The History of M-Spec Lesbians
CONTENT WARNING: Sexuality and sexual practices are discussed in this thread. Outdated terms such as 'homosexual behavior' will be used in this thread to reference at-the-time standards and definitions. The AIDS epidemic is also mentioned.
1. What are the origins of the label "lesbian"?
The word 'lesbian' means "from Island of Lesbos." The term was adopted to reference queer women due to Lesbos' association with the queer poet Sappho. She is famous for writing erotic poetry about loving women and their beauty. Sappho is also the inspiration for the term 'sapphic/sapphism,' which is another label for queer women/queer attraction to women.
The earliest usage of 'lesbian' in reference to sexuality was in William King's "The Toast," published in 1732. The epic poem was written to satirize a woman who owed him money, Lady Frances Brudenell, Duchess of Newburgh. Lesbian was once again used in the late 1800s, with 'lesbianism' being used as an adjective to describe tribadism. Tribadism was a term to describe sexual interactions between two women, usually in reference to the rubbing together of the vulva.
Lesbian as a medical term to label queer women as mentally ill and gained prominence in the psychology world in the early 20th century. By 1925, lesbian was recorded as being the equivalent of a "female sodomite." A sodomite is anyone who practices oral/anal sex.
Homosexuality in women wasn't a focus in the medical world, with homosexuality in men being considered a more significant problem. Sexologists such as Richard von Krafft-Ebing and Britain's Havelock Ellis wrote that lesbianism was a form of insanity. Krafft-Ebing wrote that lesbianism was a neurological disease and a lifelong illness. Ellis disagreed, claiming that most queer women could be cured after they experienced marriage and a "practical life." However he also claimed that there were "true inverts" who couldn't be cured. "Inverts," as described by sexologists at the time, were those of a "third sex" who rejected the roles of a woman (submission, femininity, domesticity). This rejection of roles were thought to explain why a woman would pursue another woman.
2. The evolution of the lesbian
Over time, the term lesbian was reclaimed by queer women to describe behavior (having sex with other women, exclusively or as well as with men), identity (self-identifying as a lesbian), and desire or attraction (sexual/romantic preference for women).
A 1973 article from the periodical Lavender Women (page 16 from: Vo. 2, No. 5, August) describes lesbians as “woman-oriented women; bisexuals can be lesbians.”
A 1981 article of Patriarchy, Sexual Identity, and the Sexual Revolution (page 162, 166, 167 from: Vol. 7, No. 1, Autumn) reviewed different definitions of lesbian. The following image shows what they had to say on the topic.
A 1985/1986 article from the Boston's Bisexual Women's Network (page 6 from: Vol. 3, No. 6, Dec/Jan) of a bisexual lesbian detailing her experience in the lesbian community during the AIDS epidemic.
The 1970s saw a shift in the lesbian community with the rise of political lesbianism or lesbian feminism. Radical feminists appropriated the term lesbian to mean a woman who completely withdrew herself from men in society, including platonic and romantic relationships.
Lesbian separatist groups like The Furies Collective called for women to abandon all men in their lives and women who wouldn't do the same, stating that women who engaged with men enforced the patriarchy and misogyny.
Bisexual women were now traitors to the feminist movement and to their fellow lesbians; they were intruders in queer spaces. During the AIDS epidemic, bisexuals were further stigmatized as being promiscuous, and bringing the "gay man's disease" into "pure" lesbian spaces.
A 1994 article from Anything That Moves (page 24 from: issue #8) discussing the lesbian separatist movement's effect on bisexual women and biphobia during the AIDS epidemic.
A 1996 article from Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies (page 101, 102 from: Vol. 16, No. 1) of a lesbian feminists' firsthand accounts of biphobia in lesbian spaces.
Over time, lesbian separatists "kicked out" bisexual women from the community. While several lesbian marches and celebrations still welcome m-spec women with open arms, there's a recent discourse in the overall LGBT+ community about whether or not m-spec lesbians are even real.
4. M-Spec Lesbian Visibility Day/Week
Now in 2022, there's an M-spec Lesbian Visibility and Awareness week and day. The week is May 22nd to May 28th, and the day is May 26th. This week celebrates all m-spec lesbians, including bi-oriented, pan-oriented, poly-oriented, and more! You can find more at @/MspecLesbianss on Twitter.
The founder of M-spec Lesbian Visibility week/day is Isabella Scarlett (@/IsabellaScar2 on Twitter). Xe is a disabled, nonbinary-trans, m-spec lesbian Afro-Latine activist/essayist. She also runs a disability rights and justice account! (@/DisabledJustic on Twitter).
1. Wikipedia article, "Lesbian."
2. Rictor Norton's sourcebook website, "The Toast, 1732."
3. Lavender Woman, Volume 2, Issue 5, August 1973. Page 16.
4. Patriarchy, Sexual Identity, and the Sexual Revolution, Vol. 7, No. 1, Autumn 1981. Pages 162, 166, 167.
5. BBWN, Vol. 3, No. 6, Dec 1985-Jan 1986. Page 6.
6. The Rainbow History Project article on Lesbian Separatism.
7. Anything That Moves article, issue #8. Page 24.
8. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1996. Pages 101, 102.
