An Inclusive Model of Lesbian Identity Assumption

Many psychological studies of lesbian identity have described linear stages in a process of achieving an identity or isolating “types” of lesbians. A select few of these models are critiqued. Linear models have clearly defined beginnings and endings, are rarely grounded in the historical and social contexts in which women grow, and focus on sexual identity to the exclusion of other important human traits. The author proposes a cyclical model that attempts to integrate sexuality with other aspects of a woman’s sense of self.