Abstract
Far from considering sexuality a dichotomous system of classification, with exclusive categories such as heterosexual and homosexual, scholars are paying closer attention to the ways in which individuals navigate sexual identity categories and engage in behavior that makes a single classification problematic. The focus of this article is on the experience of self-identified lesbian, bisexual and queer women who have moved from relationships with female partners to relationships with male partners. After 14 interviews, this research shows that the women in question reject some labels, such as straight and bisexual, but become protective of other labels, such as lesbian. The women themselves begin to serve as a sort of boundary police, protective of who exactly fits into the lesbian category.
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