Is the Personal Indeed Political?

Dear Sappho,


How I wonder at your words of love and inspiration.  How I would have loved to have been with you on the Isle of Lesbos.  How wonderful to live among women in beautiful harmony.  How can we create such an ideal realm in this day and time of strife and war and sexism and greed and genocide and homophobia.  Is the personal indeed political, and is that enough to make the world safe enough for love? 

B.B.

A Date on Lesbos

dear Sappho,

It would be so much fun to live on the ancient island of Lesbos and spend a day with you. Could you describe a typical date with you and your lover and some of the things you might do hanging out with the Beloved?

Naked Ladies

dear Sappho,

An old friend from my youth recently started sending what she calls 'sex emails' which are like a newsletter of naked young women in all their glory. I have always respected this woman and these emails do not diminish my feelings for her but I am puzzled as how to respond and or what to do with the photos.

I do not want to insult or judge her harshly but I am a little embarrassed by the photos. I haven’t shown them to my lover nor do I intend to. Nor are they that enticing, personally I think an ordinary photo of the friend who sent them is more of a turn on than a dozen or two of the naked ones. I don’t want to distance my friend who shared them, but what am I going to do with them?

Love, Support & the Status Quo

dear Sappho,

My girlfriend has been unemployed for some time now. I think she is tired of looking for work and has secretly given up trying to find a job. I am worried about our status quo and maintaining the same quality of living we had before she was laid off. I fear we will lose our house if something doesn't change soon. It is true that she supported me for years while I had personal problems, but she made 2 or 3 times more money than I do. Supporting her will not be financially possible for me at this time. I am sure if she tried a little harder we could make ends meet. I feel as though my world is falling apart and with it, our love. Any advice to save us?

Not Enough Cuddling or Flirting?

Dear Sappho, 


My girl friend is not romantic at all any more. At first she was but for several years now - she has treated me more like a roommate than as a lover. No more kisses, cuddles, flirting or even intimate talks. I feel stuck and don't know how to get her to communicate. I'm not even sure she likes me anymore. Every time I try to talk to her about it she tells me I'm being silly. Do you think we can overcome such an impasse and where do I start?

Is it Possible to Love More than One Woman at a Time?

Dear Sappho,


Do you think it is possible to love more than one person at the same time? Is it moral or reasonable to feel that way? I am not talking about merely lust and besides I have lots of self-control. Sometimes I even confuse myself with my feelings and yet my feelings seem to be real. Do you think I should work on controlling my feelings more so I can eliminate or change this feeling or just let myself feel whatever I feel and be all right with it, I don't want to hurt anyone - including myself. 

My Girlfriend is Friends with ALL of Her Exes...

Dear Sappho,

My girlfriend is friends with ALL of her exes, is that reasonable or normal? Plus - I don't like all of them and some of them dislike me. I can tell that some of them have less than flattering things to say about me and I suspect they would like to see me gone from her life?  Did you have that problem on Lesbos?

Coming Out at Work?

Dear Sappho,

What about coming out at work? When people ask if I am in a relationship should I tell them the truth? People from other cultures seem to be especially distraught to find I don't have a man at home. Or should I just lie and let them believe that my partner is a man? I am torn between true to myself and making peace with a homophobic society.
Shy and Sly

Being Gay Was So Simple Before Gay Marriage

Dear Sappho,

I have an uneasy feeling about all this gay marriage equality. Being gay used to be more simple. No lifetime vows were required, just flowers in your hair and a few simple lines of prose. Now the tedious question of morality has raised the bar. What do they expect us to do? I'm afraid marriage would not only change (ruin) my relationship, but it would also alter my identity as a lesbian. They don't call it gay for nothing you know. Do you think gays should embrace marriage or is it just another trick to get us to conform?