312.2022.2148631
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
van Aurich, A., & Hearn, K. (2023). Lesbian separatism and identity development: Making space for themselves. Continuum, 31(1), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2022.2148631