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Abstract

This article is an attempt to analyse my experiences during the 1970s as the adolescent daughter of a lesbian, setting these against some of the theoretical writing in this area. It starts from the premise that personal experience, if treated theoretically, can provide illumination beyond the scope of an individual's life. In the article I draw parallels between my experience of `coming out' as the daughter of a lesbian and the more commonly understood process of `coming out' about one's own sexual orientation. I also attempt to come to some understanding of the extent to which my experiences of 25 years ago are reflected in the experiences of the children of lesbians today and suggest how support and recognition may be given to those young people and their parents.

Keywords

adolescence autobiography coming out education sexual orientation

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Growing Up with a Lesbian Mother: A Theoretically-based Analysis of Personal Experience

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