Putting the Politics Back into Lesbianism

Abstract

This article contrasts lesbianism as a political movement to lesbianism as a lifestyle. It addresses the current emphasis in lesbian circles on “sex as salvation,” and maintains that this emphasis re-sexualizes women and de-politicizes lesbianism. The liberalism of lesbian lifestylism makes the male-power modes of sexuality, such as s & m, butch-femme, and bondage and domination, sexy for women. In the name of tolerance, difference, and lesbian community, many lesbians are dissuaded from making judgments and opposing such acts. Finally, the article describes the values of a lesbian feminism that has principles, politics, and passion. It proposes a context for what lesbian sexuality might look like rooted in lesbian imagination—not lesbian fantasies.