Famous Lesbians and Bisexual Women in History

These lesbian and bisexual women lived in a time where it was not as easy to be out and proud. These women paved the path that we walk on today.

Lilli Vincenz was an early gay rights activist. She talks about her involvement in the early gay rights (homophile) movement.

Glen Owen Bio

Freeheld won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary 2007. This is the story of Laurel Hester, the subject of that movie and her fight to leave her pension to her partner.

The origins of Lavender Menace is the early 1970s during the feminist movement. Betty Friedan called lesbians in the feminist movement the lavender menace.

Barbara Gittings fought for gay and lesbian rights since the 1950s. She was one of the founders of Daughters of Bilitis, one of the earliest lesbian organizations.

Here's a bio of Jane Addams. Jane Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, the birth of the modern social work. Although she would not have used the word Lesbian, she did have lasting relationships with women throughout her life.

Gladys Bentley was a Black lesbian in history. She sang the Blues and even married a woman in the Harlem Renaissance.

The modern gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pride movement began in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York City with the Stonewall Riots.

Here's a profile of author and lover of Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West.

Phyllis Lyon along with her partner Del Martin were early lesbian feminist activists and founders of the first national organization for lesbians.

Del Martin, along with her partner Phyllis Lyon wrote the ground-breaking book Lesbian/Woman.

Did the First Lady prefer Ladies? Evidence suggests it is so!

Bessie Smith, known as the Empress of the Blues, was also bisexual.

Frances Alice Kellor 1873 – 1952 was a lesbian, political activist, and transgender American.

Mabel Hampton was a Black lesbian in the United States in the 1920s. She saved memorabilia from her life as a dance during the Harlem Renaissance, which she donated to the Lesbian Herstory Archives. Because of Mabel Hampton, we know much about the lives of lesbians in our history.