Is lesbian good teminology?

Has the word LESBIAN gone now? Do we not remember our history?

Lesbian
Lesbian writer Emma Donoghue found that the term lesbian (with its modern meaning) was in use in the English language from at least the 17th century. A 1732 book by William King, The Toast, uses "lesbian loves" and "tribadism" interchangeably : "she loved Women in the same Manner as Men love them; she was a Tribad".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminology_of_homosexuality#Lesbianism

Sappho pictured here, is the incomparable lesbian poetess who takes us back to 7th Century B,C. This was time of outstanding importance in ancient history. Old civilizations were falling and new powers were rising.
Sappho's poetry was delicate and refined at a time before the great and perfect sculpture's who would go on and prove themselves to the test of times.
Sappho was born on or near 612 B,C.on the island of Lesbos a plentiful island off the coast of Greece. Eresos the town in which Sappho lived was ravaged by a ten year war in 606 B,C. The resident of the six towns of Lesbos were known as Lesbians and fought as one against the Athenians.

Sappho was always regarded in antiquity as a woman endowed with wisdom as well as with the gift of song; in an epigram written upon her by Pinytos it is said that 'her wise sayings are immortal'. Socrates classed her amongst the sophoi, "the Wise"

Unfortunately the early Church did not permit any appreciation of wisdom which it may have possessed to out balance prejudices: Sappho's poetry and wisdom were distroyed, burnt by the early Christians. Only a few fragments survived, the following lines are the lesbian Sappho's.

"Wealth without goodness is not harmless neighbour, but the uniting of both is the summit of fortune."

"you cannot bend a stiff mind."

Long live Lesbians
http://www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho.html
http://www.temple.edu/classics/sappho.html
http://www.classicpersuasion.org/pw/sappho/

Isolation and Heritage The LGBT Experience

Ok so here we are some way into LGBT History Month and my thoughts have turned to isolation.

Social exclusion (isolation) is linked to the cultural invisibility we as LGBT communities experience, the EU has stated that it wants to 'fight all forms of discrimination leading to exclusion', (European Commission 2005).

Full participation in society includes not only economical inclusion but cultural participation particularly for the LGBT communities.

European council 7101/04, March 2004, "a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economical, social, cultural life and enjoy a STANDARD OF LIVING AND WELL BEING THAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL in the society in which they live."

This includes sorting out the disadvantages LGBT people experience in education ( including cultural awareness of diversity) and training. However the inclusion of good practice in local authorities relies heavily on individual Council and public authority understanding, acceptance and goodwill.

CULTURE SOUTH WEST
Joining up: Culture South West Report 2004 [2004]
STRATEGIC THEMES:
• encouraging increased access and participation in cultural activities across the South West;
• Improving the quality, relevance and sustainability of the region’s cultural assets and activities;
• supporting the region’s cultural and creative industries and nurturing creativity;
• celebrating regional identity and the rich diversity of South West cultural life and traditions.

LGBT people due to discriminaisation often find it hard to see their potential and their ability to contribute positively to cultural life in their regions, they do not have access to regional celebrations of their cultural heritage. Again without the goodwill and acceptance of indiviuals and Councils celebrations of LGBT Heritage go unmarked or even have forced difficulties metered upon them.

LGBT people are routinely socially excluded. Participation in cultural activities can be difficult for a multitude of reasons including,economic limitations, geographic locations and educational barriers as well as ever present discriminaisation. This is especially true for the young and older members of the LGBT communities.

Recognition is key to the participation of LGBT people in a cultural life. For this we need robust and concrete policies to ensure that museums, libraries, galleries, records offices and other cultural centres ensure that they reduce invisibility by being open and clear about their inclusion of LGBT Cultural events. So often diversity policies include, race, religion (belief), age, disability and gender (although transgendered people often do not exist in this area).

Media attention of LGBT Cultural celebrations go unnoticed or under reported,leaving LGBT people and the wider communities clueless to events and activities they may find of interest. Media silence is previlant.

Invisibility includes representation in education and within the public sphere, and a whole load of other areas which I do not have the time or skill to cover. Invisibility in terms of public sphere is forced. We see no indication; no clear pointers to our heritage unless we seek it out for ourselves. This gives the impression that history is only heterosexual.

Positive social inclusion would mean that LGBT History month was everywhere, it is not. This gives an impression of negative social inclusion, which could and does have the effect of heightened vulnerability for many LGBT people and communities.

The lack of openly LGBT teachers who could act as positive role models or teachers who can actively ensure that LGBT cultural life and celbrational events are included in the school
curriculum is extremely small. Those that do identify as LGBT find that the 'fight' to ensure inclusion of LGBT Positive education is too much for them. This in its self maintains invisibility of positive cultural awareness and awareness of LGBT Heritage leading potentially to a changeless environment for young LGBT people or those exploring their sexual orientation. The result is the same discriminalisation, the same prejudice, and the same death either from violencent attack or from suicide.

RESPECT EXETER!

Ok so there you are... you have booked a space in a key arts centre for the Respect festival/LGBT History. You have talked to members of the community letting them know that you have this venue, then. BANG!!

The rug is whipped from under your feet. Because the RESPECT committee is focused on RACISM.
DON'T WANT to spread themselves too thin, don't want to do tockenism to any one group.

SO.... BME that's it folks.
No disabled, no gay or lesbian bi or trans.

there goes the rug!!!

Yes Racism is CRAP!

what happens when you show NO Respect for people who have space booked and then just take it away, no consultation.

what happens you PISS THEM OFF!!!

RESPECT MY ARSE.

LGBT Schools: Lesbian gay Bisexual and transgender schools

On the Tes web site.....of interest!

http://www.tes.co.uk/2434607

have a look.........

Popular culture: The gay experience!

In May 1995, The Gay Times celebrated its 200th edition. It was titled: Britain's Top 200 gay men and Lesbians. Everyone who was named in that edition was out.
The editor David Smith, ends his introduction with;
[But] as we move into the second half of the last decade of the 20th century, there is no doubt that we have finally proved what British gay organisations, from the Gay Liberation Front onwards, set out to prove 25 years ago.
We are everywhere.
Lesbian, gay, bi and trans culture and popular music has managed to effect the lives of many LGB and T people far more than ‘mere’ entertainment. Popular Music has offered the lives of modern LGB/T people, a fundamental role in establishing gay self identity and maintaining communities solidarity.
"I'm coming out" has been since 1980 the chorus to any gay pride or gay venues repertoire. An empowering statement which was inspired by Californian drag queens.
Whether it be Opera, (David Daniels the brilliant counter-tenor or Samuel Barber the man who wrote one of the most famous pieces of opera, Adagio), musical theatre, (Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein), blues, (Bessie Smith regarded by many as one of the best blues singers ever), women's music, (Horse female singer ,song writer and performer),disco or homocore…Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgnder communities and individuals have relied on popular music to express both personal desires and political demands. They have been able to see themselves in lyrics of songs; Tom Robinson “glad to be gay” or Antony and the Johnsons: "All those beautiful boys/Pimps and queens and criminal queers/All those beautiful boys/Tattoos of ships and tattoos of tears"
Music has provided a shared sound track for Lesbian Gay bi and trans communities, meeting in clandestine bars and cabarets or publicly at marches, pride parades or music festivals and gay discos, places of key importance to lovers and activists, whose bodies - electric, erotic and politic respond equally to Boy George as to Donna Summer, Will Young and Marc Almond.

Ned Sherrin. A national treasure, a supreme wit, a frightening intellect and one of the most entertaining people ever to grace our airwaves!

Edward George (Ned) Sherrin was born into a farming family at Low Ham in the Somerset Levels, Sherrin attended Sexey's School, in Bruton, Somerset. Although he read law at Exeter College, Oxford and subsequently qualified as a barrister, he became involved in theatre at Oxford and joined British television at the founding of independent television in 1956, producing shows for ATV.

Ned was an openly gay man, he was a patron of the London Gay Symphony Orchestra. Sherrin was awarded a CBE in the 1997 New Year’s honours list. He died of complications of throat cancer on 1 October 2007 aged 76.

Ned on LGBT History Month Web page.
http://lgbthmuk.blogspot.com/2007/10/ned-sherrin-dies.html
Ned on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Sherrin
Ned on GALHA
http://www.galha.org/glh/251/sherrin.html

LGB/T Heritage matters.

“Whatever our alignment and affiliations history is always a useful tool to have when defining ourselves in the world...the denial of history has always been to some extent part of the oppression or marginalisation of groups and the reclaiming or rewriting of history has always been part of their liberation or self-realisation."

Culture wars
Without the earlier subculture of queer politics, gay and lesbian and feminist activists who in the early stages of feminist and sexual politics, built their own networks and communities there would be little to say about LGBT culture.
It was these networks, which were able to respond to the catastrophe of AIDS. With grassroots self help projects, safer sex campaigns, lobbying and fund raising, when HIV/AIDS struck the United kingdom and the western male gay community-to the early indifference of much of the wider society.
There are now more sexual identities and subcultures visible and active in public culture, it is important to remember that alongside popular fascination with gender and sexual diversity, challenges to conservative traditions remain vigorously policed and punished. From epidemic hate crimes against LGB and T people to media fears of the consequences of women’s greater sexual autonomy, and family values which uphold the heterosexual norm.
How is it best to view the culture wars? The apparent rigidity of gender symbolism of the ‘sex act’ remains one of the key factors which can rob women of their personal sexual freedom to choose an identity and autonomy, while at the same time continuing to confirm men’s sexual conformity to masculinity.
Contemporary culture over the last one hundred years has been accompanied by ever greater social acceptance of diversity although this is still seen through the tradition of masculinity and femininity. There has been an expansion in mainstream culture and the promotion of choice as the overriding route to happiness, (in women’s magazines, advice columns, contemporary fiction, film and television). The battle is still open. Funding has been reduced or removed from gay community groups, LGB and T helplines are closing down due to lack of funding, often found previously from health authorities even through HIV infection continues to rise.
Histories
There is a national attempt to recover and rewrite history. The political declaration of an LGB and T identity requires authenticity through reclaiming one’s history.
The Heritage industry seems to create only one version of a twentieth century identity. Putting Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender histories at the centre of ‘our’ representation of history we seek to speak for a history and culture which is specific.
We may choose to offer a shared history of our cultural identities which have been and continue to be reflected in a common historical experience and shared cultural codes. (Dress, language, attitudes, etc) which offer us a meaning and identity.
Heterosexuality has been able to, by merely holding back a people’s past, keep a grip on its power and normality. It turns to the past and distorts, disfigures and destroys references to a heritage that goes back millennia. Cultural identity belongs as much to the past as it does to the future; it is a matter of becoming as well as being. We can use this as a step to understanding how ‘we’ have experienced repression and normalization in a heterosexist cultural backdrop.
In order to challenge hostile claims that homosexuality is abnormal or immoral historical experiences of similarities show that being LGB or T is a ‘given’ and has roots in history.
LGBT History month now in its fourth year offers a standard of cultural and historic exposure. Until we can show our cultural and historic roots, be able to unearth the heritage which we know we have and express that through representation and exhibition, we stand the chance of being singled out for criticism and invisibility in the way we have for hundreds of years to come.
The discovery of, and visibility of our histories, will have psychological benefits to many LGB and T people who still feel a sense of isolation and oppression. Our oppression has changed little, with a greater awareness and understanding of our changing identities we offer hope and a cultural foundation on which we can work on to consider our future.
Through the visual representation and celebration of LGBT History we offer a valuable and sustainable method leading, empowering and building cohesive communities. We have a foundation on which to enable LGB and T communities to face real issues; deal with problems and realise aspirations in an effective way. This involves working in partnership with local people and organizations to create a meaningful, shared vision for the future and then making it happen. In our complex and diverse communities this will never be straight forward, however the results can be rewarding.

The Intercom Trust: supporting lesbian gay bisexual & trans people & communities in the South WestRegistered Charity 1072772

Sarah StephensonLGBT Heritage Project Co-ordinator
sarah@intercomtrust.org.uk www.intercomtrust.org.ukPO Box 285 Exeter EX4 3ZT
01392 201015 (Main Office)
07875 183508 (LGBT Heritage Mobile)
01392 20 16 30 fax