"The non-existing option”: Growing up as a lesbian/gay adolescent in the kibbutz. A retrospective study.

The kibbutz community is characterized mainly as a collective, homogenous, and peripheral community. As such it promotes uniformity and congruence around
common values. Adolescents who grew in a kibbutz during communal child rearing and collective education experienced their community as heteronormative in nature, leaving no room for lesbian or gay identities to develop freely. Semi structured interviews were conducted with ten women and ten men aimed to describe their personal experiences as lesbian and gay adolescents in a kibbutz. Qualitative analysis revealed three stages in the dialogue between the kibbutz identity and the lesbian/gay identity. At the first stage, the dominant kibbutz identity leaves no room for the lesbian/gay identity to develop. At the second stage, the lesbian/gay identity flourishes outside the kibbutz perimeter. At the third stage, there is co-existence between the two identities on the
continuum between living as a lesbian/gay individual in the kibbutz – a choice made primarily by the women – and living as a lesbian/gay individual outside the kibbutz – a choice made primarily by the men. Conclusions refer to the need to make lesbian/gay identity more visible and attainable within the kibbutz community. They also emphasize the importance of adult guidance and support to lesbian/gay adolescents during their identity formation period.