Lesbian invisibility : heterosexism and other influential factors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the various factors that may or may not have been influential in lesbian visibility in the past two decades. The main hypothesis was that heterosexism has been one of the strongest forces implemented by social institutions such as schools, that has made lesbians invisible. Various literature was reviewed and in-depth unstructured interviews were held with eight women who identify themselves as lesbian. Results showed that although heterosexism does indeed affect the visibility of lesbians, various other cultural and personal factors have a similar relevance.