i forgot which one’s named tulio and which one’s named miguel but the black haired one is the bottom and if you think otherwise you are entry-level. you’re a novice.
you know damn well a top would never speak to his queen like this
George Barbier, Illustrations for Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos De Laclos, 1934.
During his life, George Barbier was one of France’s most acclaimed illustrators and designers, a forefather of the art deco movement. But after his death in 1932 he quickly sank into obscurity. It’s only in the modern era that his work has been reappraised.
George Barbier, Illustration for Les Chansons de Bilitis by
Pierre Louÿs, 1929.
Barbier is notable for his bold depictions of female sexuality, and an aesthetic in his design work that a modern critic called ‘a kind of lipstick lesbian chic’. Many of his illustrations have a sapphic subtext, featuring women together in intimate poses, or women embracing people of ambiguous gender. Some show women dancing or being affectionate with figures that appear to be male but on closer inspection are clearly women in drag.
George Barbier, Le Feu (The Fire), 1925.This illustration shows a woman reclining in the arms of a person of indeterminate gender.
In his illustrations for Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Les Chansons de Bilitis, this
subtext became outright text, with women naked together, kissing or making love. For the time, these illustrations were extremely daring and
verged on the pornographic (even if they seem quite tame by today’s
standards).
George Barbier, Illustration for Les Chansons de Bilitis by
Pierre Louÿs, 1929.
Little is known about Barbier’s personal life in his hometown of Nantes, but we do know that in Paris he moved almost exclusively in homosexual circles. He was an intimate friend of the dandy and poet Robert de Montesquiou, and mixed with gay intellectuals like Marcel Proust.
George Barbier, Les dames seules (the single ladies), 1910. This early work is particularly striking for its apparent depiction of a butch/femme subculture among gay women in Paris.
His sexuality gave him access to the underground gay scene in Paris, and his knowledge of it filters through into his work. Although many of his illustrations are fictional, fantastical, or historical, here and there we see glimpses of the hidden lives of queer women in
fin-de-siecle Paris.
It also makes his work particularly notable, IMO, because unlike many of his straight male contemporaries, he did not depict sex and romance between women for the titillation of the straight male gaze. His women are complex, resisting bland stereotypes or didactic stories of innocence and fallen virtue. They are beautiful, sensual, dangerous and daring. Even idealised, they seem like real people. They have a self-possession that resists objectification. Their sexuality belongs to them, not to the viewer.
I used to complain about there not being enough bi or lesbian main female characters in books, until about a year ago when I realised there are a fuckload of f/f books out there and it would be almost impossible to read them all.
As a present to you, here’s some good ones:
Historical bi French lady who crossdresses and is an opera singer and swordswoman:Goddess by Kelly Gardiner
What if….Victoria was a closeted lesbian and accidentally marries Emily—who is bisexual—instead of it being Victor?
(Pt 1)
—
In all seriousness though, I’ve always had this idea in my head since I first watched this movie twice in theaters and I’m finally making it come true because dammit I want to; this alternate story would’ve made my heart soar back when I was in the closet and had an embarrassing crush on Emily
I know this is a long post – but omg it gave me feels. Can you imagine how intense their love had to be to survive how homophobic it was back then. 😭😭😭
Nearly every year, for the past thirty years, Frances Goldin has gone to New York City Pride holding a sign that reads, “I adore my lesbian daughters. Keep them safe.” (x)
“Since the beginning of the parade, I’ve been going and waving my sign,” Goldin said. “It sort of hit a nerve with people, particularly those whose parents rejected them. The response to the sign is always so great — it urges me to keep going.”
“Everybody would come running up to her and cry, kiss her, and say, ‘Would you call my mother?’ or ‘Would you be my mother?’” her daughter, Sally, explained.
“She’d take down names and addresses and write letters to these kids’ mothers!”
When asked about all the young LGBT parade-goers who have begged her to speak to their own mothers, Goldin replied, “I think I changed a few people’s minds and I’m glad about that. Everyone should support their gay and lesbian children, they’re missing a lot in life if they don’t.”
I love that I keep seeing that support post for Common Language Bookstore, and thought that people might want to spread that love to their local. LGBT+ bookstores are a dying breed, but they don’t have to be!
**on 18/04/18 the front window of GtW was smashed in an act of vandalism, which does happen quite frequently. While their online store gets up-and-running, they have a mail order service available! Details on website!
This list is probably not exhaustive, just what I managed to find with a little bit of searching. If you know of one that’s not on this list, leave a comment!
Help spread the word and support LGBT+ small businesses ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
I-want-my-IWTV 