Diana Frederics (1907–1969)

Published in 1939, Diana: A Strange Autobiography is both amazingly outdated and amazingly refreshing in its portrayal of one lesbian's life. Full of passages that both calmed and frightened me, the book never once released its hold. The stuff that either saddened or shocked, thankfully, no longer is believed by most sensible people today (i.e. insulting and downright false stereotypes about gay women). What surprised me the most, though, was how much still applies today (the need, for instance, to hide who you really are from your own family.)

There are both reflections and actual incidents from the book that speak to the reader's heart. Our narrator realizes she has feelings for a fellow student and begins rearranging her schedule so she doesn't bump into her. She does everything possible to avoid placing herself in situations where she could make Ruth (the girl she likes) feel uncomfortable or make herself fall even harder. How many of us (really, our sexuality doesn't matter here) immediately try and squelch our true feelings when we like someone we know we shouldn't? Lots, of course, but when you read of Diana's experiences you feel as if no one has ever captured how you feel quite like she does.

Diana believes the most antiquated things about homosexuality, which isn't surprising considering the author was writing this in the 1930s. For every nutty idea (women are gay because they're brought up around boys growing up or lesbians just cannot stay in a committed relationship) there is a counter idea that is simply lovely and yet sensible at the same time:

"If love ever came to me, I would accept it. If it did not, my life would not be frustrated. Love, I would remember, was only one of many things, and sometimes, a very small one...I was sick of thoughts made of hope."

As it turns out, Diana ends up discovering a lot of what she believed about lesbians and love to be wrong. She struggles with loneliness and a broken heart for a long time before she finds the closest thing to a happy ending...a particularly unique thing for way back then. :)… (mer)