Boston Marriages: Romantic but Asexual Relationships among Contemporary Lesbians

Book Overview

For decades the term "Boston marriage" was used to describe single women who lived together and shared their lives. The presumption then was that these partnerships were nonsexual. In recent years, however, the opposite assumption has prevailed, causing some women involved in such relationships to hide the asexual nature of their attachments in the lesbian community.

Convinced that Boston marriages are both legitimate and important, Esther D. Rothblum and Kathleen A. Brehony argue that in a society that defines intimacy by the occurrence of sexual activity, we have no word for--and thus no understanding of--the intensely romantic but asexual relationships that some lesbians form. By bringing these relationships "out of the closet" and discussing them openly, the editors and other contributors to this volume challenge our views about lesbianism and address larger questions concerning the construction of sexuality and sexual identity. How, for example, do we define a lesbian relationship? What constitutes a romantic involvement? If a couple does not engage in sex, are they still considered lovers?

This book includes ten personal accounts by women involved in Boston marriages as well as theoretical essays by Lillian Faderman, Marnie Hall, JoAnn Loulan, Suzanna Rose, Debra Zand, Marie Cini, and Laura Brown.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870238760
• ISBN13: 9780870238765
• Release Date: November 1993
• Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

What's in a relationship?

Apparently not sex-necessarily. In this book, Brehony and Rothblum explore the lives of lesbian women who, for whatever reason, omit sex from their relationships. The authors' inclusion of theoretical models, personal accounts, and discussants effectively illustrates portraits of real people who make conscious decisions about their sexuality- not women who are controlled or defined by existing social constructions. The book powerfully raises philosophical questions about the nature of relationships in general- for example, what is a relationship without sex? The book calls all people to question the nature and purpose of their own sexuality. I omit one star simply for its lack of historical and statistical data. However, the book serves its purpose- recognizing and attempting to understand relationships that have previously been undiscussed.