Queering Sexual Development Frameworks: A Dynamic Systems Approach to Conceptualizing Other-sex Sexuality Among Lesbians

• In Event: 1480 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 05. Sexuality, Intersectionality, and Identities

Abstract

Despite the rise in research on the experiences of transgender men (female-to-male) in recent years, little attention has been paid to the partners of these individuals. The experiences of a unique subset of this population, lesbian-identified women whose partners transition from female-to-male, can provide a unique perspective on how individuals negotiate identity, gender roles, and community, in transitioning relationships. As lesbians who find themselves in relationships with men, these women hold the potential to provide insight into the relevance of certain identity categories such as ‘lesbian’, and the way in which certain experiences may cause sexual identity to be questioned, re-negotiated, or seen as increasingly fluid.
Additionally, little academic attention has also been paid to a potentially comparable social phenomenon: women who identify as lesbians and who at some point in their lives engage in relationships with cisgender men. While the manner in which these women end up with men may not mirror the manner in which lesbians whose partners transition from female-to-male end up with men, the similar end result holds potential for providing valuable insight into the negotiation of identities and the social and personal relevance of the lesbian label.
Interviews with women who identify with these two relational situations hold the potential to provide insight into sexual fluidity, situated lesbian identity, and the social and personal value of the lesbian label. By investigating potential similarities and differences between these two situations, I hope to be able to shed light on how new definitions of the category of lesbian are being developed and whether or not ‘lesbian’ as a social category and individual identity is still relevant in society today.

Author

• Kolbe Franklin, State University of New York-Albany