Introduction to lesbian feminism

Abstract

This is an introduction to a series of writings about lesbian feminism included on UNSWorks. It also briefly discusses my own experiences of and theorising about lesbian feminism in the 1970s and 1980s. The papers are: • Homosexuality: the invisible alternative (1978); • Lesbianism as political practice (1980); • The third Women and Labour conference (1982); • Anti-intellectualism at the lesbian conference (1989); • Theory and its difficulties (1990); • Impressions of the lesbian conference (1991); • Rules, Principles, Policies, Standards and Guidelines: Do We Need Them? (1991); • A Discussion of the problem of horizontal hostility (1993); • Lesbian feminist politics in Sydney: fighting over meaning (1993); • On pornography (1997); and • Lesbian politics (2004—written after the first version of this Introduction).