Radical lesbians
Encyclopedia
Two movements of radical lesbians are known. One was the U.S.-based movement of the mid to late 1960s. The other was the Radical lesbian (lesbiennes radicales) movement, or (FLR), which began in France
in 1980 and became organized in 1981 under the name Front des lesbiennes Radicales. An offshoot of the latter movement developed shortly after, in the French-speaking province of Quebec, Canada.
. Radicalesbians
was a group in New York
, N.Y.
's The Straight Mind, Quebec radical lesbian Louise Turcotte explains her views that "Radical lesbians have reached a basic consensus that views heterosexuality
as a political regime which must be overthrown." Turcotte notes that Lesbian Separatists "create a new category" (IE: separation from men and heterosexual culture)" and that the Radical Lesbian movement aims for the "destruction of the existing framework of heterosexuality as a political regime." Turcotte goes on to discuss Adrienne Rich
's landmark essay, Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
, noting that Rich describes heterosexuality as a violent political institution that has to be "imposed, managed, organized, propagandized and maintained by force." Rich sees lesbian existence as an act of resistance to this institution, but also as an individual choice, whereas the principles of Radical Lesbianism see lesbianism as necessary, and consider its existence as necessarily outside of the Heterosexual political sphere of influence.
philosopher, Monique Wittig
," and their philosophic inquiries began through the Paris
-based group, Questions Feministes. Wittig's 1981 essay, titled after Simone de Beauvoir
's observation, One is not Born a Woman posits that Lesbians are not Women; as "what makes a woman is a specific social relation to a man, a relation that we have previously called servitude, a relation which implies personal and physical obligation as well as economic obligation, ... a relation which lesbians escape by refusing to become or to stay heterosexual. Wittig also believed that "lesbianism provides ...the only social form in which (lesbians) can live freely."
In the encyclopedia Who's Who in Lesbian and Gay Writing, editor Gabriele Griffin calls Wittig's writing "part of a larger debate about how heteropatriarchy and women's oppression within it might be resisted."
Lesbian Periodicals in Quebec, Canada, including Amazones D'hier: Lesbiennes D'aujourd'hui, Treize, and L'evidante lesbienne. This was also a period of strength for french-language lesbian presses such as Editions nbj and Oblique Editrices, and lesbian bookstores like Montreal
's L'Essentielle.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1980 and became organized in 1981 under the name Front des lesbiennes Radicales. An offshoot of the latter movement developed shortly after, in the French-speaking province of Quebec, Canada.
U.S.-based 1960s movement
Radical lesbian organizations in the mid to late 1960s in the U.S. were small, well known, and outspoken; among "charismatic" leaders were Rita Mae BrownRita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel Rubyfruit Jungle. Published in 1973, it dealt with lesbian themes in an explicit manner unusual for the time...
. Radicalesbians
Lesbian American history
Lesbian American history addresses the history of lesbians in the United States. Primary resources for lesbian American history are scant.-1600 to 1900:...
was a group in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, N.Y.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Similarities and differences between lesbian separatism and radical lesbianism
The principles of radical lesbianism are similar to those of English-language Lesbian separatism, however, there are some important basic differences. In her preface to Monique WittigMonique Wittig
Monique Wittig was a French author and feminist theorist who wrote about overcoming socially enforced gender roles and who coined the phrase "heterosexual contract". She published her first novel, L'Opoponax, in 1964...
's The Straight Mind, Quebec radical lesbian Louise Turcotte explains her views that "Radical lesbians have reached a basic consensus that views heterosexuality
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
as a political regime which must be overthrown." Turcotte notes that Lesbian Separatists "create a new category" (IE: separation from men and heterosexual culture)" and that the Radical Lesbian movement aims for the "destruction of the existing framework of heterosexuality as a political regime." Turcotte goes on to discuss Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Cecile Rich is an American poet, essayist and feminist. She has been called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century."-Early life:...
's landmark essay, Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
"Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" is a 1980 essay by Adrienne Rich, published in her 1986 book Blood, Bread, and Poetry.-Summary:...
, noting that Rich describes heterosexuality as a violent political institution that has to be "imposed, managed, organized, propagandized and maintained by force." Rich sees lesbian existence as an act of resistance to this institution, but also as an individual choice, whereas the principles of Radical Lesbianism see lesbianism as necessary, and consider its existence as necessarily outside of the Heterosexual political sphere of influence.
Influence of Monique Wittig
The FLR, or Radical lesbians were inspired by the words and writings of FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
philosopher, Monique Wittig
Monique Wittig
Monique Wittig was a French author and feminist theorist who wrote about overcoming socially enforced gender roles and who coined the phrase "heterosexual contract". She published her first novel, L'Opoponax, in 1964...
," and their philosophic inquiries began through the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-based group, Questions Feministes. Wittig's 1981 essay, titled after Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, often shortened to Simone de Beauvoir , was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography in several volumes, and monographs on philosophy, politics, and...
's observation, One is not Born a Woman posits that Lesbians are not Women; as "what makes a woman is a specific social relation to a man, a relation that we have previously called servitude, a relation which implies personal and physical obligation as well as economic obligation, ... a relation which lesbians escape by refusing to become or to stay heterosexual. Wittig also believed that "lesbianism provides ...the only social form in which (lesbians) can live freely."
In the encyclopedia Who's Who in Lesbian and Gay Writing, editor Gabriele Griffin calls Wittig's writing "part of a larger debate about how heteropatriarchy and women's oppression within it might be resisted."
Development of radical lesbian culture in Quebec
The 1980s and 1990s saw the development of a number of FrancophoneFrancophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
Lesbian Periodicals in Quebec, Canada, including Amazones D'hier: Lesbiennes D'aujourd'hui, Treize, and L'evidante lesbienne. This was also a period of strength for french-language lesbian presses such as Editions nbj and Oblique Editrices, and lesbian bookstores like Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's L'Essentielle.