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A lesbian is a . An individual's self-identification might not correspond with her behavior, and may be expressed with either, both, or neither of these words. HISTORY The earliest known written references to same-sex love between women come from "), who lived on the island of Lesbos , wrote poems which apparently expressed her sexual attraction to other females but some ancient accounts also describe her as having had love affairs with men. Moreover, Maximus Of Tyre wrote that Sappho's relationships with the girls in her school were Platonic . Modern scholarship suggests a parallel between the Ancient Greek Constructs Of Love Between Men And Boys and the friendships between Sappho and her students in which "both Pedagogy and Pederasty may have played a role."http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/1999/1999-05-01.htmlEllen Greene (ed.), ''Reading Sappho: Contemporary Approaches.'' Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996. ISBN 0-520-20195-7 Lesbian relationships have Also Been Cited in ancient Sparta . Plutarch , writing about the Lacedaemonians, reports that "love was so esteemed among them that girls also became the erotic objects of noble women.""Lycurgus" 18.4) Accounts of lesbian relationships are also found in poetry and stories from ancient China , but are not documented with the detail given to male homosexuality. Research by anthropologist Liza Dalby , based mostly on erotic poems exchanged between women, has suggested lesbian relationships were commonplace and socially accepted in Japan during the Heian Period . During medieval times in Arabia there were reports of relations between Harem residents, although these were sometimes suppressed. For example, Caliph Musa Al-Hadi ordered the beheading of two girls who were surprised during lovemaking.The History of al-Tabari, Vol. XXX, p.72-73, Albany: SUNY Press, Albany 1989). In Europe, the twelfth-century author Etienne de Fougères' treatise on women, ''Livre des manières'' (written circa A.D. 1170) derided lesbians, likening them to hens that act like roosters. This reflected a general tendency of European authorities, both religious and secular, to reject the notion that women could be properly sexual without men. 1, p. 243 PUBLIC POLICY In Western Societies , explicit prohibitions on women's homosexual behavior have been markedly weaker than those on men's homosexual behavior. In the .2 A 1921 proposal, put forward by Frederick Macquisten MP to criminalize lesbianism was rejected by the House Of Lords ; during the debate, Lord Birkenhead , the then Lord Chancellor argued that 999 women out of a thousand had "never even heard a whisper of these practices."3 In 1928, the lesbian novel '' The Well Of Loneliness '' was banned for Obscenity in a highly publicized trial, not for any explicit sexual content but because it made an argument for acceptance.Biron, Sir Chartres (1928). "Judgment". 4 Meanwhile other, less political novels with lesbian themes continued to circulate freely.5 Jewish religious teachings condemn male homosexual behavior but say little about lesbian behavior. However, the approach in the modern State of Israel , with its largely Secular Jewish majority, does not outlaw or persecute gay sexual orientation; marriage between gay couples is not sanctioned but Common Law status and official adoption of a gay person's child by his or her partner have been approved in precedent court rulings (after numerous high court appeals). There is also an annual Gay parade, usually held in Tel-Aviv ; in 2006, the "World Pride" parade was scheduled to be held in Jerusalem . Western-style Homosexuality is rarely tolerated elsewhere in the Muslim World , with the exception of Turkey where there are no laws or discriminative policies against lesbianism. It is punishable by imprisonment, lashings, or death in Saudi Arabia and Yemen . Though the law against lesbianism in Iran has reportedly been revoked or eased, prohibition of Male Homosexuality remains. Reproduction and parenting rights See Also: Parenting by same-sex couples Many lesbian couples seek to have children through Adoption , but this is not legal in every country. In some countries access to assisted birth technologies by lesbians has been the subject of debate. In Australia the High Court rejected a Roman Catholic Church move to ban access to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments for lesbian and single women. However, immediately after this High Court decision, Prime Minister John Howard amended Legislation in order to prevent access to IVF for these groups, effectively overruling the High Court decision and enforcing the Roman Catholic position, which raised indignation from the gay and lesbian community as well as groups representing the rights of single women. SEXUALITY , ''In Bed'']] Sexual activity between women is as diverse as sex between Heterosexuals or Gay Men . Some women in same-sex relationships do not identify as lesbian, but as Bisexual , Queer , or another label. As with any interpersonal activity, sexual expression depends on the context of the relationship. Recent cultural changes in Western and a few other societies have enabled lesbians to express their sexuality more freely, which has resulted in new studies on the nature of female sexuality. Research undertaken by the U.S. Government's National Center for Health Research in 2002 was released in a 2005 report called 'Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women 15-44 Years of Age, United States, 2002'. The results indicated that among women aged 15-44, 4.4 percent reported having had a sexual experience with another woman during the previous 12 months. When women aged 15–44 years of age were asked, "Have you ever had any sexual experience of any kind with another female?" 11 percent answered "yes". There is a growing body of Research and writing on lesbian sexuality, which has brought some debate about the control women have over their sexual lives, the fluidity of woman-to-woman sexuality, the redefinition of female sexual pleasure and the debunking of negative sexual stereotypes. One example of the latter is '' Lesbian Bed Death '', a term invented by sex researcher Pepper Schwartz to describe the supposedly inevitable diminution of sexual passion in long term lesbian relationships; this notion is rejected by many lesbians, who point out that passion tends to diminish in almost any relationship and many lesbian couples report happy and satisfying sex lives. CULTURE s by the Nazis . Lesbians were included in this classification. Since then lesbians have appropriated the Black Triangle as a symbol of defiance against repression and discrimination in the same way that the Pink Triangle has been similarly appropriated by the LGBT community as a whole.]] Throughout history Hundreds Of Lesbians have been well-known figures in The Arts and Culture . Before the influence of European Sexology emerged at the turn of the Twentieth Century, in cultural terms female homosexuality remained almost invisible as compared to male homosexuality, which was subject to the law and thus more regulated and reported by the press. However with the publication of works by sexologists like Karl Heinrich Ulrichs , Richard Von Krafft-Ebing , Havelock Ellis , Edward Carpenter , and Magnus Hirschfeld , the concept of active female homosexuality became better known. As female homosexuality became more visible it was described as a medical condition. In ''Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality'' (1905), Sigmund Freud referred to female homosexuality as ''inversion'' or ''inverts'' and characterised female inverts as possessing male characteristics. Freud drew on the "third sex" ideas popularized by Magnus Hirschfeld and others. While Freud admitted he had not personally studied any such "aberrant" patients he placed a strong emphasis on psychological rather than biological causes. Freud's writings did not become well-known in English-speaking countries until the late 1920s. This combination of Sexology and Psychoanalysis eventually had a lasting impact on the general tone of most lesbian cultural productions. A notable example is the 1928 novel '' The Well Of Loneliness '' by Radclyffe Hall , in which these sexologists are mentioned along with the term ''invert'', which later fell out of favour in common usage. Freud's interpretation of lesbian behavior has since been rejected by most psychiatrists and scholars, although recent Biological research has provided findings that may bolster a Hirschfeld-ian " Third Sex " interpretation of same-sex attraction. During the twentieth century lesbians such as Gertrude Stein and Barbara Hammer were noted in the US Avant-garde art movements, along with figures such as Leontine Sagan in German pre-war cinema. Since the 1890s the underground classic '' The Songs Of Bilitis '' has been influential on lesbian culture. This book provided a name for the first campaigning and cultural organization in the United States, the Daughters Of Bilitis . During the 1950s and 1960s lesbian pulp fiction was published in the US and UK, often under "coded" titles such as '' Odd Girl Out '', ''The Evil Friendship'' by Vin Packer and the ''The Beebo Brinker Chronicles'' by Ann Bannon . British school stories also provided a haven for "coded" and sometimes outright Lesbian Fiction . During the 1970s the second wave of feminist era lesbian novels became more politically oriented. Works often carried the explicit ideological messages of Separatist Feminism and the trend carried over to other lesbian arts. Rita Mae Brown 's debut novel '' Rubyfruit Jungle '' was a milestone of this period. By the early 1990s lesbian culture was being influenced by a younger generation who had not taken part in the " Feminist Sex Wars " and this strongly informed Post-feminist Queer Theory along with the new queer culture. In 1972 the Berkeley, California lesbian journal Libera published a paper entitled ''Heterosexuality in Women: its Causes and Cure''. Written in deadpan, academic prose, closely paralleling previous psychiatry-journal articles on homosexuality among women, this paper inverted prevailing assumptions about what is normal and deviant or pathological and was widely read by lesbian feminists. Since the 1980s lesbians have been increasingly visible in mainstream cultural fields such as music ( Melissa Etheridge , K.D. Lang and the Indigo Girls ), television ( Ellen DeGeneres , Rosie O'Donnell , and Portia De Rossi ), sports ( Martina Navrátilová and Billie Jean King ) and in comic books ( Alison Bechdel and Diane DiMassa ). More recently lesbian eroticism has flowered in Fine Art Photography and the writing of authors such as Pat Califia , Jeanette Winterson and Sarah Waters and Stella Duffy. There is an increasing body of lesbian films such as '' Desert Hearts '', '' Go Fish '', '' Loving Annabelle '', '' Watermelon Woman '', '' Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit '', '' Everything Relative '', and '' Better Than Chocolate '' (see List Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Or Transgender-related Films ). Classic novels such as those by Jane Rule , Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, and Ann Bannon have been reprinted. Moreover, prominent and controversial academic writers such as Camille Paglia and Germaine Greer also identify with lesbianism. MEDIA DEPICTIONS Lesbians often attract media attention, particularly in relation to Feminism , love and sexual relationships, Marriage , and Parent ing. Cinema See Also: List of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films The first lesbian-themed feature film was '' Mädchen In Uniform '' (1931), based on a novel by Christa Winsloe and directed by Leontine Sagan , tracing the story of a schoolgirl called Manuela von Meinhardis and her passionate love for a teacher, Fräulein von Nordeck zur Nidden. It was written and mostly directed by women. The impact of the film in Germany's lesbian clubs was overshadowed, however, by the cult following for '' The Blue Angel '' (1930). Until the early 1990s, any notion of lesbian love in a film almost always required audiences to infer the relationships. The lesbian aesthetic of '''' (1950) was originally written with the title character as a lesbian but this was very subtle in the final version, with the hint and message apparent to alert viewers. Playwright Lillian Hellman 's first play, '' The Children's Hour '' (1934) was produced on Broadway. Set in a private girls' boarding school, the headmistress and a teacher are the targets of a malicious whispering campaign of insinuation by a disgruntled schoolgirl. They soon face public accusations of having a lesbian relationship.http://www.enotes.com/feminism-literature/hellman-lillian The play was nominated for a Pulitzer prize, banned in '' starred Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine . The play's deep and pervasively dark themes and lesbian undertones have been widely noted.http://gayleft1970s.org/issues/gay.left_issue.05.pdf Mainstream films with openly lesbian content, sympathetic lesbian characters and lesbian leads began appearing during the 1990s . By 2000 some films portrayed characters exploring issues beyond their sexual orientation, reflecting a wider sense that lesbianism has to do with more than sexual desire. Notable mainstream theatrical releases included '' Bound '' (1996), '' Chasing Amy '' (1997), '' Kissing Jessica Stein '' (2001), '' Mulholland Drive '', '' Monster '', D.E.B.S. (2004 Film) , '' Rent '' (2005, based on the Jonathan Larson musical), '' My Summer Of Love '' (2004) and '' Loving Annabelle '' (2006). There have also been many non-English language lesbian films such as '' Fire '' (India, 1996), '' Fucking Åmål '' (Sweden, 1998), '' Blue '' (Japan, 2002), and '' Blue Gate Crossing '' (Taiwan, 2004). Mainstream broadcast media The 1980s television series '' L.A. Law '' included a lesbian relationship which stirred much more controversy than lesbian TV characters would a decade later. The 1989 BBC mini series '' Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit '' was based on lesbian writer Jeanette Winterson 's novel of the same title. Russian pop-duo T.A.T.u were popular in Europe during the early 2000s, gaining wide attention and TV airplay for their Pop Video s because they were marketed as lesbians even though they weren't. Many SciFi series have featured lesbian characters. An episode of '''' featured several episodes with elements of lesbianism and made it clear that in Star Trek's 24th century such relationships are accepted without a second thought. Actress and comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out publicly as a lesbian in 1997 and her character on the sitcom '' Ellen '' did likewise soon after during its fourth season. This was the first American sitcom with a lesbian lead character. The coming-out episode won an Emmy Award but the series was cancelled after one more season. In 2000 the ABC Daytime Drama Series '' All My Children '' character Bianca Montgomery ( Eden Riegel ) was revealed to be lesbian. While many praised the character's prominent storyline, others criticised the almost perpetual trauma and Bianca's lack of a successful long-running relationship with another woman. In 2004's popular television show on Showtime, '' The L Word '' is focused on a group of lesbian friends living in L.A., and Ellen DeGeneres had a popular daytime talk show. In 2005 an episode of '' The Simpsons '' (" There's Something About Marrying ") depicted Marge's sister Patty coming out as a lesbian. Also that year on '' Law & Order '' the final appearance of Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn included the revelation she was a lesbian, although some viewers claimed there had been hints of this in previous episodes. Notable lesbian characters and appearances in the mainstream media have included:
Comics Until 1989 the '', meaning a lover or sweetheart.Uncanny X-Men #265 (Early August, 1990). Only in 2001 was Destiny referred to in plain language as Mystique's lover.''X-Men Forever'' #5 (May, 2001). In 2006 DC Comics could still draw widespread media attention by announcing a new, lesbian incarnation of the well-known character Batwoman 9 even while openly lesbian characters such as Gotham City police officer Renee Montoya already existed in DC Comics.10 Some writers and others (notably Chris Rock on Saturday Night Live ) have commented that the Peanuts character Peppermint Patty is a lesbian (''Peppermint Patties'' is a sometimes pejorative slang word for lesbians), although such an inference was never supported by the comic strip's content. In '' by Alison Bechdel , was lauded by many media as among the best books of the year. Bechdel is the author of '' Dykes To Watch Out For '', one of the best-known and longest-running LGBT comic strips. In , which may have a derogatory meaning. A main theme of the Japanese graphic novel Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō is the developing romance between characters Alpha and Kokone. Anime See Also: Yuri (term) |
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