Lesbian Health: The Historical Legacy of Homophobia in Health Care

At the turn of the 20th century, in North America and Europe, bio-medical models were used to define normalcy and deviance, particularly around issues of sexuality. Western medicine and science built on the history of the Church and tied concepts of bodily disease to those of aberrant morality (Stevens and Hall, 1991). Same sex attraction and behavior was defined as a disease and thought to be the result of genetic anomalies. Being gay or lesbian was considered dangerous and contagious and many lesbians and gay men were confined in psychiatric or criminal asylums.

Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, the medical establishment theorized about the exact nature and cause of homosexuality. Lesbians and gay men were studied and “treated” by doctors who aimed to identify and to cure. Many “scientific” studies were based on “data” from popular novels, tabloids and interviews with prison inmates and sex trade workers. Physicians developed lists of physical characteristics that could be used to detect lesbianism (e.g., wide shoulders, greater height and firmer muscles). Behaviors that could be considered unconventional or gender inappropriate (e.g., involvement in skilled labor, sports, social movements or dedication to career) were also considered part of the behavior set.

Source: The Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Health Project was funded by Health Canada and Status of Women Canada, and coordinated by the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health.

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