Introduction

Abstract

In the autumn of 2006, a conversation occurred between Sam, Marianne, Eve and Jill, some of the members of a lesbian hiking group that I had recently become acquainted with. We were in a family pub eating a meal, having just been for a walk nearby. We were discussing Jill’s recent women-only walking holiday, and Jill told us about how long the hikes had been and what the accommodation had been like. The friendly atmosphere changed, however, when Marianne asked the question: ‘Were most of the women dykes, then?’ It was clear that Jill was irritated by this question — she told me that she had gone on the trip to appreciate the walks, not the women. When she claimed that she had not had those conversations and did not know the sexuality of her companions, Marianne asked: ‘Well, did they look like dykes?’ Again, Jill said that it was not something she had considered, and promptly changed the topic.