Non-Fiction, Feminism, Feminist, Lesbian, Women's Rights, Women, WLW, United States, North American 

Martin and Lyon discuss lesbianism, arguing that the subject is surrounded by "myths and stereotypes", such as the idea that being a lesbian is solely or primarily a matter of sexual behavior and feelings, that lesbians molest children and seduce young women, and that a woman's sexual orientation can be determined from her appearance. They argue that lesbian women are diverse and have a range of different experiences and backgrounds. They describe their personal experiences as lesbians, and write that for a woman being a lesbian is "a way of life" that "involves the structure of her whole personality". Other topics explored include butch and femme roles.[1]

Although they note that some lesbians believe that they were born lesbians, they write that they, "tend to feel that persons are born sexual: not heterosexual or homosexual, just sexual." They argue that a woman's sexual orientation depends upon her individual experiences and reactions to them, and that it can develop slowly, emerging from her awareness as a girl that she felt different