By Katie McCarthy
If I had a pound for every time someone has stared at me whilst I got with someone, asked me for a threesome or made a joke about scissors, I’d have bought myself at least five new vibrators by now. But alas, the world doesn’t seem to work like that. However, it does seem to fetishise lesbianism and same-sex relations between women to an astounding degree.
The definition of fetishise is to make something the object of a sexual fetish. Same-sex desire amongst women has been the poster child for fetishes, particularly amongst straight men, for centuries. It is commonplace in society today and often confused with support. However, this form of sexual fantasy is problematic for a variety of reasons and the damage it causes can be colossal and often go unnoticed, even by those who it concerns.
Female homosexuality has never explicitly been targeted by any legislation in the UK. Although it was discussed in parliament for the first time in 1921, in regards to introducing discriminatory legislation, this failed when both the House of Commons and House of Lords rejected it. This was due to the fear that a law would draw attention to the issue and encourage women to explore homosexuality. Lack of legislative opposition to female same-sex relations does not equate to support for the matter and the same can be said for its fetishisation.
When Pornhub celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017 and released 10 years of data, it did not come as a shock to many that lesbian pornography was the most popular category of all time. Whilst the role of other demographic groups should not be overlooked in this study, one cannot deny the presence of the huge number of straight men obtaining pleasure from watching lesbian porn. This satisfaction gained from same-sex relations between women is not new in the 21st century and what is clear from historical record is that much of the lesbian material in past pornographic texts was intended for male readership.
The construction of the lesbian narrative for the male gaze often only includes ‘femme’ women, and excludes female homosexuals who are regarded as more ‘masculine’ or ‘butch’. This offers a different set of prescriptions which are framed around male heterosexual desires and heterosexual sexuality. The subsequent idea that these ‘femme’ lesbians can be converted by men towards heterosexuality feeds into the notion that these women are incapable of making their own decisions, whilst simultaneously reducing them to objects for consumption.
Present day mainstream media contributes to this dangerous discussion. The Weeknd’s claim in his song Lost in the Fire that he will ‘f**k you straight’ is just one example of the broader harmful narrative around female same-sex desire. Same-sex relationships on screen have historically been few and far between, with very few lesbian ones in particular. However, recently there has been an increase in the evidence of female homosexuality within this sphere. Whilst much of this is to be celebrated, with growing visibility and acceptance being considerable achievements for the LGBTQ+ community, much of this representation still remains fetishised and often dismissive of same-sex relations between women. Although Friends came out back in 1994, the fact that it still manages to come up in almost every pub quiz demonstrates how it still permeates society today. There are many issues with the show yet the fetishisation of same-sex relations between women is one which hasn’t been paid much attention. The fact that Chandler and Joey are willing to give up their apartment for the chance to watch two of their straight female friends kiss for one minute is just one example of the media’s fetishisation of female homosexuality and subsequent profit off it. Although representation is important, it is equally crucial as to what representation this is.
47 countries still criminalise sex between women and although significant progress has been made across the globe, there is still so much more to be done. Women who enjoy same-sex relations should not have to settle for fetishisation in order to be accepted in society. Fetishisation is not support; it is exactly the opposite of this and the destructive narrative it creates for female homosexuality highlights precisely why it needs to be stopped.