ABSTRACT
This chapter describes major works, themes, and creators in Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) literary history, with an emphasis on Europe and America. It presents a overview of LGBTQ visual arts, such as painting, sculpture, photography, and related media. During the second half of the 18th century, Gothic fiction became popular in both England and America, largely with female audiences, by combining horror, death, and at times romance. By the mid-19th century, literature in America was shifting between Transcendentalism and Realism. Following the 1969 Stonewall Riots, sexual minorities, now often publicly identifying as bisexual, gay, and lesbian enjoyed a renewed visibility in US society and mass media. As an African American woman, one of her common themes was the intersection of cultures that often resulted in cross-species relationships and flexible views of sexuality and gender. The growth and influence of Christianity led to increased restrictions on non-procreative sexual behavior and related artistic representations.
