In the fight against patriarchy, is political lesbianism the answer? More and more women are choosing militant homosexuality to rethink their place in society and decenter men from their daily lives. While the movement is not new, it is experiencing a resurgence in the wake of #MeToo and women’s resistance to the sexist and sexual violence they face. “The questioning of heterosexuality as a political regime has been on the rise in recent years. Women, including heterosexuals, are interested in the issue because they are tired of dealing with men and are exploring alternatives,” says feminist activist and author Louise Morel, who wrote the book “How to Become a Lesbian in Ten Steps,” published in 2022.
Books on this topic are proliferating, such as “The Lesbian Genius” by Alice Coffin (2020), “Exiting Heterosexuality” by Juliet Drouar (2021), and “Le Cœur sur la Table” by Victoire Tuaillon (2021). On social media, discussions on this subject are increasing, and many women are now making the leap. “When I discovered the concept a year ago, I found that it suited me perfectly,” reveals Avril, 23, who has been in a relationship with a woman for four years. “I define myself as pansexual, but I do not want relationships with men, so political lesbianism is for me.”
While the political lesbianism movement gains momentum with women today, its roots date back to the 1970s within feminist circles, originally appearing in the United States. It aimed to escape heterosexuality to combat patriarchy as a political system. The movement questions whether being in a heterosexual relationship reinforces this system, given that gender relations favor men and societal constructions lead to sexist behavior.
The concept of political lesbianism, theorized by activist and lesbian author Monique Wittig in “The Straight Mind” (1992) in France, marked the second wave of feminism. For advocates of the movement, fighting at their own level involves concrete and daily rejection of relationships with men. Ti-Grace Atkinson summed up the concept in the famous words, “Feminism is theory; lesbianism is practice.”
Stay tuned for Part 2…
