How the Gender Binary Limits Archaeological Study
One case study demonstrates how contemporary assumptions about gender in ancient societies risk obscuring the larger picture.
The “Scientific” Antifeminists of Victorian England
Nineteenth-century biologists employed some outrageous arguments in order to keep women confined to the home.
Is This a Gay House?
The British aristocrat Horace Walpole's villa Strawberry Hill was said to be evidence of his "degeneracy."
Santa and Mrs. Claus and the Christmas War of the Sexes
In the late nineteenth century, bachelor Santa got married. Unsurprisingly, Mrs. Claus contributed uncompensated labor to the Claus household.
Bringing Up Baby Straight
Many parents just assume their kids will turn out heterosexual. That's part of heteronormativity.
One Barrier to Two-Spirit History: Settler Archives
Historians need to know more about the roles of two-spirit Native Americans, but relying on written records isn't always productive.
Hair, Gender, and Social Status in Ancient Egypt
Egyptian tomb chapels depict men, women, and children of different ranks in society. What can their hairstyles tell us about their lives?
Caregiving, Gender, and Power in Papua New Guinea
Among the Murik people, mothering isn't something that comes "naturally" to women who give birth; it's a form of power.
What’s Behind the Very Real Butch Quarantine Hair Crisis?
What's a masculine lesbian to do when her hair starts getting too long? Look at history for inspiration.
Who Were the Ladies of Llangollen?
Top hat connoisseurs, friends of princesses and poets, tchotchke models, dog lovers, cottage keepers...lesbians?