Using archival materials and interviews, primarily from New Haven, Connecticut, this paper demonstrates that "political" and "erotic" were not mutually exclusive categories. Many previously heterosexual women became lesbians as a welcome and joyful expansion of their sexual and emotional vocabularies. As women's liberation activists changed their ideas about their abilities, their attitudes towards each other and toward marriage, many also changed their attitudes about sexuality, allowing themselves to incorporate erotic feelings into their intimate relationships with other women. While "coming out" illuminates the experience of women who had long-buried lesbian desires, for others, "coming in" to a culture supportive of lesbian relationships would be a more accurate characterization. Examining the experiences of lesbians in this way enables us to understand the power of the women's liberation movement to create a social and cultural environment that inspired and supported women who transformed their sexual lives.
Interpreting the experience of previously heterosexual women who became lesbians nurtured by feminist politics and culture engages one with the ongoing debate about the nature and origins of sexual orientation. The interpretation itself reflects the political context and assumptions of the interpreters. This paper will examine the ways that the political and social context affected both the lives of the women who became lesbians in the 1970's and the interpretation of this experience in subsequent political environments.