Introduction

SUMMARY

This paper provides an introduction to this volume by outlining the emergence of lesbian geographies and the contribution they have made to understanding the mutual constitution of sexuality and space. It begins by tracing the development of these geographies from initial studies which aimed to map lesbian neighbourhoods to later work which has drawn on theorists such as Judith Butler, to explore the production and regulation of heterosexual space. It then goes on to situate the papers included in this volume within this literature by outlining their contents and the themes which crosscut them.

Key Words:

• Geography
• sexuality
• lesbian
• space

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gill Valentine

Gill Valentine is Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield, where she teaches social geography and qualitative research methods. Her research interests include: geographies of sexualities; food and foodscapes; and children, youth and parenting. She is co-editor (with D. Bell) of Mapping Desire: Geographies of Sexualities (Routledge, 1995), co-author (with D. Bell) of Consuming Geographies: You Are Where You Eat (Routledge, 1997) and co-editor (with T. Skelton) of Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures (Routledge, 1998).