MAKING AND MASKING LESBIAN IDENTITIES

Abstract

This study is interested in the making of lesbian identities --- how lesbians learn to accept themselves as lesbians and how they construct their own world view which in turn reinforces their identities. The objective would not be on how these women came to he attracted to women. Instead, it seeks to discover how these women after having realised that they are "lesbian", "play out" their identities through the naming of self, presenting of self and interaction of self with significant and generalised others. Interaction with generalised others involves the employment of masks. The second theme of this study addresses the importance of masking of lesbian identities. The issue of lesbianism in Singapore is relatively new compared to Western societies. Although recently, a separate study has been done on lesbianism in Singapore, this study attempts to provide a different perspective into the phenomenon.