# Are lesbians turned on by women's bodies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239 "2006-03-21T02:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/21 "2006-03-21T18:34:18Z")
[QUOTE=Walloon] > [@Eleusis](#): > > I’ve been to strip clubs, sitting next a… butch lesbian… where they’ve said things much much much more crude and vulgar than any guy I’ve ever heard.[/spoiler]A butch lesbian is a “they”? How does that work? You have never heard someone use “they” as a singular pronoun before? While it’s not correct, it’s very commonplace and hardly worth comment if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/22 "2006-03-21T21:55:15Z")
I believe opening lusting after anyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation depends on the individual. I have several lesbian friends and some do and some don’t, and of those that don’t, it may just be that they don’t in front of me or it may be just that they don’t openly lust after any one. Two of my closest friends are a lesbian couple and they have no problem getting raunchy when looking at each other or any person that happens by. They may not in mixed company, or at least not vocally, but I’ve heard them ask who “that delicious thing” is, or whisper to me what they might like to do to someone. It just depends on the person. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/23 "2006-03-21T21:57:46Z")
Go to Craig’s List and check out the W4W section. Women are posting all kinds of naughty pics of themselves with the intent of attracting other women. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/24 "2006-03-24T01:40:42Z")
> [@Ensign Edison](#): > > Is this…I just…I can’t… > > Yes. Lesbians are turned on by women’s bodies. > > I can’t help but think the lesbians you know are not comfortable speaking openly around you for some reason. Do you think that might be the cause? Do you actually associate with them in situations where it would be appropriate to talk about women’s bodies? My thought exactly. :dubious: It depends on what you describe as ‘turned on’, really. I like Drew Barrymore, I like Sean Bean, they both make good eye candy, but I’m one of those people who wouldn’t choose to say things anywhere near like what \*\*Eleusis \*\* described. Does that mean I’m not turned on by them? The answer: No. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/25 "2006-03-24T01:51:40Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Truthfully, I’m not sure this relevant, but… > > I’ve been to strip clubs, sitting next a… butch lesbian… where they’ve said things much much much more crude and vulgar than any guy I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard stuff like that too, at places like a FOLK CONCERT (!), with butch chicks harassing the female performer. They seemed llike a caricature of redneck frat boys at a strip club. As close as I could reckon, these theatrics are just part of the butch “scene” for some people, just as much as getting a buzz cut and wearing a blue-collar worker’s shirt with someone else’s name stitched over the pocket. The behavior is just a fashion accessory. Not to single out lesbians in this way… it seems like in any lifestyle there are people who are determined to overact the stereotype. Anyway, getting round to my point, that kind of behavior probably isn’t what the OP was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/26 "2006-03-24T02:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=Caricci] > [@Walloon](#): > > You have never heard someone use “they” as a singular pronoun before? While it’s not correct, it’s very commonplace and hardly worth comment if you ask me. Singular use of “they” has been around for centuries, so I’m quite suspect of calling it wrong. It works quite nicely as a gender-neutral pronoun. I think that **Walloon** has been misunderstood here. Like I said, “they” is often used as a gender-neutral pronoun … which is kind of unnecessary when the person is definitely female. I read Walloon’s post as poking fun at Eleusis for this. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/27 "2006-03-24T08:44:50Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Also, if you know that this is NOT the case, why is it that I haven’t heard something like this? I suspect you hang out with the wrong sort of lesbian. My ex got into the gay scene after our relationship ended, and let me tell you that these girls say and do stuff that would make a sailor blush. The question I’d like to ask is “Are straight women turned on by men’s bodies?”, because that’s something I’ve never heard. I could take your entire post, change a few words and post it. I’ve never heard a straight woman say “That guy is so hot I’d like to (&%#)& him all night” and I’ve never seen a straight woman see a hot guy pass by and lose her composure and concentration because of it. Straight men, gay men, lesbians - absolutely. Straight women - no. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/28 "2006-03-24T10:19:31Z")
> [@MissMossie](#): > > I lust after attractive women’s bodies. In certain groups of people, I have no trouble verbalizing this as is appropriate. In other groups of people, I’ve found that if I make a comment about some of the deliciously naughty things I’d like to do to a lady, I suddenly become a sex object to the straight men present. > > Lesbians are a stereotypical straight man’s fantasy. That’s not something every lesbian wants to be, which is enough for many to keep their thoughts to themselves. > > -Mosquito Well, but, you know, as a straight guy, if I made a comment about some of the deliciously naught things I’d like to do to a lady, and I suddenly became a sex object to the lesbians present, I’d try not to mind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/29 "2006-03-24T13:03:35Z")
I’m only bi, but I’ve enjoyed looking at women’s bodies far more than most of my female friends since I was 10. And thinking about the things I’d like to do with - or, more to the point, to - these lovely ladies since I was about 12. Meanwhile, though I have had far more encounters with men and ended up marrying one, looking at a man’s naked body is just kinda… meh. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/30 "2006-03-24T14:16:51Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > And women sometimes admire men for other than purely aesthetic purposes 🙂 I am shocked! Shocked, I say! Yes, I have most certainly heard lesbians lusting after female bodies. Not much else to say, really. Perhaps they don’t talk about it to you? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/31 "2006-03-24T14:20:40Z")
What I mean is, I can talk to straight guys about their interest in me, a female. I can talk to gay guys about their interest in men. I could talk to lesbians about their interest in females but I don’t have all that much interest in it, so why? The topic rarely comes up. > [@Malacandra](#): > > Well, but, you know, as a straight guy, if I made a comment about some of the deliciously naught things I’d like to do to a lady, and I suddenly became a sex object to the lesbians present, I’d try not to mind. Don’t strain yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/32 "2006-03-24T14:29:05Z")
I find the OP question incredibly strange… I am hetero. Mostly. Majorly. And I am very much turned on by some male bodies. Not all, you are all welcome to Tom Cruise. I can also appreciate a woman’s beauty (sometimes) and I can see why anybody with eyes would consider certain females hot: I don’t need to be interested in bedding Angeline to see that she is hot. But you’ll never hear me say anything as gross as, uhm, as some of the things that both men and women have said to me. Isn’t that the definition of sexual orientation? “what gender are the bodies that you find hot”. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/33 "2006-03-24T15:58:36Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Don’t strain yourself. Somewhat more to the point, I shan’t hold my breath. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/34 "2006-03-24T16:18:06Z")
I see an unstated assumption in the OP: that “being turned on by someone’s body” refers specifically to _visual_ stimulus. Dare I say it: this is typical “guy” think. Assuming that the principal (or only) sexual stimulus is visual. One hears hypotheses about Early Man being a Hunter whose visual cortex is primed for stalking the prey, for the chase, etc., and this explains the predatory male gaze aimed at women. I’m not sure how much of that theory is rubbish and how much is accurate. But I do know the predatory male gaze is a reality that is constantly present in women’s experience. As soon as I saw the thread title, I thought: What a no-brainer of a question! Of course lesbians get turned on by other women’s bodies _when they’re in bed together making love_. That’s what sexuality means to me, primarily. As for women seeing other women as visually sexy: Take a look at some lesbian erotica produced _by_ lesbians _for_ lesbians. Compare that with the “lesbian” activity in porn produced by men for men. The content, the basic types of activities in either, is objectively the same, right? So how to account for the huge difference in look and feel between the two? I bet most men have never seen lesbian-made lesbian erotica and have no idea what it’s really like. The best thing I can recommend the OP to understand is to peruse the great photography book _Women Seeing Women_ ed. by Lothar Schirmer. New York: Norton, 2003. All the photographers are women, as are all the subjects. This book is replete with images suggesting how women look upon other women as sexy. Many of the pictures are intensely erotic… and many aren’t. It covers a wide variety of ways of seeing women. The subjects and photographers come in all varieties and combinations of lesbian, hetero, bi, and whatever. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/35 "2006-03-24T17:20:16Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > As for women seeing other women as visually sexy: Take a look at some lesbian erotica produced _by_ lesbians _for_ lesbians. Compare that with the “lesbian” activity in porn produced by men for men. The content, the basic types of activities in either, is objectively the same, right? So how to account for the huge difference in look and feel between the two? I bet most men have never seen lesbian-made lesbian erotica and have no idea what it’s really like. The difference between lesbian made lesbian erotica and hetero made lesbian erotica? Besides the obvious of fingernail length, I would say the difference is that the women in the lesbian made erotica are really hot, visually speaking. I am totally attracted to many of the bodies I see in lesbian made lesbian erotica. I’m generally less attracted to the women in hetero made lesbian erotica. I know many lesbians who are attracted to women’s bodies, not just when they’re in bed with said women, but all the time. A beautiful female form is a visual stimulus, to use your words, that turns me on. That’s one of the things that makes me a lesbian. Granted, I’m even more turned on when I’m in bed with an attractive woman, but that doesn’t mean the female form doesn’t attract me all of the time. -Mosquito ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/36 "2006-03-24T20:02:34Z")
Well, I certainly don’t want to speak for all lesbians but I think that most of us are visually stimulated by the female form. It’s a difficult question to answer because in doing so we may be painting things with too broad a brush. I know a lot of the “feminist” types who claim that they appreciate the female body in _all \* of it’s forms but I generally cry bullshit. We can be just as base as anyone of any gender anyone of_ any\* sexual expression. Whether or not this is verbalized or displayed in some fashion is largely dependent on the person’s own values and of the society in which they navigate. For me personally, yes, I can enter a prurient frame of mind when looking at a woman whom I find incredibly sexy. Depending on who I’m with I may or may not reveal my thoughts. My partner is the same way. We are not “butch” (I only clarify because “butch” women were brought up in previous posts) yet neither are we “femme” and we are both educated professionals. So, in a word (or more) we think women are hot and we like to fuck. Simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/37 "2006-03-24T20:53:04Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > I’ve never heard a straight woman say “That guy is so hot I’d like to (&%#)& him all night” and I’ve never seen a straight woman see a hot guy pass by and lose her composure and concentration because of it. Straight men, gay men, lesbians - absolutely. Straight women - no. You should come hang out with me and my friends. We say shit like that all the time to each other. Of course, most of us are bi women, not straight… > [@](#): > > I see an unstated assumption in the OP: that “being turned on by someone’s body” refers specifically to visual stimulus. Dare I say it: this is typical “guy” think. I must be a man then, because visual stimulus is most important to me when I consider who/what turns me on. I don’t think it’s that unusual for women to be visually stimulated by the forms of either sex, but then again, I don’t hang out with normal women. > [@](#): > > I know many lesbians who are attracted to women’s bodies, not just when they’re in bed with said women, but all the time. A beautiful female form is a visual stimulus, to use your words, that turns me on. Yes, although I tend to be more physically attracted to men and emotionally attracted to women, I like looking at hot girls. I’ve wanted to buy a subscription to my favorite female porn star’s website (but it was so expensive ;.; ) and I have a rather large collection of her pics on my hard drive. I know nothing of her personality, what she’s like in bed, or even her sexuality (some straight girls do girl-on-girl stuff), I just like looking at her naked form. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/38 "2006-03-24T20:55:47Z")
> [@kimera](#): > > I’ve wanted to buy a subscription to my favorite female porn star’s website (but it was so expensive ;.; ) and I have a rather large collection of her pics on my hard drive. I know nothing of her personality, what she’s like in bed, or even her sexuality (some straight girls do girl-on-girl stuff), I just like looking at her naked form. So, ummm… who might that be? \<\<\\>\> ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/39 "2006-03-24T21:55:46Z")
> [@The Chao Goes Mu](#): > > So, ummm… who might that be? \<\<\\>\> Jordan Capri. Do a google image search, it’s very not safe for work. Her website is $30/month ;.; I look at her and I think I want to fuck her so hard that she won’t be able to walk for a week. But I’d settle for making out. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239/40 "2006-03-24T21:57:52Z")
> [@kimera](#): > > Jordan Capri. Do a google image search, it’s very not safe for work. Her website is $30/month ;.; > > I look at her and I think > > I want to fuck her so hard that she won’t be able to walk for a week. > > But I’d settle for making out. :eek: Wow. Thank you. \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-lesbians-turned-on-by-womens-bodies/349239.md?page=3)