Women, Feminism, and Gay Liberation in France: A Case Study

Lesbian feminism as a political current borrows from two other social movements: gay liberation and feminism. Despite these commonalities, lesbian activism has distanced itself from both movements in order to develop its own theoretical worldview. The purpose of this paper is to dissect lesbian activism in order to shed light on its specific features (its goals, ideas, and postulates, its means and strategies) compared with those of the gay and feminist movements. I argue that lesbian feminism constitutes a hybrid political movement closer to feminism in its critiques of gender roles detrimental to women, while remaining in step with the gay movement in its critiques of heterosexuality/heteronormativity as a regime regulating sexualities. First, I present the theoretical backgrounds surrounding lesbian feminism. Second, I describe one case that arose in France in the 1970s: the formation of the Gouines rouges, a collective of radical lesbian feminists. I conclude with some thoughts on the significance of lesbian feminism in an era in which sexuality seems to be a private choice that no longer justifies political activism.