A needs analysis of Brisbane lesbians: implications for the lesbian community

This study examined the needs of lesbians in Brisbane, a state capital city of Australia, and the importance of lesbian "community" in meeting those needs. The extent to which a lesbian community can meet the needs of individual lesbians is dependent on what those needs are, the prevailing social climate, and the resulting degree of access by lesbians to the community. This study examined lesbians' perceptions of their individual needs and the extent to which they looked to their community to meet those needs. Overall, the results indicated that lesbians in Brisbane had many unmet needs which, in many instances, cut across the demographic spectrum of age, politics, stage of identity development, religious beliefs, occupation, and educational achievements. These can be broadly categorized as needs that related to the lesbian community itself and external needs that related to changes needed in heterosexual society. The results of this study indicated that characteristics of community do exist within the Brisbane lesbian subculture. There were distinct, identifiable, interacting small groups and social networks in existence. However, a common need was for an identifiable, accessible, lesbian community that could provide stable, long-term services and cultural and social activities. In Brisbane lesbians also needed a focus that superseded the needs of individual lesbians and their small interacting social networks. This study highlighted the need for further research into the area of lesbian community identity formation.