Class Distinctions and "Molly'" Houses

In the 1700s, ominous changes were coming over Great Britain for gay men. While noblemen had previously been able to avoid most of the public abuse and severe penalties given to convicted "sodomites" of the lower class, in the 18th century only extreme wealth could save them from public censure. Groups dedicated to the preservation of Puritanical morals would often arrest openly gay men through spying and entrapment. This, in turn, forced gays in England to go underground and resort to more discreet locations for their encounters. Noblemen resigned themselves to keeping to
the privacy of their homes, engaging in often well-known and highly complex relationships among themselves. Working-class gay men had "molly" houses, places where gay men could meet to not only engage in sex, but to cross-dress in a relatively safe place with like-minded companions. The most well-known of these houses was Margaret "Mother" Clap's, which was raided in 1726 by the Society of Reformation of Manners. Despite persecution, the molly houses continued operation well into the 19th century.

Cross-dressing Women Enjoyed More Freedom

All over Europe, the period from the mid-17th century through the 18th century was a time in which cross-dressing women rose in number. Although there is no single explanation for this trend, one of the more obvious hypotheses is that posing as men increased women's ability to enjoy a greater degree of financial and social freedom. It also allowed lower-class women, who didn't enjoy the privileges of the relatively permissive elite, a way to practice lesbianism unnoticed.

The women who were discovered had often been married for years and some had even created ingenious phallic devices to trick both the outside world and sometimes their partners. Upon discovery of these unions, courts were predictably harder on the "male" partner, viewing their wives as mere
hapless victims.

The one place where women could cross-dress without fear of reprisal was on the stage. Several French and English actresses, such as Peg Woffington, rose to prominence playing male roles, and were openly adored by male and female fans alike. One French actress, Mlle. de Maupin, was arrested and sentenced to death for seducing a girl, but was so popular and well-liked by the public that her sentence was overturned and she continued her cross-dressing lifestyle unharrassed.

"Romantic Friendships" Were Approved

A completely isolated but historically significant pair of figures rose to prominence in the late 1700s. Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby essentially eloped and made a home in Wales, were they spent the rest of their lives together. Despite their isolated location, the "Ladies of Llangollen" were known throughout European society. Not only were they approved of, but it became fashionable to travel to visit them. Despite referring to each other in intensely romantic terms and never spending a day apart, there was no hint of sexual activity in their lives, and in fact they were offended when a newspaper column in 1790 suggested it. Nonetheless, more open lesbian and bisexual icons such as Colette revered and elegized them after their deaths.

It is important to remember, however, that these women were perhaps immune from public attack because of their apparent social innocence and lack of eroticism. In general, as gender and sexuality became more scrutinized and European society felt the need to develop ever more rigid categories, homosexuality became more reviled, and gender roles were even more strictly polarized.

The 15th - 16th Centuries

The 1800's