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Experiences and dimensions of power: discussions with lesbian women
OUT-LGBT
June, 2006

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Introduction
Lesbian women are often a silent and invisible minority within the broader definition of marginalised sexuality. In addition, they hold the double minority status of being both lesbian and female in a patriarchal society still largely dominated by men.

In the past, white gay male culture has dominated the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in South Africa, a fact that often results in issues unique to lesbian women being lost among those faced by gay men. The gay rights movement in South Africa has long consisted largely of gay men and been divided along class and race lines (Cock, 2003).

To further add to the marginal status of lesbian women, identifiable lesbian iconography has been conspicuous in its absence and the little research that has been conducted among LGBT people has largely excluded lesbian women.

The Equality Clause in the South African Constitution [Section 9(3)] prohibits discrimination against women of all races, genders and sexual orientations and serves to ensure the equality, freedom and human dignity of all South Africans. Yet both anecdotal and research evidence suggests that many lesbian women in South Africa are not empowered or free from discrimination, victimisation and abuse.

Research is one way to monitor whether the positive impact of statutory and policy changes are felt in the everyday lives of gay and lesbian people. Little research has been conducted into LGBT issues in South Africa in the past and the few studies that have been conducted have tended to focus on white, middle class gay men. In response to this a collaboration of South African LGBT organisations and partners known as the Joint Working Group (JWG)¹ , set out to investigate levels of empowerment in a diverse sample of South African gay, lesbian and bisexual individual’s lives. Lesbian women and gay men received equal focus in this research project.

The following research was implemented by OUT LGBT Well-being (referred to as OUT from here on)² .

In the community work conducted by OUT with lesbian women over the past 0 years, the issue of power has often come to the fore. As a result OUT conducted a further small qualitative study to explore lesbian women’s experiences and understandings of power at both an individual and societal level. This report was aimed at documenting lesbian women’s experiences of empowerment in South Africa at a micro and macro level.

The intention of the study was to increase the understanding of power experienced by lesbian women and to raise awareness, and to make overt lesbian women’s experiences that have in the past been kept hidden.

Before discussing the methodology used in this research, it is important to note that issues affecting lesbian women do not occur in a vacuum. Therefore an outline of the South African context is provided which includes an overview of hate crimes and discrimination experienced by lesbian women in South Africa. A brief theoretical overview of power and gender identity then follows.

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1.The JWG is an informal network of LGBT organisations and partners, working at a national level towards a coordinated approach to LGBTI matters. It currently includes these organisations: Behind the Mask, Durban Lesbian & Gay Community and Health Centre, Forum for the Empowerment of Women, Gay and Lesbian Archives, OUT LGBT Well-being, Triangle Project, UNISA Centre for Applied Psychology.

2. OUT works with LGBT health and mental health issues in the greater Tshwane area and is also a member of the JWG.

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