Womyn's land

Womyn's land is an intentional community organised by lesbian separatists to establish counter-cultural, women-centred space, without the presence of men.^[1]^[2] These lands were the result of a social movement of the same name that developed in the 1970s in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and western Europe.^[3] Many still exist today.^[4] Womyn's land-based communities and residents are loosely networked through social media; print publications such as newsletters; Maize: A Lesbian Country Magazine;^[5]^[6] Lesbian Natural Resources, a not-for-profit organisation that offers grants and resources; and regional and local gatherings.^[7]

Womyn's lands practice various forms of lesbian separatism, an idea which emerged as a result of the radical feminist movement in the late 1960s.^[8] Lesbian separatism is based on the idea that women must exist separately from men, socially and politically, in order to achieve the goals of feminism.^[9] These separatist communities exist as a way for women to achieve female liberation by separating themselves from mainstream patriarchal society.^[10] Men are not allowed to live in these communities, but a few lands allow men to visit.^[4] Some communities ban male infants and/or male relatives.^[4]

Womyn's lands have generated a wide range of criticisms, most of which centre around the lack of acceptance by many residents of bisexual and heterosexual women; the exclusion of transgender women; ideological conflicts with local communities that include violence and threats of violence targeting residents of womyn's lands;^[11]^[12] and local community concerns about expanded lesbian visibility.^[11]^[13] Examples of present-day womyn's lands include Hawk Hill Community Land Trust, HOWL, Susan B. Anthony Memorial Unrest Home (SuBAMUH) and Sugar Loaf Women's Village.^[14] Today, these communities are facing decline as founders age, and they struggle to connect with younger generations of women.^[4]

^ Levy, Ariel (March 2, 2009). "Lesbian Nation". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
^ Ellison, Kate (September 30, 2013). "Lesbian Intentional Community: "Yer not from around here, are ya?"". Fellowship for Intentional Community. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
^ Cheney 1985.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kershaw, Sarah (January 30, 2009). "My Sister's Keeper". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
^ "Maize, A Lesbian Country Magazine". Woman, Earth & Spirit, Inc. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
^ "Maize". Retrieved 13 June 2018 – via Lesbian Poetry Archive.
^ Waldner, Lisa K.; Dobratz, Betty A.; Buzzell, Tim, eds. (2004). "Rivers of ideas, participants, and praxis: the benefits and challenges of confluence in the Landdyke movement (by Sine Anahita)". Politics of Change: Sexuality, Gender and Aging (Research in Political Sociology, Volume 13). Emerald Group Publishing. pp. 13–46. ISBN 978-0762309917.
^ Bess, Gabby (October 13, 2015). "No Man's Land: How to Build a Feminist Utopia". Broadly. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
^ Shugar 1995, p. xi.
^ Shugar 1995, p. 14.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Lynch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Reno was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Greene, Kate (2003). "Fear and Loathing in Mississippi: The Attack on Camp Sister Spirit". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 7 (2): 85–106. doi:10.1300/J155v07n02_07. ISSN 1089-4160. PMID 24815896. S2CID 32627451.
^ Conti, Allie (December 18, 2016). "Who's Killing the Women's Land Movement?". Vice. Retrieved April 27, 2017.

[Levy-1] Levy, Ariel (March 2, 2009). "Lesbian Nation". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 26, 2017.

[2] Ellison, Kate (September 30, 2013). "Lesbian Intentional Community: "Yer not from around here, are ya?"". Fellowship for Intentional Community. Retrieved 7 June 2018.

[FOOTNOTECheney1985-3] Cheney 1985.

[Kershaw-4] Kershaw, Sarah (January 30, 2009). "My Sister's Keeper". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.

[5] "Maize, A Lesbian Country Magazine". Woman, Earth & Spirit, Inc. Retrieved 7 June 2018.

[6] "Maize". Retrieved 13 June 2018 – via Lesbian Poetry Archive.

[7] Waldner, Lisa K.; Dobratz, Betty A.; Buzzell, Tim, eds. (2004). "Rivers of ideas, participants, and praxis: the benefits and challenges of confluence in the Landdyke movement (by Sine Anahita)". Politics of Change: Sexuality, Gender and Aging (Research in Political Sociology, Volume 13). Emerald Group Publishing. pp. 13–46. ISBN 978-0762309917.

[Bess-8] Bess, Gabby (October 13, 2015). "No Man's Land: How to Build a Feminist Utopia". Broadly. Retrieved April 26, 2017.

[FOOTNOTEShugar1995xi-9] Shugar 1995, p. xi.

[FOOTNOTEShugar199514-10] Shugar 1995, p. 14.

[Lynch-11] Cite error: The named reference Lynch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Reno-12] Cite error: The named reference Reno was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Greene-13] Greene, Kate (2003). "Fear and Loathing in Mississippi: The Attack on Camp Sister Spirit". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 7 (2): 85–106. doi:10.1300/J155v07n02_07. ISSN 1089-4160. PMID 24815896. S2CID 32627451.

[Conti-14] Conti, Allie (December 18, 2016). "Who's Killing the Women's Land Movement?". Vice. Retrieved April 27, 2017.

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