‘Why should they get to do that and we can’t?’; Gay Women’s Experiences of Casual Sex

Abstract

Research on the sexual behaviour of gay women is sparse. Gay women are said to emphasise continuity and stability, rather than sex, so much so, that the term ‘lesbian bed death’ was coined to describe the lack of sexual activity. Subsequently, only three studies have explored gay women’s interest in casual sex. I interviewed twelve gay women about their experiences with casual sex. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the data found a variety of casual sex behaviour. Gay women both desire, and have experience with casual sex, and have casual sex encounters with both male and female partners. Constructions of gay women as emotional rather than sexual, were identified as a barrier in the pursuit of casual sex.