Lesbian

A woman (or non-binary person who relates to womanhood in some way) who experiences emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction primarily or exclusively to other women and/or non-binary people.

From the Greek island of Lesbos, home of poet Sappho (c. 630-570 BCE), whose lyric poetry described erotic love between women. "Lesbian" as a noun meaning a woman attracted to women solidified in the late 19th century through sexological literature.

• Sappho (c. 630-570 BCE) - Her poetry celebrating love between women survived in fragments; the island of Lesbos gives lesbianism its name
• 1955 - Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon founded the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco - the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the US
• 1970s - Lesbian feminism emerged as a political and cultural force, with separatist communities, bookstores, and music festivals
• 1999 - Labrys Lesbian Flag designed by Sean Campbell
• 2018 - Emily Gwen designs the Sunset/Orange-Pink lesbian flag, now the most widely used

• "A lesbian who has had relationships with men is really bisexual." Sexual history does not determine identity.
• "Butch lesbians want to be men." Gender expression and gender identity are separate.

• Sappho (c. 630-570 BCE) - Greek poet; namesake of "sapphic" and "lesbian"
• Radclyffe Hall (1880-1943) - Author of The Well of Loneliness (1928)
• Del Martin (1921-2008) & Phyllis Lyon (1924-2020) - Co-founders of Daughters of Bilitis
• Audre Lorde (1934-1992) - Black lesbian feminist poet; Sister Outsider
• Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) - Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence
• Ellen DeGeneres (1958-) - Came out publicly 1997, a landmark US television moment
• k.d. lang (1961-) - Canadian musician; came out 1992