In some ways the body is related to gender and in many ways it is related to culture and how a person identifies. From an anthropological view the body and peoples understanding of the body is culturally mediated or constructed (Torres, Wheaton College Lecture, October 30, 2009). Therefore, the meaning a person gives to their body is culturally defined. When individuals construct or experience their bodies, the main distinguishable element is the function of gender roles. The male and female bodies have different gender roles that are shaped by society. Female bodies symbolize a women’s femininity and her ability to carry a child. In contrast, a male body is a reflection of male dominance, power and control (Torres, Wheaton College Lecture, October 30, 2009). In the lesbian community, body image becomes a representation of what and how roles are performed. Similar to gender, the image of the female body is challenged within the lesbian identity. Lesbian women create their separate ideas of what the female body should look like and how it should be represented in their own community and societies.
Within the lesbian community the female body has multiple representations. Lesbians with the same label may view their bodies in similar ways and also construct their body to fit that particular image. Since most femme lesbians confirm their femininity in the way they dress and how they act, their bodies conform to their already established identity. As a result, many femme lesbians share the same traits as heterosexual women. In American culture women have to be thin to be considered beautiful. Many women put themselves on extensive diets and participant in numerous exercise programs to help maintain their form and shape. Not to say all lesbian femmes go on diets or exercise, however, their idea of beauty is focused on how “good” a female body looks. A “good” female body is “fit, thin, has curves in all the right places, has sex appeal, has delicate features and soft skin.”
Often, the more masculine lesbians or the Studs/ Butches do not follow the constructed image of the female body. Instead, their appearance is a representation of their “actual body.” Some masculine lesbians appear to be more muscular and into the male construction of the body. Since they assume the more dominant role in a relationship or within the community they have to construct their body around the image of a man because men are more dominant and masculine than women. Although Stud/ Butch lesbians do not feel a need to represent their bodies in the female mold, they do however follow the male mold. In this sense, the “desired body,” or the way they want to exist is an embodiment of male standards and masculinity (Torres, Wheaton College Lecture, October 30, 2009).
*In this blog the body is a way in which culture and cultural structure is mediated through society. Both the female and male bodies are socially controlled and constructed. Culture suggests how the body should look, feel, be represented and culturally as well as socially understood. This blog emphasizes how lesbians create their own forms of female bodies. Lesbian body image deconstructs the ideal female body image and represents the “desired” through the “actual.”
Work Cited:
Interview-
J. Young, Interviewed by N. Smith, Internet Interview, Via Email and Instant Message, December 8, 2009
Internet Article-
Friedrichs, Ellen
Ask.com, “Do Gay & Lesbian Teens Worry About Body Image?” Internet document
http://gayteens.about.com/od/sexuality/f/body_image.htm, accessed December 9, 2009
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