Showing papers in "Psychology and Sexuality in 2013"
TL;DR: This paper present a critical historical review of psychological research on same-sex desire in the United States, with a focus on the way in which studies reflect three master narratives on the nature and meaning of samesex attraction: a sickness script that dominated the majority of research from the late 1800s to the 1970s; a species script that became popular with the removal of homosexuality as a diagnosable mental illness in 1973 and initiated several new lines of research; and a subject script inspired by scholarly and cultural shifts beginning in the 1990s that challenged the taxonomy of sexual identity.
Abstract: Since early legal, medical and scientific discussions of homosexuality, the discipline of psychology has assumed an instrumental role in both maintaining and challenging cultural and political perspectives on same-sex desire, identity and behaviour. This article presents a critical historical review of psychological research on same-sex desire in the United States, with a focus on the way in which studies reflect three master narratives on the nature and meaning of same-sex attraction: (1) a sickness script that dominated the majority of research from the late 1800s to the 1970s; (2) a species script that became popular with the removal of homosexuality as a diagnosable mental illness in 1973 and initiated several new lines of research; and (3) a subject script inspired by scholarly and cultural shifts beginning in the 1990s that challenged the taxonomy of sexual identity. We conclude with a discussion of the transformative potential of a narrative approach that integrates analysis of historical forces an...
94 citations
TL;DR: This qualitative study canvassed residents’ perceptions of the needs and barriers to the expression of sexuality in long-term care in aged care facilities in two Australian states to find out whether residents saw themselves as sexual beings and with a continuing need and desire to express their sexuality.
Abstract: Objectives: This qualitative study canvassed residents’ perceptions of the needs and barriers to the expression of sexuality in long-term care. Methods: Sixteen residents, including five with dementia, from six aged care facilities in two Australian states were interviewed. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method. Results: Four categories describe residents’ views about sexuality, their needs and barriers to its expression: ‘It still matters’; ‘Reminiscence and resignation’, ‘It’s personal’, and ‘It’s an unconducive environment’. Discussion: Residents, including those with dementia, saw themselves as sexual beings and with a continuing need and desire to express their sexuality. The manner in which it was expressed varied. Many barriers to sexual expression were noted, including negative attitudes of staff, lack of privacy and limited opportunities for the establishment of new relationships or the continuation of old ones. Interviewees agreed that how a resident expressed their sexuality wa...
75 citations
TL;DR: The data suggest that it cannot be assumed that those reporting no sexual attraction are sexually inexperienced or without intimate relationships, and recognise the possibility of social desirability bias, but suggest that its effect is not easily predicted regarding absence of sexual attraction.
Abstract: There is little evidence about the prevalence of absence of sexual attraction, or the characteristics of people reporting this, often labelled asexuals. We examine this using data from two probability surveys of the British general population, conducted in 1990–1991 and 2000–2001. Interviewers administered face-to-face and self-completion questionnaires to people aged 16–44 years (N = 13,765 in 1990–1991; N = 12,110 in 2000–2001). The proportion that had never experienced sexual attraction was 0.4% (95% CI: 0.3–0.5%) in 2000–2001, with no significant variation by gender or age, versus 0.9% (95% CI: 0.7–1.1%) in 1990–1991; p < 0.0001. Among these 79 respondents in 2000–2001, 28 (40.3% men; 33.9% women) had had sex, 19 (33.5% men; 20.9% women) had child(ren), and 17 (30.1% men; 19.2% women) were married. Three-quarters of asexual men and two-thirds of asexual women considered their frequency of sex ‘about right’, while 24.7% and 19.4%, respectively, ‘always enjoyed having sex’. As well as providing evidence...
64 citations
TL;DR: There were significant differences among groups on several measures, including depression, anxiety, psychoticism, suicidality and interpersonal problems, and this study provided evidence that asexuality may be associated with higher prevalence of mental health and interpersonal issues.
Abstract: Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything, and preliminary evidence suggests that it may best be defined as a sexual orientation. As asexual individuals may face the same social stigma experienced by gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, it follows that asexual individuals may experience higher rates of psychiatric disturbance that have been observed among these non-heterosexual individuals. This study explored mental health correlates and interpersonal functioning and compared asexual, non-heterosexual and heterosexual individuals on these aspects of mental health. Analyses were limited to Caucasian participants only. There were significant differences among groups on several measures, including depression, anxiety, psychoticism, suicidality and interpersonal problems, and this study provided evidence that asexuality may be associated with higher prevalence of mental health and interpersonal problems. Clinical implications are indicated, in that asexual individuals sho...
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a convenience sample of 284 self-identified polyamorous and mono-amorous men and women were compared on various psychometrically sound indices of relationship well-being (e.g. intimacy and trust) as well as sociosexuality.
Abstract: A convenience sample of 284 self-identified polyamorous and monoamorous men and women were compared on various psychometrically sound indices of relationship well-being (e.g. intimacy and trust) as well as sociosexuality. Results indicated that both polyamorous men and women evidenced greater levels of intimacy in comparison to their monoamorous counterparts. Polyamorous men also reported stronger attitudinal and behavioural sociosexuality (i.e. more favourable attitudes towards uncommitted/casual sexual activity and a greater number of casual sexual partners). These differences remained statistically significant, even when controlling for socio-demographic variables such as age, income, educational attainment and sexual orientation.
57 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored how lesbian and bisexual women negotiate pressures to look like an authentic lesbian and an authentic individual in their accounts of their clothing and appearance practices, and found that women negotiate this dilemma either by presenting their conformity as active and strategic, a means to an end (subverting normative assumptions of heterosexuality, being recognised by other non-heterosexual women) or as an almost unconscious expression of their inner dyke.
Abstract: This article explores how lesbian and bisexual women negotiate pressures to look like an authentic lesbian and an authentic individual in their accounts of their clothing and appearance practices. Thirty women responded to a ‘paper-and-pen’ qualitative survey about lesbian and bisexual women's dress and appearance. Two main themes were generated from the data: ‘norms and conformity’ and ‘freedom and authenticity’. Conformity to appearance mandates raised questions about individual authenticity; the women negotiated this dilemma either by presenting their conformity as active and strategic, a means to an end (subverting normative assumptions of heterosexuality, being recognised by other non-heterosexual women) or as an almost unconscious expression of their inner dyke. For feminine and other non-conforming women, their lack of conformity raised questions about their authenticity as a non-heterosexual woman (and their feminist credentials), and some of these women negotiated this dilemma by presenting their...
52 citations
TL;DR: The authors considers the Fifty Shades trilogy from a "sex-critical" perspective and concludes that both the trilogy and kinkphobic mainstream responses to it collude in rendering invisible the ethically and politically problematic aspects of heteronormative courtship narratives ending in marriage and reproduction by othering and scapegoating non-normative practices such as those included under the BDSM umbrella.
Abstract: This article considers the recent publishing phenomenon, E.L. James's Fifty Shades trilogy, from what may be termed a ‘sex-critical’ perspective. That is, it evaluates, without endorsing, the differing responses to the trilogy issuing from both sex-positive and radical feminist perspectives. Further, it subjects to equal scrutiny the ways in which the trilogy and discourses about it represent both BDSM practices and the rituals of ‘vanilla’ heterosexual romance/marriage. It concludes that both the trilogy and kinkphobic mainstream responses to it collude in rendering invisible the ethically and politically problematic aspects of heteronormative courtship narratives ending in marriage and reproduction by othering and scapegoating non-normative practices such as those included under the BDSM umbrella.
51 citations
TL;DR: The authors argued that the discursive formation of a new asexual identity takes place through a process of objectification and subjectification/subjection at the interface between expert disciplines and activism, and that identity is constitutive of subjects that are particularly suitable for self-regulation within the parameters of (neo)liberal citizenship.
Abstract: This article draws attention to the constitutive mechanisms of asexual identity. It identifies a shift in expert discourse: a move away from pathology towards recognition of asexual identity. While this discursive shift, propelled by recent research in psychology and sexology, could pave the way for the inclusion of asexuals in public culture, it also reaffirms dominant terms and formations pertaining to sexuality and intimacy. The article argues that the discursive formation of a new asexual identity takes place through a process of objectification and subjectification/subjection at the interface between expert disciplines and activism. The recognition of identity is constitutive of subjects that are particularly suitable for self-regulation within the parameters of (neo)liberal citizenship. Yet, at the same time, the discursive shift also makes room for critical intervention akin to queer critique of naturalised gender and sexuality norms. The recognition of asexual identity could serve to destabilise t...
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of 766 therapists in the United States to assess therapists' attitudes towards the BDSM community was conducted and found that only 48% perceived themselves to be competent in this area.
Abstract: Participants in alternative or ‘kinky’ sexual behaviours are a sizable enough minority that psychotherapists are likely to see them in their practices. However, those who engage in bondage and discipline (BD), dominance and submission (DS) and sadism and masochism (SM) (BDSM) are concerned that mental health-care providers will view BDSM as evidence of psychopathology. This research employed an Internet-based survey of 766 therapists in the United States to assess therapists’ attitudes towards the BDSM community. Seventy-six per cent of the sample reported having treated at least one client who engaged in BDSM, although only 48% perceived themselves to be competent in this area. Attitudes towards BDSM were related to socio-demographic variables and self-perceived competence.
47 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship and differences between asexuality and HSDD by examining the histories of each, the conceptual sources that each has primarily drawn on (various clinical/medical traditions vs. LGBT discourses and reactions against dominant beliefs about sexuality that asexuals find incongruent with their experiences), and examined how each functions in the primary contexts where they are used.
Abstract: Since around 2000, asexuality – conceptualised as a sexual orientation – has begun to emerge as an identity and a movement. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), which emerged in the late 1970s with the rise of sex therapy and is currently listed in the DSM, has gained increasing attention – promotion and a backlash of criticism – with the increased influence of the pharmaceutical industry in sex research. The relationship of these categories has often been noted but largely unexplored, and when explored, authors have tended to focus only on how much they do or do not overlap. This article examines the relationships and differences between asexuality and HSDD by examining the histories of each, the conceptual sources that each has primarily drawn on (various clinical/medical traditions vs. LGBT discourses and reactions against dominant beliefs about sexuality that asexuals find incongruent with their experiences); it examines how each functions in the primary contexts where they are used (asexual spac...
45 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how people account for orgasmic absence during heterosex using a story completion method, and demonstrate how gendered discourses of sexuality coalesce to produce an orgasmic imperative that men and women must elicit or deliver an orgasm to another.
Abstract: Orgasms are central to academic and lay debates about sexual ‘normality’ and ‘dysfunction’ and are culturally constructed as the peak of heterosexual sex (Potts, 2000). Conversely, sexual interaction without orgasm is positioned as ‘only foreplay’, a failure or dysfunctional. Examining how people account for orgasmic absence during heterosex using a story completion method, this article addresses three key themes: (1) ‘reciprocity, blame and the orgasmic imperative’, which places obligations on both men and women to elicit or deliver an orgasm to another; (2) ‘sex work, technique and the orgasmic imperative’, which indicates the growth of a ‘performance imperative’ in which both men and women must work to improve their sexual skills and (3) ‘honesty and dishonesty in sexual communication’ in which open communication is positioned as difficult but key to solving sexual difficulties. Collectively, these themes demonstrate how gendered discourses of sexuality coalesce to produce an orgasmic imperative that p...
TL;DR: For instance, this article found that while many of the ways in which participants discursively constituted their eating disorders were similar to those identified in research with girls and women assumed to be heterosexual, there were also important differences where participants' actual or emerging lesbian subjectivities were integral to their accounts of developing, living with and recovering from "anorexia" and/or "bulimia".
Abstract: There is now a considerable body of research exploring how culturally dominant gendered norms are implicated in mobilising girls' and women's ‘anorexic’ and ‘bulimic’ experiences and practices. However, much less is known about lesbian experiences of ‘eating disorders’. This article explores some of those specificities. Drawing on interviews with self-identified lesbian women with a history of ‘anorexia’ and/or ‘bulimia’, our analysis suggests that while many of the ways in which participants discursively constituted their ‘eating disorders’ were similar to those identified in research with girls and women assumed to be heterosexual, there were also important differences where participants' actual or emerging lesbian subjectivities were integral to their accounts of developing, living with and recovering from ‘anorexia’ and/or ‘bulimia’. Our analysis suggests that the processes of coming to recognise oneself as a lesbian and of ‘coming out’ to others in predominantly hetero-normative contexts may be profo...
TL;DR: In this article, Ela Przybylo reflects on prevailing trends within asexuality studies, suggesting that consistent features are emerging within an otherwise diverse interdisciplinary field, and suggests that consistent feature is emerging within a sexuality field.
Abstract: In this short afterword, Ela Przybylo reflects on prevailing trends within asexuality studies, suggesting that consistent features are emerging within an otherwise diverse interdisciplinary field. ...
TL;DR: In this paper, a short qualitative survey, which contained questions about the "typical appearance" of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and heterosexual people, was completed by 36 university students.
Abstract: This research aimed to explore (predominantly heterosexual) students’ perceptions of sexuality and appearance. A short qualitative survey, which contained questions about the ‘typical appearance’ of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and heterosexual people, was completed by 36 university students. Previous research on dress and appearance in relation to sexuality has mainly focused on lesbian, gay or ‘queer’ individuals and communities. Minimal research has considered whether heterosexual people recognise non-heterosexuality through the dress and appearance of lesbians, gay men and bisexual people, and it would seem that previous studies have not explicitly considered the notion that heterosexuality might also be recognisable through appearance. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that while students were able to provide appearance norms for lesbians and gay men (which conformed to those identified in previous research), they were also reluctant to give credence to (what they perceive...
TL;DR: The authors examined experiential accounts of young women's embodied experiences in everyday life, using a narrative and visual approach, and argued that theories of subjectivity cannot afford to disregard embodied existence as a grounding for subjectivity, and that conceptualisations of gender, sexuality and agency should incorporate theories of embodiment.
Abstract: This article examines experiential accounts of young women's embodied experiences in everyday life, using a narrative and visual approach. The life history interview was aided by the use of photographs as a means to access specific memories of embodied experiences, rather than generic accounts of ‘the body’. In so doing, young women constructed two versions of embodied experiences: ‘the female body as surface’; and ‘being an embodied self through movement’. The data suggest that these young women live through a set of contradictions, in which an embodied sense of self and agency is either denied through the treatment of their bodies as a surface through a heteronormative male gaze, or more fully realised through non-sexualised physical movement. Based on the analysis, we argue that theories of subjectivity cannot afford to disregard embodied existence as a grounding for subjectivity, and that conceptualisations of gender, sexuality and agency should incorporate theories of embodiment.
TL;DR: In the last decade, a growing number of individuals, self-identifying as asexual, have come together to form asexual communities as discussed by the authors, and according to the largest asexual community, an asexual individual m...
Abstract: In the last decade, a growing number of individuals, self-identifying as asexual, have come together to form asexual communities. According to the largest asexual community, an asexual individual m...
TL;DR: The relation between the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals (DSMs) and asexuality is likely to constitute a prolific direction in research, especially because of the diagnostic category "hypoactive sexual desire disorder" (HSDD) as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The relation between the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals (DSMs) and asexuality is likely to constitute a prolific direction in research, especially because of the diagnostic category ‘hypoactive sexual desire disorder’ (HSDD). This article investigates the concept of sexual desire as outlined by psychiatry and explores the ways in which asexuality disrupts that knowledge. By extension, I consider the model of sexuality that the DSM vehiculates. The manuals themselves provide no measures, no scales, and no defined norms, yet, simultaneously, assume a normative sexuality against which all others can be measured and classified. This article discusses the conceptualisation of ‘sexual dysfunctions’ in the DSM, of which HSDD is a part, and questions how it operates in clinical research into asexuality. I also pay attention to the clause of ‘personal distress’ in HSDD, since it appears to be one of the main differences between HSDD and asexuality. HSDD, asexuality, and...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the relationship between dyadic and solitary sexual desires and a series of biological, psychological and cultural variables, including sex, age, intimate and exploratory fantasies and sexual assertiveness.
Abstract: It is currently understood that sexual desire in human beings is determined by intrapsychic, interpersonal, social and cultural factors. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between dyadic and solitary sexual desires and a series of biological, psychological and cultural variables. A total of 195 men and 290 women, from Spain, with ages ranging from 18 to 81 years responded to the Sexual Desire Inventory, Sexual Opinion Survey, Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Inventario de Depresion Estado-Rasgo (Spanish adaptation of the State-Trait Depression Questionnaire) and Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire. Results show that sex, age, intimate and exploratory fantasies and sexual assertiveness predict dyadic desire, whereas solitary sexual desire is predicted by sex, exploratory and impersonal fantasies and sexual assertiveness. These results support the multidimensional nature of sexual desire and represent a step forward compared with the pur...
TL;DR: In the area of gender and sexuality for the past decade I have noticed a significant shift away from polarisation as mentioned in this paper, and over the past few years it seems to me that there has been a move towards...
Abstract: Working in the area of gender and sexuality for the past decade I have noticed a significant shift away from polarisation. Over the past few years it seems to me that there has been a move towards ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the ways gay men living with HIV talk about their identities in relationship to ideas concerning essentialism in the broader context of biomedicalisation, and discuss the concept of essentialism within the wider transformation, or the normalisation, of both male homosexuality and HIV.
Abstract: This article explores the ways gay men living with HIV talk about their identities in relationship to ideas concerning essentialism in the broader context of biomedicalisation. Data were collected from 36 HIV-positive gay men between 2001 and 2005 from two studies. All interview material was initially collected and analysed using broadly speaking thematic analysis. Identity-oriented themes were then further explored with a critical lens examining resonances with essentialism. We detail three related themes: ‘the intersections of homosexuality, HIV and the biomedical’; ‘being HIV: ontological crisis and obstinate essentialism’; and ‘identity and treating HIV’. These outline the ways in which both HIV- and gay identities are often interwoven (utilising shared narratives and concepts), embraced and/or resisted. We discuss the concept of essentialism within the wider transformation, or the ‘normalisation’, of both male homosexuality and HIV and draw attention to the salience of biomedicalisation and concomita...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored whether there is a relationship between lesbian and bisexual women's experiences of sexuality-based discrimination and their satisfaction with the way that they look, and found that discrimination is negatively related to appearance satisfaction for lesbian women, but not for bisexual women.
Abstract: Lesbian and bisexual women frequently experience sexuality-based discrimination, which is often based on others' judgements about their appearance. This short article aims to explore whether there is a relationship between lesbian and bisexual women's experiences of sexuality-based discrimination and their satisfaction with the way that they look. Findings from an online survey suggest that discrimination is negatively related to appearance satisfaction for lesbian women, but not for bisexual women. It is argued that this difference exists because lesbian appearance norms are more recognisable and distinctive than bisexual women's appearance norms.
TL;DR: In this paper, three variables related to gay men's body image are examined as possible predictors of social physique anxiety: drive for muscularity, internalised homophobia and a new variable, sexual position identity.
Abstract: Using a sociological framework, three variables related to gay men’s body image are examined as possible predictors of social physique anxiety: drive for muscularity, internalised homophobia and a new variable, sexual position identity. Internet survey methodology was used to collect usable data from 542 gay men, with a mean age of 33 years. They were mostly White, college educated and lived in the United States. Findings from a regression analysis indicated that social physique anxiety was predicted by internalised homophobia, drive for muscularity and sexual position identity, accounting for 22% of the variance. Future research and limitations are discussed.
TL;DR: The most vulnerable within the LGB youth population in the mid-west region of Ireland are those who are isolated from LGB-specific support particularly in rural areas, whose work environment or local community is not LGB friendly and those still unsure of their sexual identity.
Abstract: Background. Vulnerability has a significant impact on health and well-being. Due to external stressors of lack of support, victimisation and minority stress, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people are at risk of adverse health consequences. This research explored experiences of the LGB youth population (aged 13–25 years) in the mid-west region of Ireland. Methods. A mixed method approach was adopted for this research. An anonymous online survey (n = 167) was conducted followed by 3 focus groups (n = 13) and 10 interviews. Results. Results indicate the most vulnerable within this population are those who are isolated from LGB-specific support particularly in rural areas, whose work environment or local community is not LGB friendly and those still unsure of their sexual identity. The most vulnerable are currently not availing of potentially supportive services. Conclusion. In terms of public health, there is need to support the development of healthy and inclusive LGB-friendly environments in communi...
TL;DR: In this paper, contributors to this thematic issue were requested to answer six questions related to asexuality as a phenomenon and also the research therein, and all responses received were collated into a virtual discussion with the hope of spawning new ideas and also identifying any gaps in the current research and general knowledge.
Abstract: Contributors to this thematic issue were requested to answer six questions related to asexuality as a phenomenon and also the research therein. All responses received were collated into a ‘virtual discussion’ with the hope of spawning new ideas and also identifying any gaps in the current research and general knowledge regarding asexuality.
TL;DR: The importance of appearance and embodiment, and (in)visibility in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities was discussed in this paper. But, the focus was on the appearance and not the content of the person.
Abstract: Popular terms such as ‘gaydar’, ‘passing’, ‘straight-acting’ and ‘closeted’ signal the importance of appearance and embodiment, and (in)visibility in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities. Co...
TL;DR: The Ashgate Queer Interventions volume Queer in Europe (Downing & Gillett, 2011) as mentioned in this paper is a good example of such a book, with its programmatic insistence on "Centra...
Abstract: As editors of the Ashgate ‘Queer Interventions’ volume Queer in Europe (Downing & Gillett, 2011), we were excited to learn of the existence of this book. With its programmatic insistence on ‘Centra...
TL;DR: The closet has become a marker for the histories, strategies and identities that have formed around gay, lesbian and queer history, theory and culture as mentioned in this paper. But it also acts as a catalyst for debates in aca...
Abstract: The closet has become a marker for the histories, strategies and identities that have formed around gay, lesbian and queer history, theory and culture. It also acts as a catalyst for debates in aca...
TL;DR: This paper proposed a secondary analysis of a large pre-existing data set to investigate the prevalence of asexuality in the US population, and found that a large percentage of the individuals identified as asexual are male.
Abstract: Much of the contemporary literature on asexuality began with Antony Bogaert. His 2002 paper offered a secondary analysis of a large pre-existing data set to investigate the prevalence of asexuality...
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Hayfield et al. as discussed by the authors explored the relationship between appearance satisfaction and discrimination among lesbians and bisexual women and found that there was no such relationship between appearances and discrimination for bisexual women (and bisexual women reported experiencing significantly less discrimination than lesbian women).
Abstract: The three papers in this special feature all make important contributions to the psychology of LGB appearance and embodiment and extend and develop the existing literature in exciting ways. First, Caroline Huxley contributes to the literature on sexuality and body image by exploring the relationship between appearance satisfaction and sexuality-based discrimination (which, Huxley argues, is often based on the visual recognition of sexuality) among lesbian and bisexual women. Huxley shows that lesbian women were more likely to report experiences of discrimination the less satisfied they were with their appearance; there was no such relationship between appearance satisfaction and discrimination for bisexual women (and bisexual women reported experiencing significantly less discrimination than lesbian women). Huxley speculates that bisexual women are less vulnerable to discrimination because there are less visual cues associated with bisexuality and consequently bisexuality is less easy to detect than lesbianism.
Nikki Hayfield returns to the earliest strand of LGB appearance psychology – heterosexuals’ perceptions of lesbian and gay appearance – and provides a qualitative exploration of (predominantly heterosexual) university students’ perceptions of the ‘typical’ appearance of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and heterosexuals. She shows that although the participants identified appearance norms for lesbians and gay men they presented these as stereotypes of lesbian and gay appearance rather than as accurate reflections of how real lesbians and gay men appear. Furthermore, in reporting that the participants struggled to identify appearance norms for bisexual people, Hayfield provides important empirical evidence of the socio-cultural invisibility of bisexuality.
Finally, Victoria Clarke and Katherine Spence contribute to the small but growing body of research on appearance and clothing practices by exploring lesbian and bisexual women’s accounts of their appearance practices and in particular the ways in which the women discursively negotiated a dilemma of authenticity. Clarke and Spence argue that lesbian and bisexual women are compelled to negotiate the dual demands of sub-cultural authenticity (looking like an authentic non-heterosexual) and individual authenticity (looking like an authentic individual). They found that their participants deployed various discursive resources for negotiating this dilemma from an essentialist butch discourse to challenging the link between lesbianism and masculinity by arguing that any woman (with any style) can be a lesbian.
As the brief overview of existing appearance psychology has shown most research is based on a binary (homosexual/heterosexual) model of sexuality, and the exclusion of bisexuality. By contrast, the papers in this Special Feature are all inclusive of bisexuality. Although appearance research is often dismissed as trivial and fashion is typically viewed as a site of oppression, it is hoped that this Special Feature will convince readers of the importance of appearance in the lives of LGB individuals and communities and the need for further (inclusive) research on LGB appearance and embodiment.