Redefinition of Lesbian

In Adrienne Rich's article Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence, i found the idea of a lesbian continuum interesting. Rich defines it as the range of women identified experiences and not just simply the fact of a sexual experience with another women. The limiting scope that we have now of lesbianism erases the experiences of lesbian women. Rich talks about how the lesbian existence includes both breaking away from a taboo and from compulsory heterosexuality and how history destroyed the existence of the lesbian experience in order to preserve the idea of heterosexuality being natural. The very idea of compulsory heterosexuality keeps lesbian existence from being realized as a reaction to male tyranny. Lesbian existence is seen as deviant so long as heterosexuality is always seen as normal. I think the term lesbian continuum is used in an effort to try and distinguish the definition of lesbian as purely the sexual desire for another women but rather the connections that women build as they live, struggle, and support each other. I think its the fact that we have such a compulsory heterosexual society that the lesbian existence is met with hostility and persecution. I find it hard for anyone to dispute lesbian existence when there is such a backlash against it and the continuance of forced sexuality.