HISTORY OF SEX: Part 9

Gillian Anderson just set the loins of a million geeks on fire after she told an interviewer that she has had sexual relationships with women in the past.  For ages, men have been titillated and turned-on by the idea of two femme women having a tussle in the hay (I doubt there are many who fantasize about Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein having a snog).  Bisexual women have been around forever but the first half of the 20th century saw some very famous women having open affairs and relationships.  Here are a few from that bygone era:

Colette was one of the most famous novelists of her time and was the first woman given a state funeral in France.  Not only was she divorced three times and had a torrid affair with one of her step-sons, she was also involved Josephine Baker and other women involved in the art scene in Paris.  She was completely open about her bisexuality and nearly caused a riot when she kissed one of her lovers on stage during a performance at the Moulin Rouge.

Marlene Dietrich married only once but she had quite a few lovers, both male and female.  Her rumored lovers include Tallulah Bankhead and Edith Piaf.  Dietrich was known for her androgynous beauty and was one of the first female celebrities to wear trousers in photo spreads.  She summed up her love life with this quote: "Sex is much better with a woman but then one can't live with a woman."

Greta Garbo ran in the same circles as Dietrich, in what was euphemistically called the "Sewing Circle." They allegedly even shared a lover, Cuban-Spanish writer Mercedes de Acosta.  Garbo never married and guarded her privacy voraciously but it has been speculated that she had at least three long-term relationships with women.

Of course, now it seems like very aspiring actress or pop star uses girl-on-girl action to appeal to male fans but these European ladies seem to subscribe to Dietrich's assertion that in Europe, gender doesn't matter...you sleep with the people you find attractive.