THE NATIONAL WOMENS MUSIC-FESTIVAL - COLLECTIVE IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY IN A LESBIAN-FEMINIST COMMUNITY

Lesbian feminists have strived to create communities responsive to bot h lesbian and feminist concerns. The potential conflict between affirm ing a lesbian identity and supporting the feminist value of diversity are explored through this examination of the National Women's Music Fe stival. Based on interviews and field notes collected over a three-yea r period, we found that the prolesbian focus of this festival strength ened lesbian identity for many while creating a sense of exclusion for some nonlesbians. Also, despite the promoted ideal of diversity, many women of color did not feel truly accepted. We conclude by emphasizin g the importance of understanding the societal reasons behind a focus on lesbian pride as well as the need for putting more emphasis on poli cies and actions that enhance diversity.