Introduction: a history of "lesbian history"

This is a short history of "lesbian history," a field of study that became explicitly possible after the 1970s and the development of lesbian-feminism. From early articles published in lesbian and feminist magazines, academic interest developed and historians began to publish journals and books on lesbian history. Frontiers and Signs produced issues on lesbian history, and groups including the London-based Lesbian History Group and the Lesbian Oral History Group wrote articles and carried out research on lesbian lives. Lesbian archives now provide valuable resources for historians to develop this work. The author concludes that "lesbians in history" may include women who are also part of transgender and women's histories, bisexual histories, and national and occupational histories. Inclusion in one set of histories does not preclude inclusion in others.