Lesbianism: A Study in Female Homosexuality: With a New Father-Daughter Dialogue

by David H. Rosen, Rachel Rosen, Evelyn Hooker (Foreword)

This new edition of Lesbianism allows one to understand lesbianism as a way of life. The original 1965-1966 research study is included in its entirety. Unlike Freud, who based his view that lesbianism was a mental disorder on a single case study, this breakthrough and innovative research project concerns interviews and psychological testing of 26 lesbians who were not psychiatric patients. And, as one would predict, these lesbians were not disturbed, as far as mental health was concerned. The original research was done before homosexuality was removed as a mental disorder. It seems odd today to even consider Freud's view as accurate. We have come a long way in recognizing that one's sexual preference is just that. This study was a pioneering one that disproved a false idea that lesbianism was evidence of an emotional disorder. And this 2020 edition includes a conversation about the book with Rachel Rosen, who is a lesbian. The dialogue between the author and his daughter provides insightful questions and a true understanding of lesbianism.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

David H. Rosen (b. 1945) is an American psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, and author.