Lesbian and Gay Identity

‘Identity’ is itself not a particularly clear concept. It has many different meanings, but basically it is to do with who or what a person thinks he or she is – a ‘sense of self’ – self-identity. Identity is ‘a socially constructed myth about shared characteristics, culture and history which comes to have real meaning for those who espouse it’ (Altman, 2001, p. 86). This is constructed by reference to the outside world: an individual distinguishes the factors which make him or her ‘the same’ as others and which differentiate him or her from others. Identity gives a feeling of ‘belonging’ to a particular community and of ‘not belonging’ to others. Even if individuals resist categorization, others will impose it on them. There are many reference points, including ethnicity, sex, class, religion and age for identity formation, of which sexual orientation is but one. The idea that it might be an issue in identity or even a key element of identity is a relatively recent one – from the late 1960s, as a central one around which people constructed their lives – and largely in the Western world (Altman, 1997).

Same-sex desire can now be a central and defining component of identity for some (Robinson, 2002). None the less, sexuality is but one aspect of a person’s identity and, as a consequence, there will be no one ‘gay identity’: homosexuals do not share a common core of experiences, interests and way of life (Richardson and Seidman, 2002).

The identity of ‘homosexual’ has been supplanted since the mid-20th century by that of being ‘gay’. There is no commonly accepted definition of the word or agreement about its origin as applied to homosexuals. (It has been used as a coded sexual reference since the 19th century, at least, and as a coded reference to homosexuals since at least the 1920s. The view that it is an acronym for ‘good as you’ has little foundation.) It is sometimes used to cover both male and female homosexuals (as in ‘gay men and women’), though it is more frequently applied to men only, with women being referred to as lesbians. ‘Gay’ and ‘lesbian’ are now more widely used than ‘homosexual’ in everyday usage, in the media and in academic studies. When the term ‘gay’ is used alone it is not always clear what the intended meaning is, though it would often appear to be used in its inclusive male and female sense. The term gay appears to have gained widespread usage because of its more positive resonance compared with previously commonly used, pejorative terms for men such as faggot, poof, pansy and nancy-boy, or dyke for women. Gay is also commonly used to refer to men who not only have a same-sex sexual preference, but are also ‘open’ about it and have a lifestyle built primarily around that sexuality. The fluidity of social constructivism has a counterpart in ‘queer theory’. Although the word ‘queer’ has long been applied to gays and lesbians, often in a derogatory sense, queer theory is not confined to gay and lesbian identities. It is based on the idea that identities are not fixed but are a ‘performance’ – actions produce sexual identity. Identity is performative, it is what a person chooses to do rather being ‘a given’ (Butler, 1990); it is produced through behaviour that projects a particular identity. Queer theory acknowledges that a person’s (sexual) identity is not fixed and no individual can be categorized. There is a wide range of choices which are open to people. Rather than a simplistic, heterosexual–homosexual binary divide which envisages heterosexuality as the norm and homosexuality as marginal, sexuality is envisaged as a continuum. Sexuality is fluid and there is a multiplicity of sexualities which may apply to any one person at any particular time and circumstance. Inevitably, individuals are ‘forced’ by convention, when seeking an identity, to fit themselves into one of the generally recognized categories when, in reality, sexuality is a much more fluid, diverse and imprecise concept (Horowitz and Newcomb, 2001). Many will find comfort and stability in an identity, a concept which is inclusive through identifying commonality between people. It can, though, be coercive and exclusionary for those who cannot readily identify with a specified identity (Plummer, 1992; Connell, 1995; Esterberg, 1997). The term ‘queer’ has, incidentally, been reclaimed by some gays and lesbians as a term of pride. The term features as a strapline in advertisements promoting Vienna to the gay and lesbian tourist market.

A number of studies have confirmed the imprecise and personal nature of identity. In one, women identified as lesbian despite having relationships with men or having had no sexual experience with other women; others identified as heterosexual, despite having had sexual experiences with women (Golden, 1994): sexual encounters had been removed from the heart of sexual identity. Women who identified as lesbians in another study did so on differing bases, such as sexual relations or emotional relations, or friendships and social relationships (Esterberg, 1997). For some, the self-identification derived from feminism and the desire to disrupt gender expectations, to challenge patriarchal society and to demonstrate the ability to choose their relationships. Some feminist lesbianism was associated with anti-capitalism and a stand against the subordination of women to men (Esterberg, 1997).