ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the importance of music spaces for lesbians during their coming out process. It also demonstrates that music serves as a barometer as to whether the performance of lesbian identities is deemed safe and acceptable. The music-place relationship is therefore a powerful indicator of people's feelings of belonging or alienation. Lesbian identities, as with other queer identities, are social constructions that are brought into being through embodied, material, and imagined spaces. When negotiating public spaces, the ability to connect to an alternative space can be particularly helpful when one wants to try out their sexuality in public spaces without the fear of being judged, ridiculed and marginalised. Bars gay friendly and alternative, plus music festivals such as Ladyfest are judged safe and not safe by the music that is played. The playing of iconic lesbian music on commercial mainstream radio also facilitates feelings of belonging for lesbians.
