In the lesbian community there have been many discussions of the phenomenon called “Lesbian Invisibility”. This refers to the fact that many people acknowledge gay men’s existence but don’t recognize female sexuality as legitimate. Many popular trains of thought with regards to discrimination against lesbian include the idea that lesbians simply do not exist. Many homophobic men think that lesbians are women who cannot “get a man” so they resort to women instead. It is also believed that all lesbians are overweight and unattractive, and are bitter that they cannot get a husband. This is connected to the misogynistic belief that women inherently need men to complete them and are naturally unhappy without one. There is also the prevalent idea that lesbians only exist for men’s fantasies. The idea of women having sexual relations is considered a fetish and a category on many porn sites, and is one of the most popular genres of pornography in the United States.
Marie Hartofelis 