Following the dissolution of her marriage, Sonia Johnson came up with her own view of gender essentialism and had some lesbian relationships. Was she bisexual, or a political lesbian? Dr Chris Talbot explains. Check out our conversation...

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Unpacking Sonia Johnson: Relationships, Radical Philosophy, & ERA's Shadowy Politics

In a fascinating deep dive with biographer Dr. Chris Talbot, we’ll dive into the life of Mormon feminist Sonia Johnson, particularly after her divorce and excommunication from the LDS Church, we gain intriguing insights into her evolving relationships, her radical philosophy, and the church's complex involvement in the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) debate.

Sonia Johnson's Journey: From Excommunication to Political Lesbianism

One of the most striking ironies discussed is how the church and conservatives worried that passing the ERA would lead to widespread lesbianism and homosexuality, only for Sonia Johnson herself to become a lesbian. This development, however, was framed less as a sexual reorientation in the conventional sense and more as a "political lesbianism." This phenomenon, as described by historians, involved a conscious choice to devote oneself to women as a collective or "species," building one's life around these devotions, which inherently meant avoiding intimate relationships with men. For Johnson, this commitment stemmed from her profound desire to reject male-centered, patriarchal societal structures; she declared, "No man will ever become the center of my life again".

The nature of her sexuality is explored with nuance, acknowledging that sexuality is fluid and not always confined to "discrete categories". While Johnson had four children and didn't seem to have a history of sexual attraction to women prior to her excommunication, this attraction reportedly "grew in her as she moved along" after the traumatic experience. The question of whether she was a "fake lesbian" or "real lesbian" is dismissed as largely a matter of "socially constructed categories".

Radical Critique of Relationships

Sonia Johnson's post-excommunication relationships were not without their challenges. Her first lesbian relationship, with her therapist, ended poorly due to ethical issues and her partner's managerial role. This experience profoundly shaped Johnson's philosophy on relationships, culminating in her fourth book, The Ship That Sailed into the Living Room.

At the heart of her critique was the idea that relationships, by their very nature, are built around hierarchy. Johnson articulated a discomfort with the "driving and being driven" dynamic in sexual encounters, finding it personally, politically, and philosophically troubling. She argued that even in alternating roles, relationships inherently embed a power imbalance.

This anti-hierarchy stance extended to her view on monogamy and marriage. She didn't want anyone to marry anyone, viewing monogamous commitments as inherently "restrictive and controlling" of one's sexuality and love. Interestingly, her critique resonated with a small polyamory community in Salt Lake City, who saw her work as a guide to why monogamy was problematic due to its inherent hierarchy.

After another unsuccessful relationship, Johnson eventually found a long-term partner, Jade Deforest. Their relationship is built on a unique "touching experiment," detailed in her fifth book, Out of This World. The core principle is self-motivated touching – touching for the pleasure of the act itself, rather than to elicit a specific feeling in the other person. This approach aims to eliminate the perceived hierarchy, as "someone's driving and someone's being driven".