Lesbian gaze

The lesbian gaze is a queer response to the male gaze. The notion of gaze considers how an audience perceives a work of art, particularly people within the work of art. Theories of the male gaze particularly consider the presumed audience for a work to be male; creation of a work in relation to the male gaze is an exercise of patriarchal power. The presentation of a woman is presumed to be in part an exercise of sexuality. The lesbian gaze disrupts -- queers -- the expectation of a male gaze.