Sometimes when we go searching for one thing at the CLGA we find ourselves becoming absorbed in quite another matter. The archives is filled with interesting and unexpected distractions. On the hunt for artwork to reference for use in our publication, it occurred to us that we might mine colourful cover jacket designs. With that in mind, we headed down into the archives’ basement, which stores a large collection of gay and lesbian fiction, some dating back to the early 1940s.
When we began pulling books out of boxes we noticed that many had titles that alluded to sex in a variety of terms that were creative, cryptic, humorous, or witty. Curious to see how many different examples we could find, we started going through every hard and softcover. By the end, we had collected a list of more than 30 expressions. Figuring that we only just scratched the surface, we began scanning the titles and contents of texts in the CLGA’s well-stocked reference library. Our tally quickly grew to more than 80 expressions. There seemed to be no end to formulations for describing Sapphic traffic, switch hitting, or lavender love (just a few of the countless iterations that prove our point!).
Fictional references we found often struck a tone that was dramatic (ex. “anarchy of love” and “unnatural thrill”), or titillating (eg. “pussycat fever” and “anal delight”). Unsurprisingly, published accounts with an axe to grind took a darker and more derogatory turn. The ways in which men or women engage in sexual relations with another were called “disturbing practices,” “filthy doings,” “vile affections” and — in one floral entry — the “quintessence of debauchery.”
Sometimes carnal cravings were depicted in terms that pointed to the illegality of such acts (eg. “dissident love” and “forbidden act”). Until 1969, sex between men was against the law in this country. Interestingly, lesbians were excluded from consideration and free to “go at each other until they drop exhausted” as one tabloid reporter in the 1950s crudely put it. Homosexuals could be and sometimes were imprisoned if proof of their private liaisons came to light and was presented in court. In fact, one unfortunate individual was sentenced to life in prison in the 1960s. This incarceration was so draconian it generated intense media and political interest that eventually led to the law’s subsequently amendment.
Throughout history, a man’s lust for “intercourse with the hindquarters of his equal” — as one ancient Babylonian text described it — was taboo. Ditto when it came to a lady’s yearnings for “a womyn’s touch.” Such topics were not to be discussed in polite society. Thus, we found descriptions of “unspeakable love” and “unmentionable vice.” In reality, however, society was anything but mute on the topic. Our quick and dirty (pun intended) list demonstrates the degree to which society — from antiquity to modern times — just couldn’t stop talking about those who love differently.
When we began pulling books out of boxes we noticed that many had titles that alluded to sex in a variety of terms that were creative, cryptic, humorous, or witty. Curious to see how many different examples we could find, we started going through every hard and softcover. By the end, we had collected a list of more than 30 expressions. Figuring that we only just scratched the surface, we began scanning the titles and contents of texts in the CLGA’s well-stocked reference library. Our tally quickly grew to more than 80 expressions. There seemed to be no end to formulations for describing Sapphic traffic, switch hitting, or lavender love (just a few of the countless iterations that prove our point!).
Fictional references we found often struck a tone that was dramatic (ex. “anarchy of love” and “unnatural thrill”), or titillating (eg. “pussycat fever” and “anal delight”). Unsurprisingly, published accounts with an axe to grind took a darker and more derogatory turn. The ways in which men or women engage in sexual relations with another were called “disturbing practices,” “filthy doings,” “vile affections” and — in one floral entry — the “quintessence of debauchery.”
Sometimes carnal cravings were depicted in terms that pointed to the illegality of such acts (eg. “dissident love” and “forbidden act”). Until 1969, sex between men was against the law in this country. Interestingly, lesbians were excluded from consideration and free to “go at each other until they drop exhausted” as one tabloid reporter in the 1950s crudely put it. Homosexuals could be and sometimes were imprisoned if proof of their private liaisons came to light and was presented in court. In fact, one unfortunate individual was sentenced to life in prison in the 1960s. This incarceration was so draconian it generated intense media and political interest that eventually led to the law’s subsequently amendment.
Throughout history, a man’s lust for “intercourse with the hindquarters of his equal” — as one ancient Babylonian text described it — was taboo. Ditto when it came to a lady’s yearnings for “a womyn’s touch.” Such topics were not to be discussed in polite society. Thus, we found descriptions of “unspeakable love” and “unmentionable vice.” In reality, however, society was anything but mute on the topic. Our quick and dirty (pun intended) list demonstrates the degree to which society — from antiquity to modern times — just couldn’t stop talking about those who love differently.