lesbians over 60, photographs by elana freedom, published in common lives/lesbian lives no. 15/16, june 1985

The Outlaws, 1995 by Tina Fiveash

Butch/Femme couple at one of Mona Sargent's nightclubs, circa 1950s.

Mona Sargent owned and operated several lesbian bars in San Francisco throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including Mona's 440 and Mona's Candle Light. She is a central figure in Wide Open Town, Nan Alamilla Boyd's groundbreaking history of queer San Francisco to 1965.

THE WILD PARTY (1929) — dir. Dorothy Arzner

July's illustration is named 'Sappho's Sparrows' 👭🐦‍⬛🌿 Rereading the Ode to Aphrodite, the description of Aphrodite's chariot being pulled by sparrows made this scene spring to mind; Sappho performing a love poem to her gf with sparrows flying from the lyre towards her like musical notes. Patrons in July will be receiving digital downloads, wallpapers, prints, and stickers of this illustration  🧡 Patreon.com/flaroh

Do you know anything about how queer women/sexual and romantic relationships between women were seen during the 18th/early 19th century, particularly in France? Im asking cuz I know that rumors of Marie Antoinette having sexual relations with her female favorites were used in propaganda against her, so I felt curious about how ppl in pre-revolutionary viewed lesbians; was it seen as "perverted" and just as taboo as male homosexuality?

So, as I understand it- and pre-revolutionary France is not my primary era, keep in mind -it was lewd if sexuality was involved. If people could imagine that they were just Super-Good Devoted Chaste FriendsTM, that was less likely to be looked down upon. However, contrary to some pop history sources, people WERE aware that sapphic sex existed. And even actual Super-Good Devoted Chaste Friends could find themselves accused of it if one or both parties became unpopular with the accuser. When those parties were both public figures...it could get ugly.

That's why claims that a famous historical figure was queer have to be taken with a grain of salt if they come exclusively from that figure's enemies. It sounds rather homophobic to say "it was just slander," but it's not necessarily that the historian thinks having gay sex is a bad thing- it's that the accuser probably did, and therefore might use the idea to damage someone's public reputation. If there's no other evidence, as with Marie Antoinette, it's not considered a credible claim of homosexuality for that historical figure.

tl;dr- Devoted friendships verging on romance between women good; sexual relations between women either titilating (for men) or Bad. And sometimes the former was used as "proof" of the latter if someone wanted to slander the parties involved

The "mine" and "thine" of wedded folk Is often quite confusing And sometimes when they use the "ours" It sounds almost amusing But you and I may well defy Both married folk and single To do as well as we have done The "mine" and "thine" to mingle.

Jane Addams in a poem to Mary Rozet Smith, her life partner till Smith's death in 1934

A Brief Look at Stem(me) History

Wanted to know more about Black lesbian identities and I couldn't find a lot on Tumblr or Twitter so I did some research on stem/stemme myself. I'm not involved in queer discourse like that but I've noticed stemme being compared with futch both positively an negatively. The term "futch" is a mash up of butch and femme and the OG Futch Scale was posted 17th February 2011. In 2015, it got posted to Tumblr and became a meme, then an accidental "guide" on lesbian identity. Regardless of stances pro-futch or anti-futch I wanted to find info on stem/stemme as a Black lesbian identity for gender and gender expression. The modern definition of a stem/stemme is a Black lesbian whose gender expression and mannerisms fall between stud and femme. I've managed to find definitions not only supporting this but also definitions predating the futch scale, both pre and post meme version:

"Stem – A person whose gender expression falls somewhere between a stud and a femme.  (See also ‘Femme’ and ‘Stud’.)" Stud is defined as "An African-American and/or Latina masculine lesbian.  Also known as ‘butch’ or ‘aggressive’." (John Jay College of Criminal Justice LGBTQ+ Terminology, Eli R. Green, 2003-2004)

"Stemm A stemm is a gay/lesbian female who dresses like a guy, and dresses like a girl. Person 1: Look at that girl, she looks like a dude with all those guy clothes on, she has to be a stud Person 2: Well she was wearing girly clothes yesterday, so I thought she was a femm Person 3: Actually she's a stemm, she's wears boy clothes sometimes, and girl clothes other times" (Urban Dictionary definition of Stemm by user JenniferHill, November 8th 2009)

"A lesbian, who identifies as a Stemme, retains traits from both Femme and Stud/ Butch lesbians. Stemmes are in the center of the lesbian spectrum of classification and identities. Therefore, it is considered natural or common for Stemme lesbians to share the same behaviors as women of two diverse identity groups. Often times, the Stemme identity is viewed as the “transitional” stage of lesbianism, when a lesbian woman goes from being a Femme to a Stud/ Butch, or (on rear occasions) from a Stud/ Butch to a Femme... *In this blog the characteristic and behavioral difference between a Femme and a Stud is conjoined. The way a Femme or a Stud dresses is not the only way she can be identified. They can also be distinguished by their attitudes, actions and the way they interact with other people. A Stemme is the in-between identity of a Stud and Femme. She is apart of both groups and her identity is subject to change at anytime. A Stemme identity is often referred to as the transitional stage; however, some lesbian women remain a Stemme because they enjoy representing male and female dominance." (Lesbian Identity: Stemme, Nell S., 6th Nov 2009)

"'one who could switch up one day, she could be a femme and other occasions dress like she has a li’l hood, li’l ghetto inside her; a stemme –  part femme part stud a tomboy'" (STORY OF INTEREST: Lesbian Speaks Out, Dominica News Online, April 12th 2010)

"Stemmes presented themselves one day as femme and another day as stud; as such, they were visibly unrecognisable unless they divulged their gender identity. Stemmes expose the amorphous nature of gender identity and are invisible – silenced, ostracised or prescribed a gender identity. Many participants refused to recognise that stemmes existed and instead described them as confused. As Shane (age 22) admitted: ‘Sometimes they [studs and femmes] think that we’re confused. We don’t know what we want to be.’ Stemmes show that personal identity claims were often at odds with community perceptions of identity." (Good gay females and babies' daddies: Black lesbian community norms and the acceptability of pregnancy, Sarah J. Reed, Robin Lin Miller, Maria T. Valenti & Tina M. Timm, 21st April 2011)

"Stem, described as a cross between or combination of stud and femme, is a label that was used to refer to a lesbian that presented both masculine and feminine traits and characteristics. Short Dawg said, 'A stem, for me, is a little mixture of a lot of different things. One day you can be super feminine, and the next day you can be not so feminine.'" (Labelling, Butch, Femme Dyke Or Lipstick, Aren't All Lesbians The Same?: An Exploration Of Labels And "Looks" Among Lesbians In The U.S. South, Danielle Kerr, 2013)

Videos

Who has it harder in the world of lesbians? [studs? stems? or fems?}, iRoqStarStemme, 10th Jan 2011

WTH is a STEM??, AmbersCloset, 1st Feb 2013

The Black Lesbian Handbook: The Stem, Channel 4, 9th Feb 2015

There's a lot more I found and I'll post each article and video separately because they all go into more detail but tl;dr;

Stem(me) is an identity coined by Black lesbian spaces

Stem(me) mainly follows stud/femme dynamics rather than butch/femme (but can reference it)

Stem(me) predates the futch scale meme

Stem(me) is defined by clothing but also behaviours, so it can be a form of Black gender expression or gender itself

vintage lesbian pins

You have beautiful eyes like no other, please do remember how I love your eyes. They are blue and they are green too, as if the sky had wedded the sea, and your eyes bore the memory of their union. Your gaze is in turn periwinkle, violet, and a corner of clear, fresh blue sky. Sometimes, even, when you are tired and they are almost grey, your eyes resemble pieces of dusk. I love your eyes - I would like to die watching them.

Renée Vivien, Letter to Natalie Clifford-Barney (march 1900)

doing research for my master's thesis (applications due soon! im crying!) + i came across this translated 16th century French sapphic poem and i'm genuinely near tears, omg. sapphic yearning never fuckign changes,,,

Alas! How I’ve spilled my guts in vain! How I fled every other Love the same! How in vain you (scornful one) I chose, As my one delight, as my life’s rose! How in vain did I think the time ahead Would by miracle through the centuries us wed And that, unique example in French history, Our Love would serve as eternal memory Proof that Love of woman by woman may arise And from all manly Lovers seize the prize.

Elegy for a Lady enamoured of another Lady, Pontus de Tyard (1573). (Link to the full text)

illustration from come out!, the first lgbt periodical published post-stonewall. vol. 1, issue 1, 1969.

reading a book for the sapphic exhibit im helping create (exhibit is loosely based around a pair of lesbians from the early 1900s who were prominent in my town)

but the book! does NOT like to suggest that this woman was a lesbian, even when it quotes her sappy letters to her partner!! which she signed off by saying

"with all my woman’s heart!! With love and a french kiss, I am your own girl’

according to the author, even though they lived together (for 20 years!!) and adopted children together, they may have just been close friends

(they were not just close friends)

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posting this on my personal blog bc I dont want to talk badly abt the book on my more professional acc and bc its more just me ranting - BUT if you see this and want updates as the exhibit takes shape go follow @themuseumlady :)

speaking of historical figures who were important from a Marginalized Groups perspective but also grade-A douchecanoes

Anne Lister

holy crap. what an asshole. just. the rich fuckgirl at the gay bar who’s always sleeping around on her latest partner and ends up marrying an even richer woman with severe depression (partially for her money) and treating her like shit

it was hilarious to me that people were getting mad at s2 of Gentleman Jack for “bad gay representation” when it’s like. my sibling in sin, that’s what actually happened in real life

the clock struck 12 and the handsome early Victorian butch of your dreams has turned back into a rampaging jerk

“My friends think sleeping with a woman is like a nose piercing. To them, it's a fashion statement they are above making. Too transparent. Way too trendy. To them, the image just isn't worth the pain associated with creation. It hurts when a 16-gauge needle first enters, then exits the flesh. Their eyes water to think about it. A silver-plated post rotated three times daily. Proper care a must. Clean hands. Triple-protection antibiotic. All this, and you are left with an undeniable hole. A ruby marks its place. My straight friends think lesbianism is like that ruby nose ring. A conversation piece. They think one day I'll look down and mistake the ruby for a pimple. I'll scratch at it. Pick it. It'll ooze pus. Maybe I'll try to let it heal over. My straight friends think being queer is too vogue. They think I've been taken in by the fad that they resist. They think they are stronger than I am because of it. To them, my queerness is a weakness. Mine and theirs both. I don't question their fondness of me. They love me, my quirkiness, even my queerness. They need me. Without my friendship they would seem closed-minded.”

“Conversation Piece” by M. Paz Galupo, found in “Generation Q” by Robin Bernstien and Seth Clark Silberman (1996)