How Have Lesbian Relationships Changed Through History?

Being a lesbian is identifying as a homosexual. The Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian set of rules enacted approximately 1700 B.C. that enabled women to marry one other, is the earliest known legal recognition of lesbianism. But the truth is that the history of lesbians and LGBT, in general, is full of ups and downs and constant struggle.

 

If you dig deeper, you will be amazed to see how lesbian relationships have changed over the decades. In the old days, it was impossible to come out as a lesbian and then look for a partner. And jump decades ahead right in 2023, and you will see that finding a partner is just as simple as saying, “help me find lesbians near me,” and using a dating site for this purpose. But, yes, it has never been this simple. Let’s take a closer look at how lesbian relationships were in the past and the overall history of LGBTs.

 

The Long Period in Shadows

 

When you talk about the early days of lesbianism or homosexuality in general, you will see that there had been a long period these folks were forced to hide in the shadows. And this gave rise to so many stereotypes, including “U-Hauling.”

 

U-Hauling, or moving in together after spending only three months knowing each other, is perhaps the most famous tradition in lesbian society. In the 1950s and 1960s, when gay couples were forced to hide their relationships, the “urge to merge” had a practical foundation. If you were lucky to start a family in those days, you clung to it. What happened there was a marriage. Serial monogamy was not only accepted but celebrated in the lesbian community in those days.

 

It has changed these days, as lesbians understand that dating has to be a more natural process. To properly assess the other person, we need to keep some distance between ourselves and them. Have we proven ourselves capable of sustaining a strong, lasting bond? Do you feel a spark between you? How well do we get along?

 

The “red flags” that could spell the end of a relationship at the outset are easier to spot when you are emotionally distant. You should avoid ignoring these warning signs in pursuit of rapid connection or intimacy. And that is again when modern-day lesbian dating sites help by making it easier to communicate and get to know each other until both parties believe it is time to meet and take that relationship forward.

 

The Age of Coming Out

 

Yes, you can certainly find lesbian dating sites these days to come out and find a partner, but it has never been this simple in the past.

 

Of course, the concept of loving the fairer sex is quite old. In fact, The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall was the first English-language work to be recognized as having a lesbian theme, and it came out in 1928. It was deemed obscene by a British court because it promoted “unnatural behaviors between women.”

 

But, it indeed laid the foundation of lesbian literature. For instance, Nobuko Yoshiya was a prominent Japanese author in the early 20th century who wrote novels about the passionate love between young women. Her work was widely read and respected despite the fact that none of the relationships in her stories resulted in physical intimacy.

 

This was also the time when LGBTQ starting raising their voices. In fact, coming out took on a broader political significance after the Stonewall Rebellion (1969), in which bar patrons at New York City’s Stonewall Inn stood against a police raid. There were days of rioting and resistance as part of the uprising. It inspired what is now an annual march celebrated as “gay pride.”

 

This officially became the age of coming out with Elaine Noble (D), who was the first openly lesbian or gay person elected to a state legislature. She was elected in 1974 and served two terms, beginning in 1975. Similarly, Harvey Milk, an openly gay government official in California, advised people to come out during his campaign to overturn a 1978 initiative that would have outlawed gay men from serving in state schools as teachers.

 

Conclusion

 

Coming out has helped raise LGBTQ people’s profiles and secure legal protections. Today, gay marriage is legal in most states, and LGBTs have representation in media. Not only this, in the 118th Congress,13 of its voting members identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. A small but growing number of openly gay and lesbian members of Congress have been elected during the past decade, all of which are signs of this transformation. And above all, you can now easily go online and join one of many lesbian dating sites where you can interact with like-minded singles without having to worry about homophobia or any threat to your existence.