Lesbian Choices: Between Men-Between Women: Lesbian and Gay Studies

This exploration of the ethical and political dilemmas that challenge lesbians in a hostile society is wide-ranging and evenhanded, if too scholarly for general readers. Card, a feminist professor of philosophy at the Univ. of Wisconsin, discusses the sometimes uneasy alliances between feminism and gay activism, ambiguous distinctions between friendship and lesbian desire, and the ethics of outing. She also devotes a chaper to lesbianism as a ``choice'' and its implications for lesbians as a salient determiner of self-discovery. Card's analyses of battering and stalking of lesbians by other lesbians and lesbian sadomasochism are informed and tactful approaches to potentially volatile, underexplored topics. (Dec.)