During the 1800s and the 1900s, “boston marriage” was a term used for households where two women lived together, independent of any male support. It is not a strictly lesbian marriage. Such a relationship may have intimacy and commitment, with or without having a sexual component. In those days, having a “romantic friendship” was perfectly acceptable, even though homosexuality was not.

Boston marriage was an essentially feminist relationship—the women chose each other as long-term housemates not only because of the depth of their friendship, but also because marrying a man at the time would lead to a lifetime of servitude. Feminist women wanted to change marriage—but in the meantime, they did not want to bind themselves in the institution as it existed. Boston marriage gave feminist women a home life as they pursued social and legal reform efforts—and thus, Boston marriage was eventually seen as a threat to patriarchy. Psychologists began describing romantic friendship and Boston marriage as “perverted” around same time as feminists were achieving their most dramatic victories, such as suffrage. The leading psychologist then was Sigmund Freud.

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