Shift-F2 : the internet, mass media, and female-to-female intimate relations in Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk ; summary

The paper studies patterns of female-to-female intimacy, conceptualized under the heading Shift-F2, where F2 stands for stable or fairly regular sexual relations between women, and Shift designates a transition to such relations. The study is based on interviews with women from Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk as well as online forums and mass media. Consumer-oriented mass media and show business exploit the topic of female homosexual intimacy, presenting it as an extension of the admissible range of sexual pleasures. Internet communication transforms dating rituals and is conducive to Shift-F2 scenarios of sexual behavior. However, the Internet also imposes structural limitations because of the mediated nature of first contact, which brings with it an increased need for mutual trust.