Greek poet Sappho can be seen in this 1904 painting. Courtesy of John William Godward
“I tell you / Someone will remember us / even in another time.”
This three-line fragment of a poem is attributed to Sappho of Lesbos, a poet well-known for her wistful yet romantic musings on love.
She is also the etymological origin of the term “sapphic,” and the more widely known “lesbian.”
Sappho is a rare case of a historical figure that is widely agreed to have been part of the LGBTQ+ community. Historical figures, unless their sexualities are explicitly voiced, are often viewed through a lens of heteronormativity.
