Myths and historiographies of lesbian sexuality

In this paper I address the issue of female sexuality, in search of historical situations of female pleasure and enjoyment. I will thereby (re)unite or confuse lesbian and heterosexual identities in order to explore a method of historical research on lesbian sexuality. "Lesbian identity," as we know it today, is a sociocultural construction of the western world, thus this confusion seems necessary. The application of this or any notion of "lesbian identity" to historical and cultural periods prior to or outside of twentieth century western culture, would thus keep many moments, encounters and sensibilities, in which lesbian sexuality plays its part, out of our sight.