Signs, interpretation and recognition among women attracted to other women in Norway

Abstract

This article focuses on several key issues in the lives of women attracted to other women. How do these women display signs of sexual identity in different social arenas? And how do they understand and recognize signs displayed by other women? Data drawn from extensive conversations with women in therapy as well as follow-up interviews and focus group interviews indicated that women attracted to other women have different concerns and use various procedures for resisting or violating the heterosexual norm. Central to accounts about these procedures and the development of their identities is the notion "gaydar" - a way of recognizing, interpreting and displaying signs of same- sex desire and identity in contexts dominated by heterosexual norms and values. In telling about their lives, these women told of how processes of displaying and interpreting signs helped to develop their own identities through time and in different contexts. Using semiotic and queer theories, this article examines their narratives and shows how women attracted to other women make use of signs in negotiating their sexual identities in a world dominated by heterosexual norms.