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| LESBIANS LOVE PENISES | |||
| {{Sexual orientation}} | |||
| {{about|same-sex desire and sexuality among females}} | |||
| A '''lesbian''' is a ] who is exclusively ], ], ] and/or ] attracted to other females. | |||
| ==Etymology of "lesbian"== | |||
| :''See also: ]'' | |||
| The word ''lesbian'' derives from ] (Λέσβος), a ] located in the East ], which in ancient ] was inhabited by the ], an entirely female warrior-nation. Adding to the connection with Lesbos was that it was the home of the ] lyric poet ] and the site of an all-girls school she ran in the ]. Many of her poems are about her passion for her students, termed in antiquity ''],'' the female counterpart to male ]. Sappho's literary association with love between females has led to the term ''lesbian'' having its modern meaning, as well as its rarer synonym '']''. | |||
| Other words used to describe lesbianism over the past 2000 years have included '']'', '']'', and '']''. | |||
| There are many ] terms for different kinds of lesbians including '']'' and ''bulldyke'' (typically used to describe a lesbian harboring a traditionally masculine identity). Both of the former are almost always regarded as pejorative when used by outsiders, but are often acceptable within lesbian discourse. | |||
| The butch/femme identity is arguably an integral part of lesbian history but also an evolving paradigm. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| The first mentions of same-sex love between women come from ]. ], the ] of "sapphism," is thought to have had a complex love life — some ancient accounts describe her as having love affairs with men as well; while one ancient source, ], claimed that her relationships with the girls in her school were purely ]. Modern scholarship, basing itself on ancient texts, suggests a parallel between the ], and the relationships between Sappho and her students, in which "both ] and pederasty played a role."<ref>Ellen Greene (ed.), ''Reading Sappho: Contemporary Approaches.'' Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996. ISBN 0-520-20195-7</ref> | |||
| Lesbian relationships were also reported from ancient ]. ], writing about the Lacedaemonians, reports that "love was so esteemed among them that girls also became the erotic objects of noble women." <ref>"Lycurgus" 18.4) </ref> | |||
| Accounts of lesbian relationships are also found in poetry and stories from ancient ], but are not documented with the detail given to male homosexuality. | |||
| During medieval times there are reports from ] of relations between residents of the ]. These were often cruelly suppressed, one example being the beheading of two girls surprised during lovemaking, carried out at the order of the ] Musa ]. <ref>The History of al-Tabari, Vol. XXX, p.72-73, Albany: SUNY Press, Albany 1989).</ref> | |||
| == Public policy == | |||
| In ], explicit prohibitions on women's homosexual behavior have been markedly weaker than those on men's homosexual behavior. | |||
| In the ], lesbianism has never been illegal, in contrast with male sodomy which often was punished with hanging or jail, sexual activity between males being legalised in ] and ] only in ]. There are various apocryphal stories about why lesbianism was not criminalised in the UK. One relates that ] refused to sign a bill outlawing it, insisting, "ladies did not do such things." However, lesbian publications such as '']'' were declared obscene and . | |||
| Jewish religious teachings condemn male homosexual behavior but say little about lesbian behavior. However, the approach in the modern State of ], with its largely ] Jewish majority, does not outlaw or persecute gay sexual orientation; marriage between gay couples is not sanctioned but ] 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 ]; in 2006, the "World Pride" parade is slated to be held in Jerusalem. | |||
| Western-style ] is rarely tolerated elsewhere in the Middle East, with the possible exception of ]. It is punishable by imprisonment, lashings, or death in ], ] and ]. | |||
| ===Reproduction and parenting rights=== | |||
| In some countries the right of lesbian women's access to assisted birth technologies such as ] has been the subject of debate. In ] the ] rejected a ] move to ban access to IVF treatments for lesbian and single women. However, ] ] sought to amend ] in order to prevent access to IVF for these groups, which raised indignation from the gay and lesbian community. | |||
| Many lesbian couples seek to have children through ], but this is not possible in every country. | |||
| ==Sexuality== | |||
| ], The Sleep]] | |||
| ] women]] | |||
| Sexual activity between women is as diverse as sex between ] or ]. Some women in same sex relationships do not identify as lesbian, but as ]. As with any interpersonal activity, sexual expression depends on the context of the relationship. Like anyone else (regardless of sexuality), lesbians can be promiscuous or committed, ashamed or proud. There is a wide spectrum of lesbian behavior and generalizations can be misleading. Recent cultural changes in ] 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 in ] was released in a ] report called . 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 ] and writing on lesbian sexuality, which has brought some debate about the control women have over their sexual lives, the fluidity of female-to-female sexuality, the redefinition of female sexual pleasure and the debunking of negative sexual stereotypes. One example of the latter is '']'', a term invented by sex researcher ] to describe the supposedly inevitable diminution of sexual ] 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== | |||
| ] and lover ].]] | |||
| Throughout history, hundreds of lesbians have been well-known figures in the arts and culture. (See ].) | |||
| Before the influence of European ] 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 ], ], ], ] and ], 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), ] 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 ]. | |||
| This combination of ] and ] eventually had a lasting impact on the general tone of most lesbian cultural productions. A notable example is the ] novel '']'' by ], 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 ] research is now providing some findings that may bolster a Hirschfeld-ian "third sex" understanding of same-sex attraction. | |||
| ]s by the ]. Lesbians were included in this classification. Since then lesbians have appropriated the ] as a symbol of defiance against repression and discrimination as gay men have similarly appropriated the ].]] | |||
| During the twentieth century, lesbians such as ] and ] were noted in the US ] art movements, along with figures such as ] in ] pre-war cinema. Since the ], the underground classic '']'' had been influential on lesbian culture, and this book provided a name for the first campaigning and cultural organisation in the United States, the ]. | |||
| During the ] and ], there was a rise in lesbian pulp fiction in the US and UK, many of which carried "coded" titles such as ''Odd Girl Out'', ''The Evil Friendship'' by ] and the ]-series by ]. British school stories also provided a haven for "coded", and sometimes outright, lesbian fiction. | |||
| During the ], the second wave of feminist era lesbian novels became more politically oriented, works often carried the explicit ideological messages of ], and the trend carried over to other lesbian arts. ]'s debut novel '']'' was a milestone of this period. By the early ], lesbian culture was influenced by a younger generation who had not taken part in the "]", which strongly informed post-feminist ] and the new queer culture. | |||
| Since the ], lesbians have been increasingly visible in mainstream culture: in music (], ] and the ]), in sports (]), and in comic books (] and ]). More recently, lesbian homoeroticism has flowered in ] and the writing of authors such as ], ] and ]. There is an increasing body of lesbian films such as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'' (See ].) Classic novels such as those by ] have been reprinted. | |||
| ==Media depictions== | |||
| Lesbians often attract media attention, particularly in relation to ], love and sexual relationships, ] and ]ing. | |||
| ===Mainstream broadcast media=== | |||
| ] | |||
| *Kim Daniels in '']'' | |||
| *Liz Cruz in '']'' | |||
| *] and ] in '']'' | |||
| *Lindsay Peterson and Melanie Marcus in '']'' | |||
| *Maia Jefferies and Jay Copeland in '']'' | |||
| *Lana Crawford and Georgina Harris in '']'' | |||
| *Dr. ] and Sandy López in '']'' | |||
| *Helen Stewart and Nikki Wade in '']'' | |||
| *Paige Michalchuk and ] in ''] | |||
| *Most characters on '']'' | |||
| *Spencer Carlin and Ashley Davies in '']'' | |||
| *Carol, Ross' ex wife, and her life partner Susan on '']'' | |||
| *Marissa Cooper and Alex Kelly on '']'' | |||
| *], sister of Marge Simpson, on '']'' | |||
| *] and ], and ] and ] in '']'' | |||
| *Thelma in '']'' | |||
| *Jessica Sammler and Katie Singer on '']'' | |||
| *Jasmine Thomas and ], and ] in ''] | |||
| In addition, some characters are claimed to be lesbians (often jokingly), though whether they actually are is unknown. In some cases, the show's producers most likely did not intend any implications of sexuality; in others, it is often implied but not stated outright. | |||
| *] and ] in '']''. These characters were not officially "outed" in the storyline, but their relationship was implied through comically ambiguous dialogue and actions laced with double-meaning, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions, and perhaps to avoid criticism while showing tolerance to lesbians. | |||
| The 1980s television series '']'' included a lesbian relationship, which caused much more controversy than lesbian TV characters did a decade later. The 1989 ] mini series '']'' was based on lesbian writer ]'s novel of the same title. Russian pop-duo ] were popular in Europe during the early 2000's, gaining attention and TV airplay for their ]s because they were marketed as lesbians, even though they weren't (it remains unknown whether this idea came from the duo themselves or their promoters). | |||
| Sci-fi series ] featured, in one episode, an implied lesbian relationship between two characters (] and ]). However, this is never explicitly stated or shown, and in any case did not go beyond this episode, as Winters was revealed at the end of the episode to be an unconscious spy for ]. However, Ivanova later says that she loved Talia, and is openly said to be bisexual. | |||
| Well known sci-fi series ] also featured several episodes including elements of lesbianism. Most famously, the episode "Rejoined" centers around two female characters (] and visiting scientist ]) who love each other but cannot pursue a relationship due to cultural taboos, and which featured a lesbian kissing scene that got the episode banned in several states. In the episode itself, the taboo is said to be a ] taboo on "reassociation", referring to relationships that linger after a Trill has passed onto a new host; the fact that both characters are women is never mentioned, and it is made quite clear that in the 24th century, this is so accepted that it does not even come to people's minds.This episode earned the show praise from the GLBT community. However, the actual relationship between these two characters were not of the two women, Jadzia and Lenara, but of the ] Trill ] that inhabited them, Dax and Khan. Previous hosts for the Dax and Kahn symbionts, Torias Dax and Nilani Kahn, had been married in a ] relationship. Also in DS9, the mirror universe versions of several principal characters are either Lesbian, Bisexual, or Pansexual. | |||
| Actress and comedian ] came out publicly as a lesbian in 1997, and her character on the sitcom '']'' did the same soon after. ''Ellen'', then in its fourth season, became the first American sitcom with a lesbian lead character. The coming-out episode won an ], but the series was cancelled after one more season. | |||
| In ], the character of Bianca Montgomery (]) was revealed to be gay in the ABC Daytime Drama Series '']''. From 2000 - 2005, Bianca was the focus of many storylines involving her sexuality but she is perhaps best known for a storyline in which her character was raped and then the resulting child from the rape was stolen from her. While many have praised the fact that a lesbian character was given such a prominent storyline, others have criticised the way in which the show seemingly would not allow Bianca to have a successful long-running relationship with another woman, instead preferring to keep Bianca in a constant state of trauma. | |||
| In ], '']'' was primarily focused on the lives of a group of lesbian friends, and ] had a popular daytime talk show. In a ] episode of '']'' titled "]", ] sister ] came out as a lesbian. | |||
| ===Cinema=== | |||
| ]'' (Germany, ]), the first lesbian feature film. It was immediately banned in the United States but then released in a heavily cut version, which also had an altered, subtly pro-] ending. It was later banned in Germany, after which director Leontine Sagan and many of the cast fled the country. (Scriptwriter Christa Winsloe eventually joined the ], likely because of this banning, and was executed by the Nazis in ]).]] | |||
| The first lesbian-themed feature film was the exceptional '']'' (1931), based on a novel by ] and directed by ], 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 '']'' (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 '']'' (1933) with Greta Garbo has been widely noted, even though the film is not about lesbians. Alfred Hitchcock's '']'' (1940), based on the novel by ], referred more or less overtly to lesbianism, but the two characters involved were not presented positively: Mrs. Danvers was portrayed as obsessed, neurotic and murderous, while the never-seen Rebecca was described as having been selfish, spiteful and doomed to die. '']'' (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. In '']'' (1961) ] and ] play schoolteachers falsely accused by a disgruntled student of having a lesbian relationship; in the original play, the characters ''were'' in fact lesbian. | |||
| Films with explicitly lesbian content, sympathetic lesbian characters and lesbian leads began appearing during the ]. 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 '']'' (1996), '']'' (1997), '']'' (2001), and ] (2005, based on the Jonathan Larson musical) . There have also been many non-English language lesbian films such as '']'' (Sweden, 1998) and '']'' (Taiwan, 2004). | |||
| Actresses who have played lesbian roles on television or film include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and many others. | |||
| See also: ]. | |||
| ===Comics=== | |||
| In the weekly DC comic mini series, ], a new version of ] will be introduced. According to pre releases, the new Batwoman, known as "Kate Kane" will differ from all past versionserpart by being portrayed as a ], who was once in a relationship with Detective ]. | |||
| A member of Marvel comics' team the ], named ] is an ] homosexual. | |||
| One of the main foci of the ] graphic novel ] is the developing romance between characters Alpha and Kokone. | |||
| In ] and ] lesbian content is called ] whereas lesbian sex without a plot is called ]. | |||
| ===Video games=== | |||
| ], a ] title produced by ] features a lesbian central character named ]. A fair deal of the dialogue regarding her lesbianism and female/female relationship was censored out of the game's English translation, however. An additional character closely tied in with ]'s story, a young girl named Gina who tailors her outfits, frequently discusses her deep attraction to ], her exhilaration while being in her presence, and jealousy of other women with whom she is closely associated. | |||
| Another Playstation title, ] which is a prequel to ], revealed that Hana Tsu Vachel, one of the main characters in both games, developed a sexual relationship with a female character named Rain Qin. The XBox/PC Game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Also features a Lesbian Character; Juhani, the Cathar. | |||
| ==Feminism== | |||
| ] | |||
| Historically, lesbians have been involved in ]. Late in the ], the term '']'' was used to describe romantic unions between women living together while contributing to the ] movement. Continuing a tradition of inclusive acceptance, in ] ] became the first ] state to legalize ]. | |||
| During the 1970s and 80s, with the emergence of modern feminism and the ] movement, '']'' became popular, and groups of lesbian women came together to live in ] societies. Some women found this kind of society liberating. Others, like ] in ''Radical Feminism, Lesbian Separatism, and ]'', remarked that in her experience, ]s (along with the ] to reinforce them) developed in the lesbian separatist collective she lived in, ultimately leading her to leave the group. | |||
| During the 1990s, dozens of chapters of ] were formed to press for lesbian visibility and rights. | |||
| ===Transwomen and trans-inclusion=== | |||
| The relationship between lesbianism and ] ] or ] women who identify as lesbian has been a turbulent one, with historically negative attitudes, but this seemed to be changing by the close of the twentieth century. | |||
| Some lesbian groups openly welcome transsexual women and may even welcome ''any'' member who identifies as lesbian, but a few groups still do not welcome ]. The Lesbian Avengers have historically had a very inclusive policy. | |||
| Disputes in defining the term ''lesbian'' along with enforced exclusions from lesbian events and spaces have been numerous. Some who hold a non-inclusionist attitude often make reference to strong, typically ] ideas such as those of ], who has described post-operative transsexuals as ''constructed women''. They may attribute transsexualism to mechanisms of patriarchy or do not recognize a transsexual's identification as female and lesbian. By defining ''lesbian'' through these views, they subsequently defend the non-inclusion of women with transsexual or transgender-backgrounds. | |||
| Inclusionists claim these attitudes are inaccurate and derive from fear and distrust, or that the motivations and attitudes of transgender or transsexual lesbians are not well understood, and so they defend the inclusion of transwomen into lesbianism and lesbian spaces. | |||
| Both views are common. One incident due to this divisiveness arose during the early 1990s in ], when the wider lesbian community raised money to purchase a building devoted to lesbian women along with a uniquely lesbian-only space called ''The Lesbian Space Project''. After the organisation successfully bought the building, a debate over the inclusion of transwomen polarised the lesbian community, the building was later closed and the funds were moved to help support the ''Pride Centre'', a lesbian and gay community centre in Sydney. | |||
| An example often cited among the transgender and transsexual communities is the ], a well-known and primarily lesbian event restricted to ''womyn-born ]''. ], an organization oriented towards transwomen, was started as a result. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
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| ==External links== | |||
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| ===Media depictions=== | |||
| * Lesbian and Bisexual Women in Entertainment and the Media | |||
| * ''Warning: contains explicit pornographic content'' | |||
| * ], ] ]. | |||
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Revision as of 03:09, 19 August 2006
LESBIANS LOVE PENISES