Lavender blue: Issues in lesbian identity development with a focus on an Australian lesbian community

Abstract

Abstract Researchers and theorists confirm lesbians' need for interaction with other lesbian women in order to effect identity acquisition and development. There appears to be, however, an assumption that interaction is a simple process. The research outlined in this study illustrates that this is not always the case. Fourteen women, all self-identified lesbians who “came out” into an Australian lesbian community between 1980 and 1993, were interviewed. Responses show a distinct lack of affirmation for a lesbian identity from within a heterosexual framework, and highlight the discrepancies in theories of identity formation which presume an ease of contact with the visible lesbian community. The women's experiences in accessing the Brisbane lesbian community, and their socialisation into that community, are examined in some detail. Future studies into identity acquisition and development would benefit from consideration of the concerns highlighted in the present research, and may assist women hoping to access a lesbian community for affirmation of a lesbian identity.