The lesbian couple is a couple made up of two women who love each other, both emotionally and sexually.
The term “lesbian”: what origins does it have?
The name derives from the island of Lesbos, where the poet Sappho lived in the seventh century BC, who dedicated herself to this kind of love and who is remembered for her verses, exalting the relationship between women (sappism).
Can lesbians be defined as “homosexuals”?
In general yes, but lesbians do not like to be defined as “homosexuals”, as they feel different from male homosexuals: declaring themselves lesbians rather than homosexuals is therefore for women who love women a sort of claim of their own specificity.
What causes a woman’s attraction to another woman?
According to various psychoanalytic hypotheses , at the basis of lesbianism there would be either an exaggerated narcissism , which promotes a search for one’s sexual identity through a mirroring in the partner, or a maternal hostility which would prevent the daughter from adequately identifying female, with consequent acceptance of her own role, or even a paternal refusal towards the daughter, which would induce the same to feed a marked hostility towards the opposite sex (with whom the subject could also identify, according to the mechanism of ‘identification with the aggressor’).
Are lesbians different from other women?
Lesbians have the same physical appearance as other women and are not recognizable at all: there are in fact many clichés about homosexual women, which are generally false and misleading. For example, it is thought that lesbians have a typically masculine appearance, or that they are hyper-feminine, or even that in their relationship one plays an active role and the other a passive one. In reality these are all false myths because within the lesbian couple the roles are not so rigid.
Are lesbians by nature “feminists”?
Absolutely not: another widespread stereotype is that lesbians are all feminists; in reality, many lesbians do not adhere to feminist ideology (just as, moreover, feminists are not mostly lesbians: another cliché, especially common among males).
Do lesbians hate men?
No; as in the heterosexual population, there are sometimes propensities or opportunities to afford a homosexual experience, the same happens in the homosexual world, when, unexpectedly, one feels attracted to a partner of the opposite sex.
Are lesbian couples monogamous?
From some studies it seems that lesbian women who live in a couple relationship are unfaithful to the extent of 6% against 36% of gays who live in a couple . (Source: Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Fred]andt, Fred Myrick, Timothy Edgar, Gay and Lesbian Couple Relationship) . It can therefore be said that the lesbian couple is more faithful than the gay couple, but it is still a commonplace that women, being more faithful than men, always form absolutely mongamous couples. There are, in big cities, renowned places where lesbians can meet and get to know each other, which they now do frequently, even in specific apps on the Internet. Therefore, there is really no shortage of meeting opportunities for adventures outside the relationship and the proposals are many, so fidelity is always a choice.
Is the relationship of a homosexual couple similar to that of a heterosexual couple?
Yes. For example, as in heterosexual couples, same-sex couples are much better able to resolve conflicts between them if the relationship has lasted for a long time, compared to newly formed couples. Furthermore, when comparing married, gay and lesbian couples who are in a solid relationship, it seems that same-sex partners are more satisfied with their relationship than heterosexual couples. (Glenn I. Roisman 2008) Whatever the legal status, in fact, homosexual couples declare themselves more satisfied with the relationship than heterosexual couples. There seems to be more positive feelings and less conflict. The researchers believe that this effect could be due to the fact that heterosexual couples only experience a relationship if they love each other, while heterosexual couples are often forced to remain together, even if the love is gone, because there is it is less sexual freedom and for the presence of children.
Do the lesbian couple look like gay couples?
Perhaps lesbian couples are more like a heterosexual couple than a gay one. In fact, in numerous studies, gay couples appear to be more transgressive and promiscuous than lesbian couples. Other research has shown that the frequency of sexual intercourse within lesbian couples is rather low, with a lower frequency than both gay and heterosexual couples.
Are lesbian couples different from heterosexual couples? Lesbian couples share many commonalities with heterosexual couples. The day-to-day activities of their lives are often similar, but the social context in which they live differ markedly, largely due to influences from the dominant heterosexual culture and traditional expectations of gender roles within a relationship.
What do The Lesbian Couple have in common?
Same-sex couples can experience severe stress if they live isolated, for example without family, social, religious, etc. support. The partners of a same-sex couple often experience social prejudices firsthand and feel immersed in a largely hostile climate.
What are the typical conflicts of a The Lesbian Couple versus a hetero couple?
One of the most frequent conflicts concerns the attainment of a full homosexual identity. Indeed, in order to be certain of one’s sexual orientation, several phases are sometimes necessary and sometimes a couple can start a relationship when one of the two is still in a phase of uncertainty, having not yet completed the development of a gay or lesbian identity. When people want to explore their sexuality and at the same time maintain a stable relationship with their partner, conflicts can arise due to lack of sincerity or cheating. These differences in respective individual paths often result in conflicts regarding the level of “openness” each partner finds acceptable in family relationships, work, community, and friendships. Many relationships can overcome this conflict, but some are unable to.
Do lesbian and gay couples have similar conflicts to heterosexual couples?
Yes, differences between partners are common. For example, one member of the couple longs for more independence while the other suffers from jealousy; or one begins a path of personal growth and the other perceives this as an abandonment; one of the two may wish to be able to express himself freely while the other wishes to maintain a constant harmony, avoiding any conflict, etc.
Is the sexual satisfaction of the lesbian couple higher or lower than that of a gay couple?
74 percent of lesbians consider their sexual relationship excellent : in gay couples this degree of maximum satisfaction is achieved by only 33 percent of couples. On the other hand, calculating complete sexual dissatisfaction, it concerns 6 percent of lesbian couples, against 14 percent of gay couples
How can a therapist help a The Lesbian Couple?
There are no special treatments for same-sex couples and the methods used with heterosexual couples can also be used for gay and lesbian couples. However, the importance of taking into account the variables of the stages of development of a homosexual identity and the sociocultural prejudices surrounding the couple cannot be underestimated, so an experienced therapist will be particularly sensitive to these issues. The therapist will need to assess the couple’s environment, the developmental level of each partner, external issues (such as support or alienation from families, community, workplace and friendships), the presence of mental or physical illness in partners or the presence of domestic violence, dysfunctions and sexual problems. Gay and lesbian issues may be approached a little differently, as certain life stressors may play a bigger role for a female or male couple. In fact, lesbians often experience more anxiety than gay men about family members’ reactions to their sexuality. Conversely, gay men report more distress about HIV/AIDS-related issues and violence and harassment than lesbian couples.
