Lesbians in Americn History

I grew up in a small town in Central Kansas, pretty much at the buckle of the Bible belt. According to everyone I knew, lesbigays were sad, sick people who fluttered at the edges of society, unable to function. Needless to say, my coming out process was not exactly a time of joy and peace.

It might have helped if I had known that Florence Nightingale, who established international standards for nursing care, wrote letters to friends about her same-sex relationships. It might have helped if I had known that Edna St. Vincent Millay, whose poetry I could quote by heart, also had relationships with women. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always liked the poster, occasionally displayed at pride marches, which reads, “UNFORTUNATELY, HISTORY HAS SET THE RECORD A LITTLE *TOO* STRAIGHT” followed by names of prominent lesbigays.

As I write this article, the United States is preparing to celebrate her 224th birthday. This seems like a good time to explore our role in that history. In this article, I’ll highlight the accomplishments of six notable American women who were lesbians or who had lesbian relationships. Some openly acknowledged their same sex attractions, others passed as straight and were later identified by biographers, usually from correspondence. All impacted American history in some meaningful way.

JANE ADDAMS (1860-1935). SOCIAL WORKER.

Accomplishments: Founded Hull House in 1889 to help Chicago’s poor and immigrant populations. Served on Chicago’s Board of Education and was appointed Chairman of School Management Committee. Founded the Chicago School of Physics and Philanthropy (1908). Served as the first woman president of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections (1909). Played parts in founding the ACLU and the NAACP. In 1931, became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Price.

Identified as lesbian because: For the last forty years of her life, she and sister reformer Mary Smith lived in the same room and shared the same bed. They also purchased a house together.

For more information: http://nobel.sdsc.edu/peace/laureates/19...

SUSAN B. ANTHONY (1820-1906). SUFFRAGIST.

Accomplishments: Championed many causes, including abolition, temperance, and women’s rights. Best known for her tireless work in the area of women’s suffrage. Arrested and fined in 1872 when she challenged state laws by voting in Rochester, New York. Head of the National Women’s Suffrage Association from 1892-1900.

Identified as lesbian because: She never married, and over her lifetime, she formed close, romantic relationships with several other women, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Anna Dickinson (whom she called “My Darling Dicky.”)