ABSTRACT
This chapter is written largely from author personal perspective as a lesbian academic who has worked in England and Scotland in university-level politics departments and within Women's Studies. The linkages the author make to debates in this area are principally from a social science perspective. Concentration is on lesbians as teachers and researchers in higher education. The chapter recognizes that this perspective is just one dimension by political analysis. It tries to avoid making this an exclusive discussion in terms of social science jargon. Women working in law, medicine or maths, engineering and elsewhere in higher education are very much involved in debates about sexuality and gender. Social science and arts departments tend to provide more forums for discussion than do science, law or medical departments where the numbers of women are generally fewer and men more often set the agendas. Issues within science concerning debates on reproductive technology and problems of law regarding equal opportunities are being closely argued by feminists.
