ABSTRACT
Why do presumably straight women kiss other women in the college party scene? The dominant notion is that it is solely a way to attract male attention. Although most girl-on-girl making out in this context is no doubt a performance for the male gaze, this chapter focuses on erotic interactions women engage in for their own purposes. Using the case of one progressive public research university, we argue that male-dominated heteronormative hookup culture can make room for at least some women’s experimentation, bi-curiosity, or heteroflexibility. Interviews with diverse women students make clear that heterosexual women’s options for same-sex physical intimacy are expanding, although still with limits.
