Guide Note

A lesbian is defined as a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted to other women. While the term "gay" may be used to describe people of both sexes with homosexual tendencies, the word lesbian is gender-specific in that it refers only to homosexual women.

Fast Facts

The term lesbian is derived from the Lesbos Islands
A bisexual is a person attracted to members of both sexes
GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) strives to prevent discrimination against homosexuals

History

Ancient Greek poet Sappho wrote love poems to both men and woman and was believed to be a bisexual, a person attracted to both sexes. The word lesbian is derived from her place of birth, the Lesbos Islands.¹

Ellen DeGeneres Wedding Plans

Following the overturning of the ban on same-sex marriage by the California Supreme Court on May 15, 2008,² talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced that she and her partner, Actress Portia de Rossi, were planning to get married.³

Warning

Some of the links on this page may link to mature content

Categories

Groups and Organizations | Sexual Orientation

View Note History

Lesbian

Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Lesbian
Lesbian.com: Lesbian
GLAAD: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
American Civil Liberties Union: Overview of Lesbian and Gay Parenting
NCLR: National Center for Lesbian Rights
CafePress: Lesbian T-Shirts and Gifts
TheLesbianQuestion.com: The Lesbian Question

Lesbian News

Topix.net: Lesbian
Google News: Lesbian
Diversity INC: Booming Industry: Lesbian and Gay Weddings (April 11, 2008)
The Week Daily: What Obama won’t ask (April 11, 2008)
Daily Herald: Colleges reaching out to recruit gay, lesbian and transgender students (April 10, 2008)
AJC.com: Atlanta activist has spent her life bridging gaps between gay and straight (April 10, 2008)

Lesbian Timeline

625 to 570 BCE: Earliest known written references of same sex attraction in the Lesbos Islands
794 to 1185: Lesbians were socially accepted in Japan
1649: Two women were prosecuted for lewd contact, one of them was convicted
1732: The word lesbian was used
1870: The term lesbianism appears in the Oxford English Dictionary
1921: Proposal to criminalize lesbianism was rejected
1928: Lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness was banned
1969: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons rioted following a police raid on the Stonewall Inn
1970: One year anniversary of the riot, the Gay Liberation Gay organized a march
1985: GLAAD was Founded in New York City
2003: The first gay pride parade in the country of Taiwan
2004: Massachusetts becomes first state to legalize same sex marriage
2005: Gay pride was forbidden in Warsaw but happened anyway

Lesbian Political Activism

Wikipedia: Gay Pride Parade
Gender Talk: Lesbian Political Activism
PrideToronto.com: Pride Week 2008

Lesbian Legality and Rights

NCLR: National Center for Lesbian Rights
Gay Politics and Law: Gay/Lesbian Politics and Law Resources
GayLawNet: Gay and Lesbian Law
NOW: Lesbian Rights Issues
Human Rights Watch: Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Rights

Lesbian Blogs and Message Boards

Planet Out: Lesbian Message Board
Lesbian Life: Lesbian Message Board
AOL Message Board: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Message Board
Google Blog Search: Lesbian
Gay Rights Watch: Lesbian Couple Could Face Jail for Wanting to Get Married (April 11, 2008)
One Two Music: MTV Airs Lesbian Video (April 10, 2008)

Lesbian Organizations

Lesbian.org: Resources for Lesbians
Google Directory: Lesbian Support Groups

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