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LESBIANS ON THE LOOSE
Fix this textAUGUST 1992 ISSUE 32
Fix this textVOL. 3 NO. 8
Fix this textFREE
Fix this textYOUNG DYKE REPORT
Fix this textSHOCK FINDINGS
Fix this textby Frances Rand
Fix this textA survey of young lesbians
Fix this textconducted by Vic Barbeler and
Fix this textthe Young Lesbians Support
Fix this textGroup has come up with some shocking
Fix this textfindings. Young Sydney lesbians are
Fix this textexperiencing high levels of violence, high
Fix this textlevels of substance abuse and receiving
Fix this textvery little support.
Fix this text"The Young Lesbian Report, A Study of
Fix this textthe Attitudes and Behaviours of Young
Fix this textLesbians Today" was privately funded
Fix this textand undertaken in order to ascertain
Fix this textattitudes and behaviours of young lesbians.
Fix this textTwo hundred young women aged between
Fix this text14 and 25 answered questions on what
Fix this textthey do, who their friends are, coming out,
Fix this textsexual activity, drug and alcohol use,
Fix this textmental health, relationships, safe sex
Fix this textknowledge, discrimination, violence,
Fix this textsupport and motherhood. Most of the
Fix this textwomen (85.5%) identified as lesbians, 9%
Fix this textas bisexual, 3.5% gay and 2% preferred not
Fix this textto have a label. The women came from a
Fix this textfairly representative cross-section of
Fix this textbackgrounds. Most of the surveys (75%)
Fix this textwere collected from support groups and
Fix this textcoffee shops. The rest were from licensed
Fix this textvenues.
Fix this textHIGH LEVEL OF VIOLENCE
Fix this textT he survey reveals that young lesbians are
Fix this textincurring a greater level of physically
Fix this textviolent attacks than any previous surveys
Fix this textof lesbians have shown. 27% of the lesbians
Fix this texthad experienced physical violence because
Fix this textof their sexuality, compared to 15% in the
Fix this textLesbian Conference survey last year. For
Fix this text35% of these women physical assault took
Fix this textthe form of rape. Levels of reporting
Fix this textviolence were lower than previous surveys
Fix this textwith 61% of young lesbians not reporting
Fix this texttheir attack to anyone. A n even higher 83 %
Fix this textdid not report to the police.
Fix this textIn the area of substance abuse, high levels
Fix this textof legal and illegal drugs use were revealed,
Fix this textin some instances higher than similar
Fix this textsurveys of young women have shown.
Fix this text59% of all lesbians smoke, 27% use
Fix this textdepressants, 21% narcotics, 63% cannabis,
Fix this text42.5% stimulants, 41.5% inhalants and
Fix this text41.5% hallucinogens. 12% of 14-18 year
Fix this textolds misused substances. Some good news
Fix this textis that surveys collected through social
Fix this textand support groups showed a decrease in
Fix this textthe number of those who drank. The
Fix this textwomen surveyed were also aware of their
Fix this textneed for support with 59% saying there is
Fix this texta need for drink and drug free spaces in the
Fix this textcommunity.
Fix this textINTERNALISED HOMOPHOBIA
Fix this textLack of support is experienced by many of
Fix this textthe lesbians surveyed both from their
Fix this textfamilies and within the lesbian and gay
Fix this textcommunity. Internalised homophobia is
Fix this textalso felt strongly. 25% of respondents left
Fix this texthome because of their sexuality. Coming
Fix this textout is still a difficult process for young
Fix this textdykes; the average age at which they
Fix this textrealised their sexual identity is 16.4 years.
Fix this textMany felt negatively about it and
Fix this textexperienced a fear of rejection and also
Fix this textself-loathing. Most (85%) actually
Fix this textexperienced rejection from parents ranging
Fix this textfrom withholding contact to sending their
Fix this textdaughter to a psychiatrist. 60% had felt
Fix this textvery depressed because of their sexuality.
Fix this textOf these, 63% had contemplated suicide
Fix this textand 30% had actually attempted suicide.
Fix this textWhile most (87%) were out to their friends,
Fix this text49% were out to their mothers, 22% to their
Fix this textfathers, 31 % to teachers, and an astonishing
Fix this text38% to their counsellors.Most(B9.s%)have
Fix this textexperienced discrimination; 51% from the
Fix this texteducation department, 48% in
Fix this textemployment, 32% from the police, 29% in
Fix this textthe provision of accommodation,2s% from
Fix this text...Cont. p. 3
Fix this textKERRY’S
Fix this textHOLLOW
Fix this textVICTORY
Fix this textKerry Parnell, who won a
Fix this textdiscrimination complaint
Fix this textagainst the Sydney City Council
Fix this textin June, is disillusioned by her victory.
Fix this textAlthough she received $22,000 from the
Fix this textCouncil and the case has generated adverse
Fix this textpublicity for the Council, the terms of
Fix this textsettlement mean she virtually cannot
Fix this textdiscuss the case publicly. She has also been
Fix this textgiven no assurance that the men who
Fix this textharassed her would leave her alone or that
Fix this textdiscriminatory behaviour would cease at
Fix this textthe Council.
Fix this textKerry was employed as an Equal
Fix this textEmployment Opportunities officer by the
Fix this textCouncil whenshefirstexperienced lesbian
Fix this text...Cont. p. 3
Fix this textKerry Parnell outside the Sydney Town Hall
Fix this textPhoto: Dianne Fairweather
Fix this textinside...
Fix this textcisco kid returns...incest...bernie sheehan...
Fix this textRegistered by Australia Post - Publication No. NBQ 4194
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-884067498
(1990). Lesbians on the loose Retrieved May 16, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-884067498
Lesbians on the loose Newtown [N.S.W.]: Lesbians on the loose, 1990. Web. 16 May 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-884067498>
1990, Lesbians on the loose Lesbians on the loose, Newtown [N.S.W.] viewed 16 May 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-884067498
{{Citation
|
| title=Lesbians on the loose.
| year=1990
| issn=1324-6542
| issue=Vol. 3 No. 8 (August 1992)
| location=Newtown [N.S.W.]
| publisher=Lesbians on the loose
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-884067498
| id=nla.obj-884067498
| access-date=16 May 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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