Queer Women 1870-2020

The research project Queer Women 1870–2020 (New Histories of Same-Sex Relationships 1870–2020) explores women's romantic and sexual relationships with other women throughout history. Denmark is often shaped by a narrative in which LGBTQIA+ people (i.e., lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender individuals, queers, intersex and asexual) have historically moved from being criminalized and oppressed to gradually gaining acceptance, rights, and inclusion in society.

Although this narrative of progress is often applied to the entire LGBTQIA+ spectrum, it primarily stems from research into men’s relationships. As a result, there is a significant gap in our knowledge—what we know about LGBTQIA+ history is largely limited to what we know about men. New Histories of Women’s Relationships with Women 1870–2020 seeks to fill this gap. A key difference between women’s and men’s relationships was that while men’s sexual relationships (as well as men dancing together) were criminalized, neither sex nor dancing between women was illegal. In fact, some evidence suggests that Copenhagen had a thriving ‘lesbian’ dance culture in the first half of the 20th century. This project aims to bring new histories to light, including stories of multiple women (including ‘women’ who today might be described as non-binary or trans) who formed romantic and sexual relationships from the 1870s to the 1950s. These relationships appear to have been more accepted by families and local communities than previously assumed.

In this way, the project seeks to rewrite history and show that it is more complex than most of us have previously assumed. At the same time, it aims to use this new history to develop new theories of gender and sexuality while also contributing methodologically to archival research.

The researchers work with various historical sources (including photographs, newspapers, letters, medical records, and fiction) based on the hypothesis that not only historical periods but also the type of source and the women’s own contexts (such as social class and age) shaped how their relationships were perceived. Additionally, the project examines—across sources and time—how gender identities and sexual practices have been linked or separated over the centuries.

The project is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark and runs from 2022-2026.