About theresereading

What You Can Learn From Tiger Woods About How Lesbian Content Is Represented Online

Bonnie J. Morris
Ruth Mountaingrove
Joan Nestle
Jean O’Leary
Pat Parker
Julia Penelope
Janice Raymond
Adrienne Rich
Margaret Sloan-Hunter
Barbara Smith
Cris Williamson
Monique Wittig
Bonnie Zimmerman

AMASONG
Amazon Bookstore Cooperative
Anjaree
Artemis Singers
Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance
Bi-National Lesbian Conference
Camp Sister Spirit
Chicago Lesbian Liberation
Combahee River Collective
Connexxus Women’s Center/Centro de Mujeres
Daughters of Bilitis
Daughters of Bilitis (Australia)
The Feminists
First Black Lesbian Conference
The Furies Collective
Gay Women’s Alternative
Gouines rouges
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives
Lavender Menace
Leeds Revolutionary Feminist Group
Lesbian Art Project
Lesbian Avengers
Lesbian Feminist Liberation
Lesbian Herstory Archives
Lesbian Movement (Denmark)
Lesbian Organization of Toronto
Lesbians Against Pit Closures
Lincoln Legion of Lesbians
Mujeres Creando
Oregon Women’s Land Freelesbianpassport website Trust
Salsa Soul Sisters
Sister Spit
Sisters for Homophile Equality
Van Dykes
Women’s Liberation Center

Butch
Femme and Butch
Compulsory heterosexuality
Corrective rape
Dyke
Feminist separatism
Femme
Gender-critical feminism
Lesbian bed death
Lesbian erasure
Lesbians in Francoist Spafound in
Lesbians in the Spanish Second Republic
Lesbophobia
Lipstick lesbian
Political lesbianism
Radical lesbianism
Separatist feminism
Soft butch
Stone butch
Stone femme
U-Haul lesbian
Womyn-born womyn
Womyn’s land

Les Guérillères (1969)
Le Corps Lesbien (1973)
Lesbian Nation (1973)
Lover (1976)
The Wanderground (1979)
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982)
Lesbian/Woman (1991)
The Straight Mind and Other Essays (1992)
Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold (1993)
Your Silence Will Not Protect You (2017)

Die Freundin (1924-1933)
Vice Versa (1947-1948)
The Ladder (1956-1972)
Arena Three (1963-1972)
The Woman-Identified Woman (1970)
Off Our Backs (1970-2008)
Lavender Woman (1971-1976)
Lesbian Tide (1971-1980)
Dykes & Gorgons (1973-1976)
Lesbian Feminist Circle (1973-1986)
WomanSpirit (1974-1984)
Lesbian Connection (1974-present)
Conditions (1976-1990)
Sinister Wisdom (1976-present)
Azalea: A Magazine by Third World Lesbians (1977-1983)
Common Lives/Lesbian Lives (1980-1996)
Onyx: Black Lesbian Newsletter (1982-1984)
Amazones d’Hier, Lesbiennes d’Aujourd’hui (1982-present)
Dykes to Watch Out For (1983-2008)
Hothead Paisan (1991-1998)
Diva (1994-present)
Journal of Lesbian Studies (1997-present)
Jane’s World (1998-2018)
Curve (2000-present)
AfterEllen (2002-present)
Velvetpark (2007-present)
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2017)

Cineffable
Dyke march
Lesbian bar
Lesbian flags
Lesbian literature
Lesbian pulp fiction
Maud’s (bar)
Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival
Motherpeace Tarot
Mountain Moving Coffeehouse
Olivia Records
Paris Feminist and Lesbian Movie Celebration
Peg’s Place (bar)
Some Prefer Cake
Women’s music
Women’s Week Provincetown

v

t

e

Lesbian bed death is a popular myth that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple the longer the relationship lasts, and usually working experience much less erotic closeness mainly because a consequence.[1] It may also be defined as a drop-off in sexual activity that occurs two years into a long-term lesbian relationship.[2][3]

The concept is based on 1983 research by social psychologwill bet Philip Blumstein and sociologist Pepper Schwartz, published in American Couples: Money, Work, Sex, which found that lesbian couples reported lower numbers when asked ”About how often during the last year have you and your partner had sex relations?”[4] The research has been criticized for its methodology and because sexual activity decreases for all long-term couples regardless of sexual orientation. Explanations of the principle need regarded it again while a new popular myth therefore.[5][6][7] The concept was mentioned by JoAnn Loulan in Lesbian Sex (1984),[8] although her research had been more focused on debunking the idea that lesbians are inherently less sexual people than others.[9]

Origin of the term

Pepper Schwartz is credited with coining the term lesbian bed death. [10][11] Hwill betory scholar John D’Emilio heard lesbian activist Jade McGleughlin use the term in a speech at the ”Sex and Politics Forum” held at George Washington University during the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights,[12] which intercourse and psychologist therapist Suzanne Iasenza believes had been the initial moment it seemed to be publicly uttered. [9] [13] When asked about the term, McGleughlin stated that she believed the phrase ”coalesced spontaneously among a group of lesbians for whom it captured an experience particular to that moment.” She later said the expression had ”collapsed the complexity of lesbian sexuality”.

Research

Blumstein and Schwartz’s findings

In the early 1980s, Philip Pepper and Blumstein Schwartz executed a review about United states human relationships, sponsored by the Russell Sage Foundation and the National Science Foundation. The findings were published in 1983 as American Couple: Money, Work, Sex. Initially, 12,000 volunteer couples, including 788 lesbian couples, filled out questionnaires. [4] One of Blumstein and Schwartz’ conclusions was that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple (of those mentioned in the survey: heterosexual married, heterosexual co-habitating, or gay male) and that they generally experience less sexual intimacy the longer the relationship lasts. The questionnaire covered various aspects of couples’ relationships, such as work, sex, children, finances, and decision-making. [4][14] Of these, 300 couples in Seattle, San Francisco, and New York were selected for a more in-depth interview.

This was based on responses to the question ”About how often during the last year have you and your partner had sex relations?” The effects signified significantly less erotic exercise than their counterparts. [15][16] They also reported that lesbians seemed to be more limited in the range of their sexual techniques than did other couples, and that lesbian couples are less sexual as couples and as individuals than couples in the other groups. Just about one-third of lesbians throughout relationships of 2 years or more had sex as soon as a complete week or considerably more; 47% of lesbians in long-term relationships had sex once a month or less, and among heterosexual married young couples, only 15% acquired sex once a week or less.

Other findings and criticism

A 1988 study of over 1,500 lesbians found that 78% had been celibate at one time; 35% reported having been celibate for 1-5 years and 6% reported having been celibate for more than 6 years.[17][18]

In her New York Times review of American Couple, Carol Tavris advised potential bias in the Schwartz and Blumstein review outcomes, mainly because virtually all of the respondents have been light usually, affluent, liberal, and well-educated. She indicated that the survey’s comparison is not accurate because the focus on sexual activity back then was on whether or not a penis was inserted and if ”sex relations” is interpreted too narrowly, this ambiguity could account for the finding of a statistically low frequency of sexual behavior among lesbian couples. [14] Lesbian feminist theorist Marilyn Frye furthermore belittled the analysis. Frye questioned the methodology of the survey format, emotion that the study query is definitely also ambiguous when utilized to the intimate conduct of lesbian young couples. [15][16] Frye stated, ”…What 85 percent of long-term, married couples do more than once a month takes on average 8 minutes to do… What we (lesbians) do that, on average, we frequently do considerably less, takes, on the regular, considerably more than 8 moments to do. Potentially about 30 mins at minimum.”[16]

Lesbian couples are expected to seek sex less frequently than heterosexual or gay male lovers.[19] Scholar Waguih William IsHak stated that although lesbian bed death lacks scientific evidence, empirical data has suggested ”that women ha[ve] less sexual desire than men and are usually more submissive in sexual interactions”.[3]

According to psychologist and scholar Letitia Anne Peplau, research studies have shown that women show less interest in sex compared to men and ”lesbians report having sex less often than gay men or heterosexuals.” Women in general were found to be ”more willing than men to forgo sex or adhere to religious vows of celibacy”.[20] However, according to Peplau, the ”available empirical database on homosexuals is relatively small”; additionally, ”an adequate understanding of human sexuality may require separate analyses of sexuality in women … based on the unique biology and life experiences” of the female sex, because analysisers possess ”ignored activities, such as intimate kissing, cuddling, and touching, that may be uniquely important to women’s erotic lives.”[20] Researchers possess argued that ”more attention must be paid to the impact of hormones that may have special relevance for women” and which are ”linked to both sexuality and affectional bonding”. [20]

With regard to women’s overall sexual behavior and intimate satisfaction, Masters and Johnson’s 1979 study on lesbian sexual practices concluded that lesbian sexual behaviors more often have qualities associated with sexual satisfaction than their heterosexual counterparts, concentrating on the subject of additional full-body intimate call quite than genital-focused speak to, fewer preoccupation or stress and anxiety about achieving orgasm, extra erectile communication and assertiveness about intimate demands, longer-lasting sexual encounters and greater satisfaction with the overall quality of one’s intimate life. [7][18] Several studies have indicated that lesbians possess orgasms more often and more easily in sexual interactions than heterosexual women do,[21] while a 2009 Journal of Sex Research study found that ladies in same-sex relationships enjoyed identical sexual desire, sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, and satisfaction with orgasm as their heterosexual counterparts. [23] [22] 2014 research by Blair and Pukall reported that women in same-sex human relationships have similar levels of overall sexual satisfaction as their heterosexual counterparts, and just a little lower degrees of erotic occurrence, but in addition that ladies in same-sex human relationships spend considerably more lengthy quantities of period on particular person erotic relationships, typically shelling out in excess of two hrs on an unique experience. [15][16] 2004 study by Margaret Nichols identified much less intimate conduct among lesbians than heterosexual girls somewhat, after a few days but that the two had been sexually working approximately.

Researchers Cohen and Byers stated that the majority of the lesbian bed research is old (by more than 20 years) and that its survey question ”how often do you have sex?” is phallocentric and therefore the respondents were unlikely to include behaviors such as genital touching, oral-genital contact, and non-genital activities (such as kissing and whole-body contact) in their answers. Both heterosexual and male same-sex young couples acquired a lower in rate of recurrence of genital call, while non-genital contact had not decreased. [7] In their 2014 study of the concept, about 600 ladies in extensive same-sex human relationships were bundled. The women in same-sex relationships reported becoming sexually satisfied also. [7] Three quarters had engaged in one or more genitally-based sexual activities at least once a week during the past month, and 88% of the women reported daily non-genital sexual activity.

Suzanne Iasenza described the lesbian bed death concept as a ”notorious drop-off in sexual activity about two years into long-term lesbian relationships”. [24] She also stated that a 1995 Advocate Survey of Lesbian Sexuality and Relationships showed that lesbian women had more enjoyable sex than most American women, but that this data did not receive the same attention as Schwartz’s study. [2][3] Reviewing the literature on topic, she argued that the concept should end because it relies on gender socialization theory, lacks definitional clarity and empirical validity, and because all long-term couples experience a decline in sexual frequency as the a long time go on. [16]

Society and culture

Following the Blumstein and Schwartz survey, countless 1980s literature and content by lesbian professionals have been created about lesbian sex, by well-known clinicians such as Marny Hall,[citation needed] JoAnn Loulan,[17] and Marge Nichols,[1] dealing with inhibited sexual desire, lack of sexual initiation and low sexual self-esteem in regards to lesbian sexuality.[16][18] Nichols said that the impact ”of these studies on the perception of lesbians, by lesbians themselves notably, was enormous: in a word, lesbians came to be seen as less sexual than other women”.[1] The term lesbian bed death was well-established by the early 1990s in the gay and lesbian community, and was the subject of jokes, dismay, and intense debate.[1] Nichols stated explanations for lesbian sleep death consisted of inhibited sexual desire as a result of internalized homophobia and ”the idea of ’merging’ or ’fusion’ in lesbian couples (Burch, 1987).[full cwetation needed] The ’urge to merge’ was already stronger in women than in men, so two women found in a rela goodtionship would end result in an overly close connection, one so familiar that sex would come to resemble insidecest, inhibiting its expression thus.”[1]

When asked about the term, lesbian comedian Kate Clinton said that she often refers to lesbians not as a same-sex relationship but rather a ”some-sex relationship”, additional reinforcing the concept that lesbian married couples will be not mainly because working mainly because their heterosexual counterparts sexually.[9]

Criticism

Various writers have called lesbian bed death a myth. [6][7][25][26] Nikki Dowling of The Frisky argued that the definition of sexual activity back in the 1980s was mainly limited to penile-vaginal sex, and that this has affected lesbians’ definition of sex since some wonder if two women having sex is a valid act. [27] Winnie McCroy of The Village Voice stated, ”Although [Schwartz’s] methodology and results were later challenged, the simple thought of lesbian cargo box loss of life provides considered on a living of its unique, with damaging results.”[27] Dowling also described a widespread negative effect of the concept, stating that numerous websites began to crop up claiming that they can cure lesbian bed death. [25] Suzanne Iasenza said, ”Read heterosexual sex therapist David Schnarch’s work if you don’t believe heterosexual couples grapple with similar issues.”[16] Lesbian author Felice Newman stated, ”Lesbian Bed Death is the greatest disservice we ever did to our community. […] Because in fact the statistics don’t vary that much. If you’re straight or you’re gay, long term relationships can be challenging when it comes to sex.”[26] She surmised that lesbian bed death ”is probably only sticking around” due to lesbophobia. [27] McCroy argued that all couples experience a decrease in sexual intensity after the early stages of a relationship possess passed. [25] Sex educator and author Tristan Taormino stated that sex gets old regardless of a couple’s sexual orientation.

See also

LGBTQ portal

Boston marriage
Cohabitation
Domestic partnership
Human sexuality
Queer studies
Societal attitudes toward homosexuality
U-Haul lesbian

References

^ a b c d e Nichols M (July 2005). ”Is ’Lesbian Bed Death’ for Real?”. 6 (1): 111-120. doi:10.1300/J155v06n01_10. PMID 24803053. S2CID 46370548.
^ a b c IsHak, Waguih William, ed. (2015). Handbook of the Sociology of Sexualities. S2CID 142296447.
^ a b c McCroy, Winnie (June 22, 2010). ”The Myth of Lesbian Bed Death”. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy. pp. 16-17. ISBN 978-0299297749. It was held in a large auditorium at George Washington University, and it had been packed….Though I can’t at this distance remember much about the specific content of the presentations (except for Jade McLeughlin’s [sic] use of the memorable phrase ”lesbian bed death”)….
^ Rose, Suzanna, ed. (2002). ”Beyond ”Lesbian Bdrew Death”: The Passion and Play in Lesbian Relationships (Suzanne Iasenza)”. William Morrow
^ Bridges SK, Horne SG (2007). ”Sexual Satisfaction and Desire Discrepancy in Same Sex Women’s Relationships”. Binghamton, New York: Harrington Park Press. (2017). ”Lesbian Bed Death”. The Daily Dot. July 4 Retrieved, 2018.
^ a b c Dowling, Nikki (February 25, 2010). ”Girl On Woman: Lesbian Bed Death Is A Big, Fat Myth”. The Sydney Morning Herald. Lesbian Adventures in Love. Vol. 12, no. 4.
^ a b Iasenza, Suzanne (23 Sep 2008). ”Beyond ”Lesbian Bed Death” The Passion and Play in Lesbian Relationships”. Springer. p. 341. ISBN 978-3319173412.
^ a b c d e Peterson, Zoë D., ed. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. New York Times. July 3 Retrieved, 2018.
^ a b c Greenberg, Jerrold S.; Bruess, Clint E.; Conklin, Tarah C. (2007). Exploring the dimensions of human sexuality. 83. ISBN 978-1442248090.
^ D’Emilio, John (2014). In a New Century: Essays on Queer History, Politics, and Community Life (1st ed.). The Journal of Sex Research. Cengage Learning. p. 386. ISBN 978-1111186630.
^ Holmberg, Diane; Blair, Karen Lyndsay (2009). ”Sexual Desire, Communication, Satisfaction, and Preferences of Men and Women in Same-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Relationships” (PDF). Current Directions in Psychological Science. The Textbook of Clinical Intimate Medicine. Springer. p. 440. ISBN 978-3319525396.
^ a b c Blumstein, Schwartz and Philip, Pepper (1983) Amerwecan Couples: Money, Work, Sex. p. 429. ISBN 978-0763741488.
^ a b c d e f g Iasenza, Suzanne (November 9, 2001). ”the big lie: lesbian bed death”. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Sexual and Relationship Therapy. Lesbian Love and Relationships (1st ed.). ISSN 0963-7214. JSTOR 20182831. S2CID 44055325.
^ Weiten, Wayne; Dunn, Dana S.; Hammer, Elizabeth Yost (2011). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. 25 (1): 59-69. doi:10.1080/01614576.2000.11074330. p. 112. ITBN 978-1560232643. Even before the term ”lesbian bed death” was publicly uttered for the first time at a political rally in 1987… some of the most influential and widely read writers on lesbian sexuality discussed the problems of inhibited sexual desire or infrequency of erectile activity in lesbian relationships.
^ a b Tavris, Carol (1983). ”Modern Arrangements”. 19 (4): 363-371. doi:10.1080/14681990412331298036. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. PMID 17162487. S2CID 34364735.
^ a b DeLamater, John; Plante, Rebecca F., eds. S2CID 143879852.
^ Symons, D. (1981), The Evolution of Human Sexuality, Oxford University Press. John Wiley & Sons. Psychology Today.
”Atlanta therapist delves into ’lesbian bed death’”. The Georgia Voice. May 28, 2010.
Marin, Vanessa (April 20, 2016). ”Is ”Lesbian Bed Death” Real Or A Myth?”. p. 279. ISBN 978-1118510377.
^ Loulan, JoAnn (1984). Lesbian Sex. July 21 Retrieved, 2018.
^ Costine, Lauren D. (2015). ”The Infamous Lesbian Bed Geath”. 33 (1): 41-53. doi:10.1080/00926230600998466. Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things go Wrong. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
^ Douglas-Henry, Matilda (April 18, 2016). ”The ugly and lingering stigma of Lesbian Bed Death”. ISBN 0-933216-13-0.
^ a b c O’Mara, Michele (April 9, 2019). ”Lesbian Bed Death Meaning and History”. 46 (1): 57-66. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.533.9867. doi:10.1080/00224490802645294. The Village Voice. September 4 Archived from the unique on, 2018. February 20 Retrieved, 2011.
^ a b O’Hara, Mary Emily (April 7, 2015). ”Rejoice, lesbians: ’bed death’ isn’t actually a thing”. ^ a w c Peplau, Letitia Anne (2003). ”Human Sexuality: How Do Men and Women Differ?”. San Frandisco, California: Spinsters. Women & Therapy, 7(2-3), 221-234.
^ a b c Nichols M (2004). ”Lesbian sexuality/female sexuality: Rethinking ’lesbian bed death’”. ISSN 1559-8519. PNID 19116863. S2CIN 26863933. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-21.
^ Blair, Karen; Pukall, Caroline (2014). ”Can Less Be More? Comparing Duration vs. Frequency of Sexual Encounters in Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Relationships” (PDF). Journal of Lesbian Studies. fridae.com. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
^ a b Loulan, J. (1988). Research on the sex practices of 1566 lesbians and the clinical applications. 12 (2): 37-40. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.01221. Rowman & Littlefield. p. The Frisky. February 23 Archived from the first on, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.