The relationship between womanhood and lesbianism is complex because it involves navigating societal expectations of femininity and the individual expressions of lesbian identity. In the past, the idea of womanhood has been associated with submissiveness, motherhood, or the general idea of centering men and being complacent in that situation.
So by those definitions, lesbianism at its core is the antithesis of what it is to be a woman.
So by those definitions, lesbianism at its core is the antithesis of what it is to be a woman.
Lesbianism is not a monolithic identity; the women who identify as lesbian are in many spaces, allowed to express a wide range of gender identities and expressions, including feminine, masculine, and androgynous forms of expression. This idea of gender intersects with socially constructed ideas of femininity in complex ways.
Some feminist perspectives see lesbianism as a radical act of resistance against patriarchal structures, as it challenges the expectation of women to be primarily focused on men. While many view it as being liberating, it is ultimately harmful to the idea of being a lesbian.
If being a lesbian is lessened to simply rebelling against male counterparts that then invalidates the existence of lesbianism as a whole. Within the broader feminist movement, lesbians may sometimes feel excluded or not fully recognized as part of the "women's experience," which falls under the umbrella term of lesbian invisibility.
Lesbian invisibility is the tendency to ignore and therefore devalue lesbian women, their relationships, and their identities. Lesbian identities have been erased throughout history, being validated by the popular term in the media “close friends” or “roommates,” which were often used rather than some form of homosexual identity since they were not accepted to be such. This can often lead to the thoughts of lesbians being invisible to one outside the queer community.
Some feminist perspectives see lesbianism as a radical act of resistance against patriarchal structures, as it challenges the expectation of women to be primarily focused on men. While many view it as being liberating, it is ultimately harmful to the idea of being a lesbian.
If being a lesbian is lessened to simply rebelling against male counterparts that then invalidates the existence of lesbianism as a whole. Within the broader feminist movement, lesbians may sometimes feel excluded or not fully recognized as part of the "women's experience," which falls under the umbrella term of lesbian invisibility.
Lesbian invisibility is the tendency to ignore and therefore devalue lesbian women, their relationships, and their identities. Lesbian identities have been erased throughout history, being validated by the popular term in the media “close friends” or “roommates,” which were often used rather than some form of homosexual identity since they were not accepted to be such. This can often lead to the thoughts of lesbians being invisible to one outside the queer community.
Lesbian identity is not just about sexual attraction, contradictory to the oversexualized nature of relationships between women in the media–which in itself contradicts society's desire to devalue feminine traits to monetary sexual encounters. Lesbian identity instead encompasses a deeper connection with other women, including shared experiences of gendered oppression and a desire to build relationships. Some lesbians may experience internalized homophobia because of the constructed ideals of femininity, leading them to feel pressure to conform to more traditional feminine norms to avoid stigma. Some lesbians may even feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles within their relationships, particularly if one partner is perceived as more "masculine" and the other more "feminine.” This leads to the harmful subject of behaving as if your girlfriend is “your man,” which is present in many lesbian relationships and further harms the relationship between being a lesbian and a woman.
The relationship between womanhood and lesbianism is complex because it involves the diversity of womanhood. The idea is that not all females who identify as women will be mothering, docile, or feminine, which remains an age-old assumption. Societal assumptions about what constitutes a "real woman" can be challenging for lesbians who do not conform to traditional expectations. The idea is that you will never be a woman in a traditional sense if you embrace your identity as a lesbian. The sense that you are only attractive, feminine, or womanly in ways that only other queer people will see.
The relationship between womanhood and lesbianism is complex because it involves the diversity of womanhood. The idea is that not all females who identify as women will be mothering, docile, or feminine, which remains an age-old assumption. Societal assumptions about what constitutes a "real woman" can be challenging for lesbians who do not conform to traditional expectations. The idea is that you will never be a woman in a traditional sense if you embrace your identity as a lesbian. The sense that you are only attractive, feminine, or womanly in ways that only other queer people will see.
Lesbianism expresses the most freeing but ostracizing situation of teenage girlhood. The idea of not living up to expectations and potential set before your own existence. The understanding that no one may ever define what it truly is to be a woman.
