Tensions with heterosexual women
1972
90 Tensions with heterosexual women
For heterosexual women, one of the big
tensions, was that the straight women were made to feel, did feel, that they had
to apologise for their sexuality, it was some how more right on to be lesbian.
For some women there was an element of experimentation, then they’d scuttle back
to their relationships with men. Having said that, people did manage to work
together, and there were also prominent heterosexual women, but they were often
located on the political left of the spectrum, as were a lot of lesbians, like
Jean Turley, who was a dyke but working with the communist party or various
Marxist organisations, whereas, a huge generalisation, a lot of lesbians were
located more centrally within Women’s Liberation, were rejecting of those old
associations, and were into things, as I was, like radical feminist rhetoric.”
Contributed by: Barbara Carter, 53, Bridget Malin, 62