History of Chinese Lesbianism: 'Dui Shi' and Western 'Orlando'"

    In the Qing Dynasty novel Liaozhai Zhiyi, for example, Pu Songling alludes to female relationships in some bizarre stories, but most of these descriptions are shrouded under the rubric of “sisterhood” or “friendship,” which is not enough to attract widespread attention in society. One of the stories, “Lianxiang,” is thought to contain subtle hints of same-sex feelings.

    In this story, the two women - Lianxiang and Ah Xiu - have a close and deep relationship, even an attachment that goes beyond ordinary friendship. They care for each other and their feelings are expressed to an extremely intimate degree. Although there is no explicit mention of homosexual feelings, the deep emotions between them trigger some interpretations of same-sex friendship. The original text has a section that mentions the close relationship between the two men:

“Ah Xiu often slept with Lian Xiang. The love was so close that they did not leave each other despite the extreme cold and summer.”

    This sentence shows that they slept together in the same bed and had a deep and evocative love for each other. This story triggered some later explorations of the special feelings between women.

    While it cannot be definitively said that this is a homosexual relationship, it does provide a literary representation of the deep emotions between women, leaving room for the reader's imagination.

    However, although the phenomenon of lesbianism has appeared from time to time throughout history, ancient societies generally did not pay much attention to homosexuality (whether male or female) for the simple reason that the concepts of gender, family, and even the power structure of the time determined that same-sex relationships could not pose a threat to society. In ancient times, more attention was paid to how to pass on the family name and reproduce, so as long as it did not affect the continuation of the family structure, the society tended to take a hands-off attitude towards the sexual orientation of individuals. In other words, ancient societies actually “acquiesced”, but this acquiescence did not mean tolerance, but more because of its hidden and harmless nature.

    At the beginning of the 20th century, with the introduction of Western theories of sexuality into China, the concept of lesbianism was gradually discussed during the May Fourth period (1910s-1920s). At that time, Chinese intellectuals defined female homosexuality as a pathology or deviation through Western theories of sexuality (such as Krafft-Ebing and Havelock Ellis). Literary works of this period portrayed lesbianism in both innocent idealizations and pathological stigmatizations. Women writers attempted to portray these feelings in literature, but most often these portrayals were either downplayed as “harmless” sisterhood or labeled as “depraved” by the dominant sexuality discourse of the time.

    In Western history, the story of homosexuality is more complex. In ancient Greece and Rome, people's views on homosexuality were relatively open, and male bonding in particular was given high cultural significance.

    During the Greco-Roman period, emotional and physical relationships between women were considered part of normal socialization, yet were not explored in depth. By the Victorian period, lesbianism was gradually recognized as a pathology as society strictly regulated the role of women. But lesbian stories are relatively rare in these records, and it seems that women's roles were more restricted to domesticity, breeding, and obedience. It was not until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the changing gender roles in society, that female homosexuals began to gradually surface in Western culture.

    For example, author Victoria Wolfe's novel Orlando depicts homosexual feelings in a veiled manner.

    Gender fluidity and emotional diversity are depicted in Orlando, and the book's protagonist, Orlando, experiences both male identity and becoming female over the course of her four-century life. The novel does not directly depict homosexual emotions in the traditional sense, but through Orlando's gender transition and emotional relationships with people of different genders, Wolfe explores the fluidity of gender, love, and identity.

    After Orlando becomes a woman, her relationship with Sasha is seen as a complex interpretation of love, in which Wolfe implicitly depicts emotions that cross gender boundaries. The original text reads as follows:

 Woolf's novel Orlando is considered a bold exploration of the fluidity of gender and love, especially against the backdrop of the early 20th century when homosexual relationships were repressed and not widely accepted by society.

By the 1970s, Western lesbian communities began to gain social recognition and self-identity, particularly propelled by the feminist movement and the LGBTQ movement, leading to gradual improvements in the social status and rights of lesbians.

The independence and liberation of female characters is one of the keys to the rise of LGBTQ culture. The feminist movement of the 20th century significantly promoted women's self-identity and gender consciousness, allowing women to transcend the roles of housewives or mothers and pursue personal freedom and independence, including the autonomous choice of sexual orientation. The emergence of modern lesbianism can be seen as part of this awakening of female autonomy.

Furthermore, the gender equality and multicultural inclusivity of modern society have provided a broader foundation for lesbian culture. Western countries, in particular, emphasize the protection of individual freedoms and rights, with the rights of LGBTQ communities safeguarded by laws and institutions. For example, many countries have legalized same-sex marriage, providing a basis for social recognition of LGBTQ communities. In such an environment, lesbians no longer need to hide as in ancient times, but can openly express themselves.

 Of course, there are those who would argue that the popularity of LGBTQ culture is due to the “political correctness” of today's society. This cannot be ignored.Modern society places a high value on equality and inclusion, which makes any form of discrimination difficult to justify. Supporting the LGBTQ community has become a sort of moral high ground, which in turn has contributed to the popularization and spread of the culture.

    The rise of LGBTQ culture, especially lesbianism, is not only a result of social and cultural evolution, but also a manifestation of the awakening of individual rights.Behind this journey from the hidden and tacit approval of ancient times to the openness and self-confidence of modern times is a reflection of human society's pursuit of diversity and freedom.