International Lesbian Day is celebrated worldwide on 8 October. This day is an opportunity to honour lesbian women, increase their visibility and draw attention to the challenges and successes of the lesbian community.
The word “lesbian” comes from the Greek island of Lesbos. Its origins lie in ancient poetry and mythology. The island was home to Sappho, a famous 7th century BC poet known for her poems about love between women and her homoerotic poetry.
Lesbian women have often struggled with invisibility and prejudice throughout history and continue to do so. Research on the history of lesbian women is often ignored in academia. This is because there are historical taboos and few written records. In addition, more is often written about men in history.
Lesbian women and feminism are closely linked. Feminism strives for gender equality, and lesbian women fight not only for this equality, but also for acceptance and recognition of their love for women.
Many lesbian women, such as Audre Lorde and Barbara Smith, have campaigned for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights and social justice and have strongly influenced the queer and feminist movement.
