The
History of Lesbianism From Lesbian Galore!
A standard dictionary simply
defines a lesbian as a female homosexual. The term lesbian is nothing new. It
originated to refer to an inhabitant of the Isle of Lesbos. Our present
day connotation of the world evolved from references to Sappho, a Lesbian poet
whose verse detailed her emotional ties to other women. It has been estimated
that lesbians account for approximately 10-12% of the female population.
Many myths exists concerning
lesbianism. It is believed by some that all lesbians are very masculine or
butch. The butch lesbian isn't acting out just because she can't get a man as
some people would believe. While some prefer to be butch, lesbians range in
size, shape and appearance with just as much diversity as the heterosexual
population.
It is also believed by some that
women become lesbians because of bad experiences with men. Lesbianism is not
equal to hatred of men. It's also not true that lesbians just have not found a
good man. Many women just prefer the emotional and sexual bonds that are formed
with other women. It is that simple.
Some estimates state that three
quarters of lesbians are involved in committed relationships, dispelling any
myth that homosexuals cannot be monogamous. The break-up rate for lesbians is
about the same as the rate for heterosexual partners. Many lesbian couples stay
together for decades.
Lesbianism is more than just sexual
orientation. It is a way of life. Many of the issues that lesbians deal with are
different than those dealt with by heterosexual women. A great dichotomy exists
between the sexual health issues of heterosexual women and lesbians.
Heterosexual women are at a much greater risk of contracted sexually transmitted
diseases. While lesbians are definitely not immune to STD transmission, as of
1990 only four cases of AIDS were reported from woman-to-woman contact.
We hope we cleared up many a myth with this little
report. Any other questions will probably be answered at: Queer
Ring --> http://home6.inet.tele.dk/zennaro/queerring.html
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