What is a lesbian?

The surprisingly complex history of the term “lesbian”

Source: Unsplash

How exactly has the term “lesbian” evolved throughout history? As we know, words morph with time. A dictionary might say one thing for the linguistic definition of the word, a ‘social’ definition might overtake the dictionary definition. I define a “social definition” as a definition that people popularize by simply speaking to each other (in modern terms for 2023 — this is how words morph their definition based on social media like TikTok, Tumblr, MeWe, WeChat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, etc.).

I will go over the various forms in the ways “lesbian” has been defined throughout the years to help give a more complete understanding of this surprisingly complex terminology.

Part I. “Woman Sodomite”

It is documented as early as the 1300s that ladies were executed for sodomy. Sodomy in this context means “A woman who engages in sexual activity for any reason other than reproduction — be it partner play or solo play”. Lesbians (in this context, women who loved on other women) were lumped in with ladies who masturbated, engaged in oral sex, engaged in anal sex, engaged in vaginal sex solely for pleasure, and other types of sexual exploration.

Part II. “NonMen”