The role of friendship in the development and maintenance of lesbian love relationships.
The role of friendship in the development and maintenance of lesbian love relationships was investigated by means of a structured interview with 23 lesbian women. Friendship was found to be a key factor in the development of the respondents' first same-sex love relationships; the first sexual/romantic relationship often grew out of an established friendship between the women. Also, friendship was found to be a prime developmental and maintenance factor in the women's current relationships; 78% stated that their current lover had first been their friend, and 77% stated that their current lover had become their closest friend. Some related issues, such as development of a lesbian identity and definitional differences between "lover" and "friend," were also examined. A theoretical discussion interpreting the friendship findings within a feminist framework of women-identification is included.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D011340:Problem Solving