Ephrem Betelhem, White Aaronette M
Gender Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
J Lesbian Stud. 2011;15(2):226-46. doi: 10.1080/10894160.2011.527765.
Same-sex sexual practices are illegal in Ethiopia; consequently, little is known about Ethiopian lesbians. We explored the lives of five Ethiopian lesbians in order to understand their sexuality from their perspectives. We were particularly interested in how they perceived their sexual identities and practices, the obstacles they faced, and how they coped with such obstacles. Three major themes emerged from their responses to a semi-structured questionnaire, which we analyze from radical, African feminist perspectives. First, these women consistently described the negative impact of Ethiopian laws on their lives. Second, all testified to experiences of sexual agency, despite repression. Finally, their responses revealed considerable diversity and fluidity regarding sexual desire, attraction, and sexual behavior, demonstrating the complexities of lesbian sexuality. We conclude with recommendations for future research and lesbian activism.
在埃塞俄比亚，同性性行为是非法的；因此，人们对埃塞俄比亚女同性恋者知之甚少。我们探究了五位埃塞俄比亚女同性恋者的生活，以便从她们的视角了解她们的性取向。我们特别感兴趣的是她们如何看待自己的性身份和行为、她们面临的障碍，以及她们如何应对这些障碍。她们对一份半结构化问卷的回答呈现出三个主要主题，我们从激进的非洲女权主义视角对其进行分析。首先，这些女性一致描述了埃塞俄比亚法律对她们生活的负面影响。其次，所有人都证明了尽管受到压制，但她们仍有性自主的经历。最后，她们的回答显示出在性欲、吸引力和性行为方面存在相当大的多样性和流动性，这表明了女同性恋者性取向的复杂性。我们最后给出了对未来研究和女同性恋激进主义的建议。
