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INTRODUCTION

Whenever I, or any people for that matter, browse through literature pertaining togender studies, identity politics and even philosophy, I always have difficulty looking for texts that center on lesbianism. I believe the lack of available resources reflect and, to acertain extent, contribute to inadequate understanding and misconceived perceptionsregarding the issues faced by lesbians today. In my everyday search for lesbianrepresentation, I have come to the realization that the media has come a long way inintegrating homosexuals in its industry. Unfortunately, it appears that the lesbian receivesfar less exposure, if not, entirely in the background, as compared to gay men. It is achallenge to collect fragments of the lesbian culture in the form of articles, films, and TVshow DVDs. And I have always found this difficulty to be deeply rooted on the fact thatthe lesbian lifestyle is simply not receiving the ample attention it deserves. This is could be, on the one hand, due to the tendency of lesbians to be silent members of society. As aresult, the silence of lesbians has led to an over-all hushing of their lives including theordeals they face.As such, this thesis will discuss the dilemma lesbians

encounter based on their gender identities. It is in high hope that in pursuing a philosophical inquiry on lesbianism,I will be able to supply a substantial account on a subject that deserves further attention inacademic discourses.One of the concerns of this paper is anchored on the claim that lesbians areconfronted with the issue of double displacement due to their sex

and

gender. Sex isgenerically defined as the biological birth category of a person as male or female. This

The term lesbian in its most basic sense refers to a female who identifies the same sex as theobject of her desire and sexual preference. Lesbian gender per se is a patchwork of masculine and femininequalities which the lesbian reinforces and chooses to manifest as part of her identity and lifestyle.

category has become the basis of societies in socially constructing and naturalizinggender as masculine or feminine. Sex is far more stable than gender in the sense that theformer is physically confined. Gender is a social construct that has developed to becomea social fact. In this thesis, I will be deconstructing gender to accommodate other identities aside from the masculine and the feminine.

Sex and gender distinctions arefurther standardized and reinforced through roles, social beliefs, and practices. In order toaddress the issue of double displacement, this project shall gear towards the attainment of a higher social good in the form of gender justice. This goes to say that the central task of my thesis is to liberate the lesbians from double displacement by producing andconceptualizing a “gender-just society.” It is necessary for the latter to be the ultimategoal of any intellectual endeavor that wishes to solve the issues a particular gender faces.The paper suggests a scholarly activist stance. As such, the feasibility of therecommendations to be rendered is reliant on the attitude lesbians would have to adopt. Agender-just society is plausible if and only if the lesbian can first overcome the myths or false notions regarding her identity in society.To clearly establish the project this thesis wishes to pursue, Chapter One willfamiliarize the reader with the context/issues in which the lesbian is situated. It willinclude a review of the status of women and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, andQueer (GLBTQ) communities in different societies. Afterwards, I shall also discuss thecontribution of feminist thought in the analysis of lesbianism. In the section entitledFeminist Theory versus Lesbian Theory, I am to purport that feminism which has claimedauthority in providing an account of lesbianism (both in theory and practice), has in

ABC of Women Worker’s Rights and Gender Equality,

(Geneva: ILO, 2000), 3.

certain ways failed to adequately perform the task of formulating a lesbian-oriented praxis.Chapter Two is devoted in laying down arguments that will support the claim thatdouble displacement exists. This will be done by investigating how the lesbian isdiscriminated, repressed, and misplaced via the various institutions of society. I wouldconsequently tackle the ways in which the lesbian is viewed and identified within the public sphere in order to understand the root of her difficulties and passivity in addressingthe issue of double displacement.Chapter Two will also discuss how the male-female and masculine-feminine binary categories became the primary point from which a society institutionalizesheterosexuality as the norm of gender relation and identity. In doing so, individuals areraised and trained to conform to their particular sex and gender designations. Moreover,the need to procreate will be used to justify heteronormativity. This is an assumption thatevery one is and ought to be heterosexual.In the same chapter, heterosexuality will be described as an institutional and self- preservation entity that maintains social order. A society makes it imperative to strictlyconform to the gender categories one is placed in view of the assumption that beingheterosexual is normal and necessary. One who does not fit within this gender framework would be considered as a deviant, a rebel, or even abnormal. Failure to obey by the rulesof gender identification would lead to dire consequences. The lesbian therefore, being both female and homosexual, inherits the afflictions of both categories. As a result of thisscenario, achieving a collective lesbian identity and a free gendered self becomesobscure.3

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Lesbian Double Displacement

This is an undergraduate philosophy thesis that delves into the issue of lesbian double displacement. I have written this work to add to the scarce number of academic texts that... (More)

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