One of the reasons I started researching the historical aspect is that "what really happened" can sometimes be far more startling and interesting than just making stuff up. Mind you, when I write fantasy settings I enjoy the freedom from fighting all the same gender and sexual battles. And the drawer full of various-stages-of-progress of lesbian historical romances aren't necessarily entirely historic in how the problems are approached (although I'll maintain that much more historical than your typical straight historical romance is!) but they start from historic motifs and events.