Lesbian: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:01, 9 July 2005

Revision as of 12:03, 9 July 2005

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== The law ==

[[Image:Homosexualitystein.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gertrude Stein]] and lover [[Alice B. Toklas]] [http://www.ellensplace.net/gstein4.html] .]]

ExplicitIn [[Western societies]], explicit prohibitions on women's homosexual behavior have been markedly weaker inthan [[Western societies]] thanthose on men's homosexual behavior. In the [[United Kingdom]] lesbianism has never been illegal, unlike male homosexuality which was criminalised in the late [[19th century]], occasionally produced a prison sentence, and was only legalised in [[England]] and [[Wales]] in [[1967]]. (There are various apocryphal stories about why lesbianism was not criminalised atin the sameUK. time,One e.g.relates that [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] refused to sign a bill outlawing it, insisting that, "ladies did not do such things.".) Jewish religious teachings condemn male homosexuality but are more lenient towards lesbianism;, ruling it is ruled to be acceptable in an unmarried woman if itthis prevents her from premarital sexual relations with a male.

=== Reproductive and parenting rights ===

In some countries, the right of lesbian women to have access to assisted birth technologies such as [[In vitro fertilisation|in vitro fertilisation (IVF)]] in order to have children, has been the subject of debate: in [[Australia]] for example, the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]] rejected a [[Roman Catholic Church]] move to ban access to IVF treatments for lesbian and single women. However, the [[Prime Minister of Australia]], [[John Howard]], had sought to amend [[legislation]] to prevent the access of these groups to IVF, raising indignation from the gay and lesbian community.