The Coming of the Young andSexy Lesbian:
The IsraeliUrban Scenario
即將到來的年輕女同志：
以色列城市方案
出處：社會符號學第17卷第1號
日期：2007年3月
作者：Diana Luzzato and Liora Gvion
指導老師：劉以琳
組員：楊椀喬
李采芸
介紹
This paper deals with the ways in which young Israeli lesbians use their
bodies in order to detach themselves from both straight women and the older
generation of lesbians.They make use of bodily cultural codes borrowed from the
mainstream youth culture, yet modified in articulation with the lesbian subculture.
The manipulation of codes brings forward the complexity of their
age/gender/sexual identity as dictated by the postmodern era.
本論文主要是以「以色列」的年輕女同性戀者使他們本
身與非女同性戀者和老一輩的女同性戀者做區分。他們利用
青年文化的主流來借用身體文化代碼，並修改與連接同性戀
文化 ， 並 提出了年齡／性別／性 的 認 同 等複雜性身分並主宰
後時代。
議題
The study is based on in-depth interviews with lesbians who live in an urban
environment. Results indicate that young lesbians use two complementary codes. On the
one hand they apply bodily codes in accordance with youth culture. Simultaneously,they
assign different meanings to items culturally associated with traditional heterosexual
women’s sexuality. They claim the older generation to neglect physical attractiveness, out
of feminist ideology; they insist that nowadays a woman can be both sexy and lesbian.
Queer theory, which has emerged a decade later, is a corpus of studies grown out of
post-structuralism, feminist thought, and lesbian/gay studies. It claims that there exist no
authentic and non-authentic identities (gender/sexual/ethnic, and so on) as identities are
functions of representations, and are contingent on specific contexts.
這個研究基於住在城市環境中女同性戀者的深入訪談。結果顯示
女同性戀者使用兩個互補的代碼。一方面，他們採用青年文化的身體
代碼，同時又分配不同涵義的傳統異性戀婦女的性傾向與文化項目。
他們聲稱老一 輩 的婦女忽視了女權主義思想的物理吸引力，他們堅
持，如今一個女人可以既性感又可以同性戀。
同性戀理論出現十年後，所研究發展出來的後結構主義，女權主
義思想和女同性戀／同性戀研究。他們聲稱那些存在不真實與非真實
的身分(性別／性／民族等等)作為本身的代表並取決於具體的情況。
內容
This paper suggests analyzing the manipulation of cultural codes as a means to bring
forward the complexity of age/gender/sexual identity in accordance with the postmodern
era. This research analyzes the ways in which young Israeli urban lesbians bring into play
their bodies in order to differentiate themselves from both straight women and the older
generation of lesbians. Unlike the older generation, which has emphasized emotional
bonding between women rather than sex-based relations, young urban lesbians want to be
seen as sexy women.
本文分析的文化代碼，是提出 現 在 的年齡／性別／性 認 知
的複雜性操作。研究分析以色列的年輕女同性戀者 使 他 們 本
身讓自己有別於非女同性戀者和老一輩的女同性戀者。研究
強調老一輩 女同志社區的差異，與講求情調 的婦女不是基於
性別之間的關係連接，而是城市的年輕女同性戀者想要被視
為性感的婦女。
文化
Although Israel is defined as a Jewish state where there is no separation between state and religion, the general
atmosphere in Tel-Aviv, from the mid 1980s, is supportive of the gay/lesbian subculture. Tel-Aviv, also called ‘‘the
city with no break’’, is the biggest Israeli city and cultural center, it has a prevalently secular population, and the
municipality supports a cosmopolitan and liberal orientation. Tel-Aviv is also the center of youth culture in general and
gay life in particular.The acceptance of different modes of sexualities resulted in the recognition of the heterogeneity
among gay and lesbians*/one based on place of residency, sexual preferences, age, ethnic identities, places of origins,
level of education,and so forth. Different groups within the community started looking for ways to distinguish themselves
and make themselves identifiable both to the lesbian/gay community as well as to heterosexual men and women.
Lesbians were to embody the androgynous ideal consisting of jeans, T-shirts or flannel shirts and boots. They
stressed the natural body features by not wearing a brassiere or refraining from shaving their legs. Others preferred to
adopt the ‘‘tomboy style’’ (youthful boyish style), which allowed combining sportive and ‘‘naughty’’
clothes and behavior with the care of exterior appearance; for example, earrings, different haircuts, colored stripes or gel
on the hair.
以色列是一個沒有分國家與宗教的猶太國家，在迅速變化的十年當中，越來越多
同性戀生活的合法性 ， 在特拉維夫８０年代中期，是支持同性戀／女同性戀文化
的。特拉維夫 為 以色列最大的城市和文化中心，他有絕育世俗的人口，是支援國際
都會和自由的方向，是同性戀生活的中心。在接受不同模式的特徵導致承認 男 同 性
戀 ／ 女 同性戀者一個基於地點的居住年期、性偏好、年齡、族群認同、地方起源、
教育程度等等。在社區內不同群體開始尋找各種方法來區分自己。
女同性戀是雌雄同體的理想組合，包括牛仔褲、Ｔ恤或襯衫、絨布靴子。他們強
調 自 身 的 特 色 ，不穿胸衣或不搞劈腿。另一種人是比較傾向於假小子風格（少年孩
子氣），就是結合頑皮的嬉戲和衣服、行為與外觀，例如耳環、髮型或染髮。
認知
The physical representation of the young lesbian body consists of interplay between the
“language” and the “speech”. The young Israeli urban lesbians do not try to mask
their physical female properties (i.e. the “language”). Rather, they turn their body into a
fluid arena of meanings open to multiple forms of selfrepresentation (i.e. the “speech”),
all understood by the lesbian community. Older lesbians, as mentioned, used their bodies in
order to promote a radical feminist ideology. While conforming to an androgynous ideal in
their dressing style, they also stressed the natural features of the body.
年輕的女同性戀 者 身體的物理表示由 “ 語言”和 “ 講
話 ” 的相互作用。年輕的女同志試圖掩蓋其物理的女性屬性
(即語言)。而是他們把他們的身體變成流動舞台的多種形式
(即女同性戀社區)。較老的女同性戀者提到，用來促進女權主
義思想的是他們的身體，同時符合他們的著裝風格的雌雄同
體理想，並強調自身的特徵。
方法
This paper is part of a larger project aiming to explore processes taking place in the gay/lesbian community. This
article is based mainly on in-depth interviews with 27 lesbians 20/28 years of age who lived out of the closet for at
least three years. All interviews were open. Description of each of the respondents to put forward their own
experiences. The reason for the selection was twofold.
First, young women complete their military service at the age of 20; then they begin to take decisions about their
future. At about the age of 28 they are supposed to be on their route to an adult life. The second reason for our
selection lies in the fact that major figures of the feminist lesbian Israeli community are urban, professional and
educated women. These women give legitimacy both to the lesbian identity and the lesbian community. They are the
cohorts out of which famous journalists, lawyers, university lecturers and politicians emerge.
這份專案在探索女同性戀社區發生的過程。主要是 以 「 深入訪談
法」，訪談27位女同性戀者，受訪者平均年齡為20-28歲左右，且所有
訪談採開放性談話，讓每個受訪者描述並提出自身的經驗。
所選內容的原因有兩方面：
一. 年輕婦女在20歲時完成軍事服務；然後對自己的未來開始做出決
定。在28歲時開始成為成年人的生活。
二. 在以色列社會的女性主義，女同性戀主要 為 受過教育的婦女 ， 並
且給予合法女同性戀身分和同性戀社區。
區別
Afterwards, we inquired about the meanings assigned to every body part and we listed them. Our informants
mentioned four major significant bodily parts: the hair, the face, the upper part, from the shoulders to the navel, and the
lower part.
Upper body
Hair
Tattoo
Length
Fitness
Hair
Clothes
Hot / grasping hair
Lower body
Face
Pants
Makeup
Shoes
Earring
採訪女同性戀者所區分的四
大重要部分：
頭髮

長度
染髮
燙／抓髮

臉

化妝
耳環

上半身
紋身
健身
衣服
下半身
褲子
鞋子
結論
Our study shows how young urban lesbians use their body at one and the same time in order to
distinguish themselves from heterosexual women and older lesbians, yet aim to provide grounds for the
possible creation of a young lesbian subculture.Our research indicates the multi-dimensions of
significance of this new lesbian body. On the one hand, there is a growing flexibility.On the other hand,
these new combinations are subjected to a further system of codes. it points to subtle means of social
control that assure the acceptance of bodily codes by both the young lesbian community and youth
culture. Their acceptance allows not only drawing boundaries between lesbian and straight women, but
also between young lesbians and the previous generation of lesbians.Israeli urban young sexy lesbians
succeed in following the precepts of a ‘‘queer behavior’’ by constructing a body that refuses to
completely assimilate itself into a lesbian culture*/or into a youth culture.
研究顯示年輕女同性戀者使他們本身與異性戀婦女和老一輩的女
同 性 戀 者 做 區 分 ，目的是要提供 一 個 理由創造一個年輕的女同志文
化。這個研究表明新的女同性戀意義的多維，一方面是越來越多靈活
性。不只映射新的語言、新的代碼，並指向微妙社會控制的手段、雙
方的身體、年輕的女同志和青年文化。不僅允許其接受女同性戀 者 和
非同性戀者之間、年輕女同性戀者和上一輩的女同性戀者之間。年輕
的女同性戀者成功地構成新文化，且拒絕完全融入舊有的文化。
謝謝各位的聆聽
頭髮
Hairstyle reflects upon both age groups and dominant ideologies, Many lesbians
in their forties and fifties, who have been influenced by a radical feminism, refrain
from styling their hair. They let it grow wild, or cut it extremely short ignoring any
fashionable or stylistic features.
Younger lesbians adopt various styles of haircut popular in youth culture. Hair
can be of various lengths.
過 去 髮型反射在年齡組和統治思想體系。許多女同性戀者在他們的
四十年代和五十年代，被女權主義影響，以至於缺乏時尚觀念，所以只
侷限在把頭髮留長或剪短。
現在年輕的女同性戀者採用風格各異的髮型，如：頭髮長度不拘、
染髮、燙髮，亦可使用塑型工具(如髮蠟、髮雕等)抓髮。
Ｂａｃｋ
臉
Scholars have mostly referred to the face both as the principle determinant in the
perception of one’s beauty or ugliness and as a means to express feelings. saw the face as
embodying an esthetic meaning, being a symbol not only of one’s spirit but of one’s
personality as well. Both, the body and the face have turned into an arena of knowledge
governed and manipulated by capitalistic entrepreneurs who encourage women to invest
time,money and commitment to aesthetic standards.
Makeup of the point that they occasionally, but rarely use lipstick and would wear earrings,
to increase the attractiveness.
學者大多提到，臉可視為一個人的門面，為美麗或醜陋感知的決定
因素，不僅是一個人的精神及人的性格象徵，也可以用來表達感情。
同時，身體和臉變成了一個知識管理的領域及操縱資本主義，鼓勵
女生投出時間和金錢來達到審美標準。他們偶爾會化點妝，但很少使用
口紅，也會配戴耳環，來增加吸引力。
Ｂａｃｋ
上半身
They claim the upper body serves as an esthetic and sexually attractive feature. Breasts,
for instance, must not be too big yet firm and the arms thin but strong. Is putting on the
aspect mainly for the T-shirt or the shirt .Body adornments like tattoos, common within
youth culture, are also meant to convey femininity, yet not in articulation with heterosexual
youth culture. They thought many model communities may do in some spot for the female
homosexuality mark mark.
女同性戀要求上 半 身作為一個審美和性吸引的特點。例如： 胸 部
不能太大，所以他們透過健身的方式，讓胸部堅硬而不會太大；在穿
著方面主要為T恤或襯衫；還有紋身，共同青年文化中的身體修飾也
是為了傳達女性，但不在修改與異性戀青年文化，他們認為多個紋身
在某部位可以做為女同性戀的標記符號。
Ｂａｃｋ
下半身
As part of the young urban lesbian＇s “speech”, it is apparent moving from the upper part of the
body to the lower part that “masculine” versus “feminine” traits are more prominent, as esthetic and
behavioral codes are openly verbalized and negotiated. For instance, the “masculine” lesbians wear flat
shoes with laces, low-cut pants and some of them leave some space for an imaginable male sexual organ
The sexy ones also prefer flat shoes, At times they wear a skirt or even a mini-skirt.
Shoes, too, reflect the growing tendency among young lesbians to adopt youth-culture esthetic props.
Irit always preferred delicate shoes yet she did not want to wear heels. she dedicated to buying shoes. She
bought a number of pairs, all of which were expensive, made of soft leather and in various colors such as
beige, dark pink and brown.
作為城市年輕女同性戀者從身體上半身到下半身的男性與女性同性
戀性狀更加突出審美和行為守則。例如：偏向‘’男性‘’的女同性戀
者穿平花邊、低腰褲子。
鞋子，反 映 年輕女同性戀者之 間 通 過 青年文化審美 不 斷 增 長 的 趨
勢，他們偏好軟皮革和多種顏色的鞋子，幾乎不太穿高跟鞋。
Ｂａｃｋ