1. Understanding Stereotypes of Lesbians Through the Perspective of Lesbians and Bisexual's Themselves Becca Napelbaum WRTG3020

2. Introduction: Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to help the audience better understand lesbian stereotypes, through the use of a research article.

3. Introduction: Content Introduction to the academic article used Questions asked during the interviews of subjects involving the topics of: Heterosexual women and differences Performing lesbian identities What a lesbian looks like I don’t look like a lesbian Overall conclusion and findings

4. Introduction: Key Terms Lesbian Aterm most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. (wikipedia) Butch lesbian Characterized by stereotypically male traits or appearance. (wikipedia) Femme lesbian A lesbian who exhibits stereotypically feminine traits. (wikipedia)

5. Introduction to Article: Article Used for Presentation “A Certain Swagger When I Walk: Performing Lesbian Identities” Written by Kristin G. Esterberg

6. Introduction to Article: Who is Kristin G. Esterberg? Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of Women’s Studies at the University of Missouri in Kansas City Author of several articles on the social construction of gay and lesbian identities

7. Introduction to Article: Purpose of Study “To discuss the notion that lesbian identities are performative, and that these performances draw on and extend traditional notions of masculinity and femininity.” This is done through the voices and stories of the women interviewed.

8. Introduction to Article: Interviewed Subjects First round: interviewed 25 women, surveyed 79 others All live in a small, politically progressive city on the east coast City is a magnet for lesbian and bisexual women Second round: re-interviewed half of the original subjects, along with an additional 18 women Women are both bisexual and lesbian Early 20’s to late 50’s High level of education

9. Question #1 What are your thoughts about heterosexual women and their differences from lesbians and bisexuals?

10. Question #1: Heterosexual Women and Differences Overview Important: shouldn’t attempt to define homosexuality in reference to heterosexuality. To find out “what is a lesbian”, Esterberg asked the interviewed subjects about the similarities and differences they see between themselves and heterosexual women. Found that many responses wavered Throughout the interview the women constructed and reconstructed a permeable boundary between themselves and heterosexual women

11. Question #1: Heterosexual Women and Differences (No Differences Found) Several women felt that there was no differences between lesbian and heterosexual women. The categories “lesbian” and “heterosexual” contained far too much diversity to compare One women in her late 30’s thought that the comparison was similar to trying to find the difference between man and women  most studies have found more variation within the two than there is between.

12. Question #1: Heterosexual Women and Differences (Differences Found) Others saw differences. The struggle lesbians take part in to define themselves helped define the differences. One women claimed that she recognized the categories, but saw much more individual differences in the people than the categories. When you don’t deal with men as the primary way of functioning in the world, you don’t have that sense of deference to them. Don’t have to act a certain way to keep your job, for example.

13. Question #1: Heterosexual Women and Differences Conclusion All women interviewed insisted on maintaining the complexity of their experiences. For each generalization about heterosexual women, they considered women who did not fit the stereotypes. Many felt that one thing shared by both lesbian and bisexual’s that heterosexuals don’t experience is the feeling of being an outsider.

14. Question #2 What are your thoughts about performing lesbian identities?

15. Question #2: Performing Lesbian Identities Overview Women are performing, essentially, when they are presenting themselves to each other and the world. Through the performance they are constructing and reconstructing their lesbian and bisexual selves. One women “feels the most lesbian” when she “sees a women in a shirt and a tie and a leather jacket, and I go wild. Or the times that I put certain clothes on… makes me feel really butch or really fem.”

16. Question #2: Performing Lesbian Identities Overview Some lesbian’s claim that other lesbians and bisexuals choose to be butch. You can play being butch or actually be butch. Some take being butch too seriously.

17. Question #2: Performing Lesbian Identities Conclusion All women who described how to perform lesbian identities incorporated what they personally understood about how to be butch or fem to define themselves. The audience of who they were presenting their identity to was found to be important. Clothing, the way they walk, talk, etc. changed based on the “audience”.

18. Question #3 How do you think lesbians and bisexuals know what a typical lesbian looks like?

19. Question #3: What A Lesbian Looks Like Overview Visual Cues Interactional Cues Dyke Potential Playing spot the dyke

20. Question #3: What A Lesbian Looks Like (Visual Cues) The interviewed women mentioned the following as ways to spot a lesbian: Certain kinds of outfits lesbians would never wear. Looks that approximates femininity that approximates culturally approved femininity Some lesbians will choose to dress so they don’t look available to men. Don’t flaunt breasts, hips, for example. Could also be as simple as a haircut Jewelry; pinky ring

21. Question #3: What A Lesbian Looks Like (Interactional Cues) How two women walk together How two women interact in other intimate ways Certain kind of eye contact Does she make an effort to talk to me?

22. Question #3: What A Lesbian Looks Like (Dyke Potential) According to the subjects, the following characteristics are those of dykes: Short hair Athletic-looking body Carry themselves assertively and confidently How they walk (their stride) The women say that they can have one, a combination, or all of these to increase a women’s dyke potential.

23. Question #3: What A Lesbian Looks Like (Playing Spot the Dyke) The interviewed women most commonly felt that they often could recognize other lesbians, or at least almost always tell. They did admit that sometimes they were wrong. When they couldn’t tell, they put blame on the change of the community. Includes fashions and ideals of lesbians Important findings: There is a desire to see more lesbians in the world. The sense of being able to recognize other lesbians is connected to a particular coding of lesbian identity.

24. Question #4 Is it common for women to not feel like a true lesbian?

25. Question #4: I Don’t Look Like A Lesbian Overview Common for women to feel like this. Brings feelings of frustration because they feel like they have to fully define themselves as either a lesbian (butch or femme) or heterosexual. Some women enjoy bouncing back and forth. Common struggles that women deal with when don’t obviously look like a lesbian: People can’t tell they are attracted to women, which again, is frustrating.

26. Conclusion: OverallFindings Lesbians signal their social presence to each other and to our society as a whole in many different ways. There isn’t one type of “butch lesbian” or one type of “femme lesbian”, or bisexual. It is important not to miss the context in which lesbian performances occur.