World of Lesbianism

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English lingo to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the prime attribute of female homosexuality, or as an adjective, to illustrate characteristics of an object or activity related to female same-sex desire.

Lesbian as a concept, used to differentiate women with a shared sexual orientation. Throughout history, women have not had the freedom or independence to pursue homosexual relationships as men have, but neither have they met the harsh punishment in some societies as homosexual men. Instead, lesbian relationships have often been regarded as harmless and incomparable to heterosexual ones unless the participants attempted to affirm privileges traditionally enjoyed by men. Women in homosexual relationships responded to this designation either by hiding their personal lives or accepting the label of outcast and creating a subculture and identity that developed in Europe and the United States.

The most extensive early study of female homosexuality was provided by the Institute for Sex Research, who published an in-depth report of the sexual experiences of American women in 1953. More than 8,000 women were interviewed by Alfred Kinsey and the staff of the Institute for Sex Research in a book titled Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, popularly known as part of the Kinsey Report. The Kinsey Report's dispassionate discussion of homosexuality as a form of human sexual behavior was revolutionary. Up to this study, only physicians and psychiatrists studied sexual behavior, and almost always the results were interpreted with a moral view.

Kinsey and his staff reported that 28% of women had been aroused by another female, and 19% had a sexual contact with another female. Of women who had sexual contact with another female, half to two-thirds of them had orgasm. Based on Kinsey's scale where 0 represents a person with an exclusively heterosexual response and 6 represents a person with an exclusively homosexual one, and numbers in between represent a ramp of responses with both sexes, 6% of those interviewed ranked as a 6: exclusively homosexual.

By far the most significant impact to the image of lesbians was Ellen. Publicity surrounding Ellen's coming out episode in 1997 was enormous; Ellen DeGeneres appeared on the cover of Time magazine the week before the airing of "The Puppy Episode" with the headline "Yep, I'm Gay". It won an Emmy for writing, but as the show began to deal with Ellen Morgan's sexuality each week, network executives grew uncomfortable with the direction the show took and canceled it.

A latest study has found that the children raised by Lesbian parents perform at par with other kids in terms of academics and social skills. These kids are also found to be more matured than their peers and exhibit less aggressiveness. The researchers also thin that the kids brought up by lesbian parents are more adjustable and accommodative by nature. This finding may come as a boon for the LGBT community. Dr. Nanette Gartrell, the author of the study is involved with the University of California. She thinks that the kids raise by lesbian parents do better because Lesbians are very committed and involved by nature.

On the night of June 24th, after the New York State senate voted to legalize same sex marriage, thousands took to the streets in Greenwich Village to celebrate.

Crowds gathered in front of Stonewall, a symbol of the gay rights movement.

New York becomes the sixth and largest state to legalize same sex unions. This broke the silence, acceptance was served.