Location
Comstock Memorial Union, MSUM
Document Type
Presentation
Event Website
https://www.mnstate.edu/academics/opportunities/student-academic-conference/history/2022/
Description
Sapphic relationships, described as romantic relationships between two women, were able to proliferate without the watchful eye of society in late 19th-Century Europe due to many factors, including the lack of importance European society felt women had. While not entirely able to pronounce their relationships in public, these women were often able to operate somewhat publicly in three main types of common or “accepted” sapphic relationships. These include intimate friendships, “mother-daughter” models, and hetero-passing relationships. Since historical research on sapphic relationships before the 1970s was almost non-existent (beyond the chastising of such relationships) a number of women and queer academics in the 1970s provided much more visibility and destigmatization surrounding the specialization of the study of sapphic relationships. By exploring the ways in which women found romantic companionship with other women, the nature of these relationships showcases the human capacity for creativity and the natural expression of female homosexuality.
A research paper to accompany the presentation.
Included in
European History Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Women's History Commons
Invisible Yet Free: Sapphic Relationships in Late 19th Century Europe
Comstock Memorial Union, MSUM
Sapphic relationships, described as romantic relationships between two women, were able to proliferate without the watchful eye of society in late 19th-Century Europe due to many factors, including the lack of importance European society felt women had. While not entirely able to pronounce their relationships in public, these women were often able to operate somewhat publicly in three main types of common or “accepted” sapphic relationships. These include intimate friendships, “mother-daughter” models, and hetero-passing relationships. Since historical research on sapphic relationships before the 1970s was almost non-existent (beyond the chastising of such relationships) a number of women and queer academics in the 1970s provided much more visibility and destigmatization surrounding the specialization of the study of sapphic relationships. By exploring the ways in which women found romantic companionship with other women, the nature of these relationships showcases the human capacity for creativity and the natural expression of female homosexuality.
https://red.mnstate.edu/sac/2022/cah/2