It is fair to question, therefore, what constitutes the best definition of a ‘gay man’, a
‘lesbian woman’ or a bisexual or trans person and, further, which definitions are the most
accurate and why this might be so. For lesbians in particular, issues of definition have been
the site of innumerable tensions. Again, the question might be asked, who is the ‘real’
lesbian and how is she most properly defined? The answer, Kitzinger (1987) suggests,
holds the key to the manner in which lesbians’ accounts of their life experiences have
tended to be invalidated, pathologised and ‘subjected to a severe process of selection’
(p.66), the net result being that only a small number of lesbians’ accounts of their
experiences are perceived as valid and reliable in research terms, thus restricting the range
of data available to the researcher. To date, researchers have tended to ‘define lesbianism
in privatised terms as a sexual orientation or type of sexual activity’ (Kitzinger 1987, p.67)
and, as such, the lesbian woman is unambiguously defined by the nature of her bodily,
sexual activity (with another woman). Some lesbian women would not, however, ascribe
to such a narrow conceptualisation. For some women, lesbianism is a personal and
political standpoint that may, or may not, involve intimate relationships with other
women. Moreover, there are those who choose celibacy, but who still identify as lesbian.
It is fair to question, therefore, what constitutes the best definition of a ‘gay man’, a‘lesbian woman’ or a bisexual or trans person and, further, which definitions are the mostaccurate and why this might be so. For lesbians in particular, issues of definition have beenthe site of innumerable tensions. Again, the question might be asked, who is the ‘real’lesbian and how is she most properly defined? The answer, Kitzinger (1987) suggests,holds the key to the manner in which lesbians’ accounts of their life experiences havetended to be invalidated, pathologised and ‘subjected to a severe process of selection’(p.66), the net result being that only a small number of lesbians’ accounts of theirexperiences are perceived as valid and reliable in research terms, thus restricting the rangeof data available to the researcher. To date, researchers have tended to ‘define lesbianismin privatised terms as a sexual orientation or type of sexual activity’ (Kitzinger 1987, p.67)and, as such, the lesbian woman is unambiguously defined by the nature of her bodily,sexual activity (with another woman). Some lesbian women would not, however, ascribeto such a narrow conceptualisation. For some women, lesbianism is a personal andpolitical standpoint that may, or may not, involve intimate relationships with otherwomen. Moreover, there are those who choose celibacy, but who still identify as lesbian.
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