Lesbian Nation was a Dutch lesbian feminist activist group, operating from 1976 until the mid 80s. The group was instrumental in the establishment of various cultural institutions in the Netherlands.[1][2]

Lesbian Nation was formed in 1976 out of a consciousness raising group meeting in the feminist squat 'Vrouwenhuis' (women's house) in Amsterdam.[3] It consisted of a core group of fifteen to twenty women.[4] Counting later sympathisers, the loosely organised Lesbian Nation may have grown to between fifty and a hundred members.[5][6] Lesbian Nation disbanded in the mid 80s as members got increasingly absorbed by other things, like careers and families, and also felt that their efforts had paid off.[7]

Influences

The organisation was inspired by Jill Johnston's book Lesbian Nation,[8] from which they got their name and a desire for lesbian separatism.[3] Ideologically however, Lesbian Nation was influenced more by Monique Wittig and by Adrienne Rich's "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence".[9] Wittig and Rich made lesbian women, which the collective consisted of, feel slightly superior to other feminists and they led the group on a quest to find a specific lesbian identity and to partially construct a lesbian subculture.[9][10] This made Lesbian Nation turn inward and, for the duration of their activities, intentionally illusive to the outside world.[4][9] Members searched for lesbian identity in lengthy discussions on lesbian weekends, through international lesbian contacts and a visit to the Danish feminist women's camp Femølejren.[9][8] Together with Monique Wittig, with whom they were acquainted,[9] Lesbian Nation dreamt of establishing a womyn's land on an island, where only women would live and work.[11] For mostly personal and practical reasons they failed to achieve it,[11] but the idea of separatism was inspirational in creating a number of cultural establishments.