For centuries, the word Lesbian was used to refer exclusively to people from the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. This association with homosexuality became prominent through the writings of the poet Sappho, who resided on the island and was known for her romantic verses involving both men and women (sapphic is also used to describe lesbians). The origin of the term lesbian is believed to possibly mean “forested” in Hittite, though this is not confirmed. Initially avoided in literature, lesbian began to gain recognition in the 1970s during the women’s liberation and gay rights movements, reaching its peak in 1997 before seeing a slight decline in usage.
