Abstract
Throughout the years, Irish sexuality has been a hidden and concealed area. It has managed to stay secretive for hundreds of years, because homosexuality goes against all of the catholic church teachings. In this thesis i will be discussing the history of sexuality in Ireland, and in further detail the history of lesbianism. I will be analyzing the interviews I conducted and showing the real torment and discrimination lesbians in Ireland endured. That’s why in this thesis I aim to examine in true detail to show how lesbians in Ireland have been treated over the years. How they have hid away from reality because they feared for what would happen if they opened up. I want to shine a light on the severity of actions people went to in order to punish someone for their sexual preference. How people can make other human beings feel worthless an insignificant.
I want to show that even though we are in the twentieth century, in some aspects it feels like we are living in the middle ages with the mindset of some people. That even through all the hardship these lesbians had to go through some how they are still optimistic about Ireland and its future. That they truly believe that we are on the right track. All in all, I want to show that they should not have to hid away, that they do not have anything to be ashamed of. They deserve to love, act and be carefree just as much as the next person. Discrimination of any one is not acceptable, your sexual preference does not define you as a person. 1You fancy a person, not a gender. Author keywords: Sexuality, repression, freedom
