Men, no historical surprises here, had their own haunts for meeting like-minded souls. This was far easier for women than for men as women were expected to live together if they were not married, or to live with the euphemistically termed “female companion.” Indeed, many gay and lesbian couples more or less lived openly together throughout their lives.
Unlike the common belief that such relationships were “the love that dare not speak its name,” as Oscar Wilde so famously described same sex attraction in his poem “Two Loves,” gays and lesbians often dared to show their love. We are proud of who we are together.”ĭuring the Victorian era many gay and lesbian couples proudly expressed their love for each other in studio portraits.
It states for all to see: “We love each other. A couple’s photographic portrait is an affirmation of their relationship.
