Lesbian social workers have been acutely aware of the inadequacies of the social work response to lesbian client needs. At a time when we are experiencing unprecedented gains in civil rights, we are also experiencing increased violence and renewed social and political oppression. Feminist research must start from the experiences of the researcher. As a lesbian feminist researcher, the concern of lesbian social workers' experiences in the workplace was sought. The present qualitative study examines the experiences of five lesbian social workers, all over forty-five years of age, primarily in middle management positions in the health field. Within a focus group, the participants discussed a variety of personal experiences within self-defined 'gay-positive' work environments. Content analysis was used to extrapolate themes. Visible lesbian and gay co-workers and especially supervisors created a 'gay-positive' work environment, however participants felt being an 'out' lesbian was compromised by a number of factors. These included internalized homophobia, institutional discrimination, feminist principles denied within a hierarchy, as well as self-censorship due to reactions from other employees. Homophobic expression increased when heterosexual representation decreased. Possibly due to their managerial status, and/or internalized homophobia, some ambivalence about being 'out' in their work environment also became evident. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for policy and practice in order to address homophobia and provide nondiscriminatory ethical practice in the profession of social work.

In this thesis I address the proliferation of representations of lesbians in North American mainstream media in the early to mid-1990s. Through a focus on a specific object/subject, Martina Navratilova, I investigate the discourse of progressiveness which accompanies this proliferation. As well, I argue that the shift in the way lesbians are being represented is indicative of a new cultural approach to lesbian sexual difference. This approach, "a homosexuality of no importance" (D. A. Miller), is a strategy of partaking of, and enjoying, lesbian difference while at the same time denying its importance and relevance. My theoretical analysis is conducted within the terrain of lesbian/feminist and "queer" theories of gender and sexual identity, lesbian feminist writings on visibility and representation, and recent Marxist and feminist writings on women in sport. A discussion of the conditions, or terms, of lesbian visibility in mainstream media is key to my analysis.

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This dissertation explores queer identity construction using theories of gender fluidity and performance. The research suggests that binary structures such as masculine/feminine, male/female, and heterosexual/homosexual, restrict the expansion of queer gender identities. A deconstructive theoretical framework based predominantly on the philosophy of Judith Butler is applied to a selection of contemporary lesbian novels. The textual analysis of lesbian, transgender and transsexual characters focuses on the ways in which binary structures are challenged by the multiplicity of gender expressions depicted within a variety of sociopolitical contexts. The reality of gender-based violence is investigated as a significant consequence of hegemonic power structures. The charge against butch/femme identity as imitative of heterosexual norms is challenged by demonstrating how such a category functions as a parodic subversion of heteronormative ideals. Female masculinity is also presented as a powerful identity category that inverts expectations of dominant masculinity, while allowing for an interrogation of the connection between sex and gender. From the arguments presented in this dissertation, what emerges very clearly is that queer gender identities empower the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex) community when identity is freed from the constraints of heteronormative discourse.

This thesis presents the findings of a qualitative research study exploring lesbian and gay affirmative psychotherapy. The participants comprised two sets of people. The first are lesbian and gay male clients, the second are lesbian, gay male and heterosexual female therapists. These therapists are accredited Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, Registered Psychotherapists and Accredited Counsellors and identify as lesbian and gay affirmative -practitioners. The study explored accounts of lesbian and gay affirmative psychotherapy to see in which ways it is qualitatively different from other forms of therapy with a view to theorising the process of lesbian and gay affirmative psychotherapy. In-depth interviews were conducted and a grounded theory methodology was undertaken. This is discussed in terms of method and epistemology. The findings are represented in diagrammatic and text forms and I outline process models of lesbian and -gay affirmative therapy. While some of the findings have suggested that lesbian and gay affirmative therapeutic practice might be characterised by particular stances or practices, many of the findings can be incorporated'into a range of psychotherapeutic perspectives. Knowledge, training and contextual factors are discussed.

This thesis comprises part of a parallel study currently being undertaken with a gay male researcher. It investigates the secondary school experiences of lesbian and gay youth and the ways in which these experiences affected young lesbians coming to terms with their emerging lesbian identities. Using qualitative research methodology, two semi-structured interviews were conducted across two urban sites with ten young lesbian women between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five. Various feminist theories and contemporary adolescent developmental theories were drawn on to provide a context within which the participants' experiences could be situated. The research revealed that with one notable exception. Secondary schools do little to support young women who do not conform to the heterosexual norm. As a result the participants felt marginalised and excluded both within the school curriculum and from their peers and teachers. Many felt compelled to suppress their sexual identity. The strategies that they used to do this and their negative effects are then described. Finally I draw upon previous studies and the participants' suggestions to suggest ways in which schools could change to meet the needs of lesbian students more fully.

Homophobic attitudes pervade our society and specifically our justice system, which negatively impact legal protection for lesbian victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Juror stereotypes about IPV victims and perpetrators as well as their biases based on sexual orientation may be a hindrance to IPV cases being reported and successfully prosecuted. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the impact that mock jurors’ attitudes toward homosexuals and gender roles, and their acceptance of myths about domestic violence had on their perceptions of lesbian IPV. Heterosexual undergraduate students (N = 259) read a trial summary in which the defendant was charged with physically assaulting her same-sex partner. The trial varied as to whether the victim and defendant were depicted via images as feminine or masculine and thus were either stereotypical or counter-stereotypical. Participants rendered verdicts and made judgments about the victim and defendant (e.g., credibility, sympathy). Results indicated that a masculine victim indirectly increased the likelihood of rendering guilty verdicts by increasing anger toward the defendant. Participants with negative attitudes toward lesbians rated the defendant as low in credibility, and when the victim was masculine, these participants had more anger toward the defendant than participants with more positive attitudes. Participants high on hostile sexism (i.e., attitudes that justify male power) or domestic violence myth acceptance (i.e., endorsement of false beliefs that justify physical aggression against intimate partners) minimized the seriousness of the incident, which decreased the likelihood of rendering guilty verdicts. Participants low in benevolent sexism (i.e., feelings of protectiveness toward women that support traditional gender roles) rated the incident as lower in seriousness and had less anger toward the defendant for a feminine victim paired with a masculine defendant. Participants high in benevolent sexism rated the incident as less serious when the victim and defendant were both feminine, and had more anger toward the defendant when the victim was masculine and the defendant was feminine. Results provide insight into the relationships between victim and defendant stereotypicality and individual differences in attitudes on mock juror decision-making in lesbian IPV cases.

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