Opengender

I have referred my own assumptions and conceptualisations of lesbian reading strategies to the context of a more general body of American, European, and British lesbian political debates, histories, literatures, and media through which key struggles over lesbian identity, sexuality, and representation have been articulated. In dealing with the relevance of specific film-texts to lesbian sub-cultures, I have referred to lesbian and gay overviews of popular cinema in which particular popular films are mentioned again and again as being of interest to lesbians (see, among others, Russo, 1981; Dickens, 1982; Sulter, 1985; Becker et al, 1985; Whitaker, 1985; Boffin and Fraser (Eds), 1991; Weiss, 1991; Weiss, 1992; Bell-Metereau, 1993; Gever et al, 1993; Johnson, 1993; Hart, 1994; Olson, 1994; Hamer and Budge (Eds) 1994; Arthurs, 1995; Wilton (Ed), 1995b; Evans and Gamman, 1995; Williams, 1996).

Finally, and in conformity with a Foucauldian method, I will bring my own authorship into discourse. I write as a white, educationally privileged, lesbian. I am trained in philosophy, literary/cultural and film critical theory: specifically in the critical application of theoretical models and in close reading. My academic context is dominated by Foucauldian queer theory as it is constituted in the cultural studies discipline in which I am currently based. My own lesbian 'counter-memory' is drawn from personal involvement in London lesbian culture and politics, as well as my work in reviewing, researching, teaching, curating, and programming lesbian film. In these contexts, I am grateful for all the illuminating insights which I have received over the years from lesbians as activists, filmmakers, curators, journalists, academics, students and spectators which has been so influential in shaping my work.