Surpassing the History of Men: Women’s History and Lesbian History

Lesbian history has not evolved simply as a sub-genre of women’s history, but out of a series of debates within feminism, women’s history, the history of sexuality, and within the gay and lesbian community. This chapter will examine the development of lesbian history primarily in relation to feminism and women’s historiography. The debates around lesbianism within women’s liberation have generated considerable controversy, which was in turn reflected in the historical writings on the subject. The sexual experience of women in the past became a critical discussion point for late twentieth-century feminists engaged in debates about sexuality.