Description

‘Bracing, nourishing and wonderfully pro-woman’ Victoria Smith, author of Hags

‘A big-hearted, infuriating, clever and highly entertaining read, just like the woman who wrote it’ Kathleen Stock, author of Material Girls

‘Personal, passionate memoir-cum-cultural commentary’ New Statesman

‘Excellent … Discursive and engaging’ Susanna Rustin, author of Sexed: A History of British Feminism

What does it mean to be a lesbian now? Has the quest for lesbian liberation stalled, and if so, why?

Part-memoir, part frontline reportage and part cultural commentary, Julie Bindel examines what defines lesbian culture, love, friendship and happiness today. She distinguishes the particular challenges facing lesbians from the very different experiences of gay men, and asks: why do lesbians so often seem to face particular hostility? Comparing past attitudes to today, she argues that lesbians continue to suffer from bigotry and discrimination because sexism and enforced gendered roles are still left unchallenged. She explores why many of the biggest assaults on lesbian freedom and wellbeing around the world now come, not just from conservatives, but also from so-called progressives, who are often antagonistic to lesbians organising and socialising autonomously.

Rooted in her own remarkable story, this personal and passionate book is both an investigation into the obstacles to lesbian flourishing, and a testament to the particular delights of being a lesbian.

Publisher Review

‘A big-hearted, infuriating, clever and highly entertaining read, just like the woman who wrote it’ – Kathleen Stock, author of Material Girls ‘Julie Bindel has done more to improve the lives of lesbians than most. This book should be read by all that care about an end to the oppression of this very special tribe’ – Martina Navratilova ‘Julie Bindel has bravely stood against the attempts of the commercial LGBTQ+ movement to erase the reality of lesbian lives and experience, against a rising tide of misogyny. This book is a vital contribution to the lesbian fightback’ – Joanna Cherry KC ‘Julie Bindel has been and still is the tireless truth-teller we all need. She’s even managed to unite the LGB like never before. I wish we’d never divorced…’ – James Dreyfus ‘A bold and unapologetic rallying cry for lesbian liberation, and a rich tapestry of history, politics and personal insight, celebrating the complexity of lesbian lives: nuanced, profound, joyful and defiant’ – Faika El-Nagashi ‘Enlightening, compassionate and at times enraging, this is a book to be read by all women, lesbian and straight. Bracing, nourishing and wonderfully pro-woman, it’s a story of backlash but also of hope’ – Victoria Smith, author of Hags ‘Finally! A comprehensive account of the (near) destruction of lesbian lives and culture at the hands of gender ideology told with Bindel’s usual mix of perfectly paced story-telling and laser like feminist political analysis’ – Jo Phoenix ‘Personal, passionate memoir-cum-cultural commentary … Progressives should take note’ – Hannah Barnes, New Statesman ‘Lesbians is an excellent book. Julie is very clear about what she thinks and the book makes a powerful case … Discursive and engaging’ – Susanna Rustin, author of Sexed: A History of British Feminism