I’ve already written about the European reaction upon learning that the First Peoples of North America did not share their neurotic prejudice against homosexuality and gender variance.
The Jesuits and the French explorers brought back stories of Two-Spirit men “given to sodomy” and “Hunting Women” with wives. Later, British explorers brought back [...]
Archive for the ‘lesbian/bi women's history’ Category
The Disappearance of the Two-Spirit Traditions in Canada
Posted in Dominion of Canada, gay/bi men's history, history, lesbian/bi women's history, trans history on August 11, 2009 | 4 Comments »
The Social Purity Movement and Homosexuality
Posted in Dominion of Canada, gay/bi men's history, history, lesbian/bi women's history on September 10, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Volunteer educators wearing ribbons and going into public schools – often over the objections of parents – to talk about sex with pre-teens and teenagers. Doctors addressing the topic of STDs and disease prevention in the media. Pamphlets and books urging parents and teachers to talk about sex with their children.
For the readers [...]
Reflections on Early Canada, part 1: Changing Attitudes Towards Homosexuality in the Late 19th Century
Posted in Dominion of Canada, gay/bi men's history, history, lesbian/bi women's history, politics on February 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Changing Views on Homosexuality in the West
By the mid-1800s, most of Europe had stopped executing “sodomites.” The United Kingdom and Canada were among the last to end the death penalty, but finally followed suit in the 1860s.
In 1868, Europe got its first gay-rights activist. Homosexual sexologist Karl Heinrich Ulrichs began publishing pamphlets under [...]
British North America — Conclusion
Posted in British North America, Dominion of Canada, gay/bi men's history, history, lesbian/bi women's history, trans history on January 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Seen from the point of view of the “sodomites,” the Conquest of Quebec was a mixture of good and bad. On the positive side, the Quebec Act of 1774 effectively legalized lesbian sex – England did not define female homosexuality as “sodomy.” It also brought in the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” [...]
Sappho in Canada in the 19th century
Posted in British North America, Dominion of Canada, history, lesbian/bi women's history on September 23, 2007 | 1 Comment »
When I set out to research queer women’s history in pre-Confederation Canada, I discovered — not surprisingly — that the silence was deafening. Still, one particular pitch of that white noise – the legacy of Sappho – illustrates how complete the denial around lesbianism was.
Before we can talk about that, however, we’re going to have [...]
