I do not think one can say that the pure lesbian historical romance genre is dire. I have actually had conversations with friends who bemoan the lack of same sex historical romance. One of them turned to Anita Blake so you are just going to have to write something just for them. Please. Save them.
On a completely different tangent, when I think of medieval lesbians, I think of a sense of the ordinary. I think of all of the situations in which women were thrown together in communal living situations. People tend to think of nuns right off, but what about ordinary servants? It was common to share quarters so I would imagine it was easy to share a romance. Upper class ladies would have ladies in waiting. Prostitutes and courtesans would have each other. There is so much opportunity, and not a lot of education. I think it is quite plausible that there were some subcultures that turned a blind eye to women seeking each other's company. Some might even say it wasn't sex (as they knew it) so there isn't a reason to feel guilt.
I think you can easily avoid the "But, I am a cheerleader!" I have run across a lot of medieval sermons preaching the dangers of adultery and lust. They almost always mention men and women. (Of course, women are the culprits.) I have never run across a medieval sermon that said two women should not have hot, romantic sex.
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Date: 2011-02-18 11:07 pm (UTC)On a completely different tangent, when I think of medieval lesbians, I think of a sense of the ordinary. I think of all of the situations in which women were thrown together in communal living situations. People tend to think of nuns right off, but what about ordinary servants? It was common to share quarters so I would imagine it was easy to share a romance. Upper class ladies would have ladies in waiting. Prostitutes and courtesans would have each other. There is so much opportunity, and not a lot of education. I think it is quite plausible that there were some subcultures that turned a blind eye to women seeking each other's company. Some might even say it wasn't sex (as they knew it) so there isn't a reason to feel guilt.
I think you can easily avoid the "But, I am a cheerleader!" I have run across a lot of medieval sermons preaching the dangers of adultery and lust. They almost always mention men and women. (Of course, women are the culprits.) I have never run across a medieval sermon that said two women should not have hot, romantic sex.