Hi, y’all! As a preface to this piece, I wanted to talk a little bit about the photograph entitled Lesbo Gang Bang by Gon Buurman, published in 1990 (link below). The work is frequently referred to the following story, so I thought I would reflect on its importance to me.
As persistentlyfem notes on her blog (If you haven’t read her yet, please do!), “representation of fems as agents of our own sexual desire is precious and powerful.” This is the driving force behind this short story.
In persistentlyfem’s analysis, she addresses three key elements of the photograph’s erotic charge: 1) Absence of the male gaze, 2) Inversion of the butch-as-predator trope, and 3) The sexual agency of the fem/me.
Firstly, the image was clearly created by and for lesbians. The image was not created by men for the purpose of sexualizing and fetishizing lesbians. This is important because it completely sidesteps the trappings of the objectifying male gaze.
Secondly, the butches flanking the lone fem are positioned as aggressive and eager, open in their lust. This engenders a heady sense of danger, rendering the fem vulnerable. However, it is significant to note that the fem looks directly into the camera as one of the butches yanks up her skirt and begins fingering her roughly. The image is “in a certain light, a wry invocation of the predatory lesbian trope, the sort of image conjured to frighten supposedly straight women away from a dark and sordid world” (persistentlyfem).
Thirdly, and most importantly, the fem’s direct stare into the camera is not one of “passivity or entreaty.” She does need or want to be rescued. “The fem’s agency reassures us, ‘I want this;’ her expression says, ‘and it’s okay for you to want it too.’” That is, she is an agent of her own sexual desire, not a prop, not an object of male gratification. Rather, a human being capable of articulating and fulfilling her desires – this is the type of agency all fem/mes want and need to see depicted in art and the media. We are not damsels in distress and neither are we corrupted straight women. We know what we want.
In that spirit, I hope you enjoy the following story. Warning: It’s long and a slowwww burn, but hopefully you’ll agree the climax is worth waiting for.
Works cited: Gon Buurman (1990) and persistentlyfem.wordpress.com
https://78.media.tumblr.com/b7fc086f...h34o1_1280.jpg
Some things that I try to highlight in the following piece are:
- Enthusiastic consent
- Respecting a partner’s gender identity and pronouns
- Complexity of power dynamics within the butch/femme context
- Sexual agency of femmes