Wow, no kidding. Feminism leads to lesbianism. Who'd have thunk it. A womens studies prof decides to switch to girls. Blame the girl power? Stop the presses, we have a major story on our hands.
As for her husband, I guess he should have just "understood" her feelings better. Screw his feelings. How dare he "take it badly". Ive seen the after affects of a similar story but with the hubby going to men. Granted the ex wife was a witch but you wondered how much it was because the father of her two kids had dumped her for another guy after years of marriage.

Scott, Portland, OR USA

"Not one comment has any empathy for the wronged husband. Shame on her for her selfishness. "

How happy would the husband have been with a miserable wife? Oh, hang on, she should have just lain back and thought of England (or Canada, in this case), right?

Anyway, this article is way too short to mean anything, there's not enough detail. Why was it published at all?

I have trouble believing that she fell in love with a woman because of feminism, I believe she just fell in love with a woman, and that's that. It's possible, it happened to my partner (who didn't have a husband, by the way :P), who was totally straight until she met me. And I'm hardly butch, on the contrary.

starling, Lancaster,

I believe Rupert's blindingly sarcastic point was made well - adultery and selfishness is the same whether shared between M/F, F/F, or M/M.

All too often marriage is just considered a convenient arrangement and not a life-long commitment. I would caution all Same Sex Marriage advocates to work diligently to preserve the integrity and sanctity of the institution they strive to be allowed to be a part of.

For the good Professor's part, I would say that it doesn't matter if she left her husband for a woman or for a man - either way, the selfish, cold woman should be ashamed of herself for speaking of her husband's heartache as though he brought it on himself.

Lucky for her she found her true happiness before he found his, eh?

Rick Cottrell, Indianapolis, USA/IN

Not one comment has any empathy for the wronged husband. Shame on her for her selfishness. If this had been the other way around and he left her because he came out as a gay man would you misandrists be commenting the same way. I didn't think so.

Anderson, Perth,

I find it interesting that, given the libertine society that we live in, where "if it feels good, do it" that we still hold to this belief that people are born to their sexual identity. Perhaps there are some, but many fewer than we think.

An orgasm is an orgasm-- whether administered by a male on a female or a female on a female.

Feminism has created an antagonism between the sexes that has resulted in many finding their kicks with their own sex -- instead of having to fight it out with someone of the opposite sex who does not subscribe to a particular belief system [i.e feminism].

How often do males and females find themselves "out of sync" with their partners because of some misunderstanding brought on by their different outlook on things?

Perhaps it is just "easier" to deal with people that think the same way that we do -- i.e. males with males and females with females.

GR, Toronto, Ontario

I don't have any sympathy for her at all. When she stood up in the marriage ceremony, she made just about the most important promise you can make. And she broke that promise to her husband, when (by her own account) it was a happy marriage. What she's displaying is her lack of character and her selfishness.

Actions like this are what make it easy for feminism's enemies to portray it as just a way to let a woman off the hook for a promise that's now inconvenient. I also don't believe she's actually lesbian; bisexual I can buy, but if sexual orientation is inborn then one would think she would have realized it before she was 36 years old.

Kris W, Tampa, USA / FL

Woopdefrickindo. And my desire to be accepting of other cultures led me to enjoy Indian food. Neither her enjoyment of other women's bodies nor my enjoyment of Indian food have the slightest impact on anyone who isn't consenting to the act.

Why are we letting ourselves get drawn into an argument over wheher sexuality is chosen? Its our sexuality, and nobody else's business. That's as simple and straightforward a case as can be made against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

RW, Austin, TX

I feel the professor's phrasing is unfair. Saying that her feminism led to her becoming a lesbian is like saying that it rained today because I wore my purple shirt.
Her endeavors in the women's rights movement could have led her to become more comfortable with her sexuality or perhaps introduced her to someone with whom she felt a strong connection, but I do not feel that there is a causal link between feminism and lesbianism.
I agree with the previous posters about potential bisexual tendencies and am a strong believer in the Kinsey scale.
Furthermore, it is always a shame to see the end of a happy marriage, but if the professor thought it was in her better interest, then so be it. I wish her the best of luck in her attempt to have her marriage recognized, as well.

Elizabeth, Atlanta,

probably...the world is full of possibilities, anyway...

Kevin, Lanchow, China

I'll give it an hour before people start blaming feminism for the decline in 'traditional family values', the falling marriage rate, the breaking up of perfect marriages, and for the war.

Perhaps she was bisexual. I mean, if she was perfectly hetero and happy being so before, and she's now marrying a female partner, then chances are she was bi and just never considered it. Feminism does 'turn people lesbian' - no matter what your political and social affiliations, whether you're attracted t men or women is a bit different and unaffected.

Just thought I'd say this before the 'whatever happened to traditional marriage' talk gets underway - spurred on, no doubt, by the sensationalist title of this article. It's a shame Ms. Wilkinson lost her case. Good luck to her in the future.

Mwezzi, Glasgow, Scotland

I'm sorry, but politics do not change one's innate sexual preferences. This person probably was a lesbian all along and suppressed who she was to be part of what she thought was 'normal'.

K. Cook, Woodinville,

It is interesting that Professor Wilkinson seems to have made a personal choice to become a lesbian, but for some of us, it is not an option. That's who we always were, even if we tried not to be.

Also, if a straight person can chose to be gay, can a gay person chose to be straight? That is was the 'ex-gay' movement says, that being gay is a choice and that people don't have to be gay. Of course, gay people say that is nonsense, but then we have people such as the Professor who clearly made a choice.

I'm not knocking her, and I'm glad she's twice found happiness in long term relationships, but I can definitely see where such examples can be confusing. Then again, maybe she's just bisexual, and just didn't realize it.

Clearly, there is a difference between orientation and behaviour or actions. Really, it shouldn't matter, but it does; maybe it won't in the future.

Tari Akpodiete, Toronto, CA

Your husband took it very badly? How selfish and regressive of him, didn't he realise marriage is only temporary, and meant to last only as long as it is convenient to one partner, not both?

As long as you'e happy that's all that matters, and I hope Ms Kitzinger takes it much better if at any point in the future you open your mind to the possibility of a heterosexual identity again.

Fulfilling your own desires must lie at the heart of all genuine and lasting human relationships.

Rupert Standring, London,

Many would argue that one's sexuality changes over her or his lifetime. While Kinsey showed us that a person's sexual identity is rarely 100% one or the other (that is, most people fall in between his scale of 1-6), where they fall on the scale often changes as we change as people. Becca, I think your question is certainly worth exploring! I'm interested. :)

Stephanie, Lincoln, NE

But wait, I thought sexual identity was heriditary/genetic? Wait, you mean it can be a learned thing? Wow, you mean as a 50 year old I can still become a lesbian?

Licq Mea , Gainesville, FL

The real question is, what led Ms Wilkinson to her previous heterosexuality? Oh wait, is that even worth writing about?

Becca, ny, ny