For all the lesbians you didn't know and all the lesbians you wish you did!
Dates Read: 21/02/2023 to 23/02/2023
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Word to describe: Unreal
Genre: Non Fiction
Witty, fun, and sarcastic, A Short History of Queer Women is a delightful attack on the heteronormative narrative history has exposed us to. With introductions to the forgotten lesbians of history and an insight into the behaviour and hidden secrets of the past, Kirsty Loehr has created a wonderful depiction of queer history.
This was a book I had unintentionally bought. Preparing for a flight home from my trip to Amsterdam I had gone in duty-free with no intention of actually buying anything - more interested in wasting time between the current and my late-night flight. I was immediately drawn to the vibrant cover, a splash of pink against a blurred background of boring grey covers and lacklustre titles. With the title itself, I knew this book would be an instant hit as it was right up my alley. Queer history and in general feminist fiction is something I adore and this book was a pleasant mixture of both.
Starting out with a lovable commentary sprinkled with hilarious quips about modern-day queerness in comparison to a romanticized past (why did we stop giving other women violets and lavender?), A Short History of Queer Woman expertly blazes the trail and overturns the history we thought we knew. From legendary historical figures' (like the young Anne Frank) queerness being wiped from history to a famous lesbian married couple who were later referred such great friends, Kirsty Loehr tears apart the false narrative homophobia and blatant sexism have created and paves the way for wholesome nostalgia for an era where lesbians, trans women, and bisexual women, deserved to be celebrated.
There are numerous positives about this book, my personal favourite is how the facts are presented. Kirsty Loehr cleverly mixes her quick wit and ever-funny sarcasm and gruesome facts with good old fashioned reality-tv style drama and pieces together a work of literature that transcends the stereotypical monotony that is non-fiction.
I instantly felt absorbed into the tales of historic women who would run away with their lovers, or, in the name of Parisian royalty - Marie Antoinette, parade them like diamonds for all to see. There were stories of women so unapologetically gay that they would whip out their breasts and passionately make love to their significant other. There were stories of married women afraid of being ostracised that they hid their sexuality until a brooding lover came along to sweep them off their feet. The tales of the past are filled with so much drama and excitement that they almost seem fictional, Kirsty Loehr gathers together an unlikely collection of heroines from every era and shouts we're here and we're fucking queer. From the uprising of the cult that is Christianity to the first and second waves of feminism to the first public black queer woman, each hurdle our gay ancestors have climbed paved the way for modern-day wlw romance.
I truly devoured and absorbed every inch of information printed within these pages with a smile on my face and a hardy laugh of disbelief. The women in these books deserve to be known and celebrated, so thank God Kirsty Loehr decided to show us modern queers who came before us.
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