Amelia Edwards

Completely agree oldwoman, I haven't heard of her before so thank you I will look her up .

Very great lady. I’m a great admirer of Gertrude Bell.

But if she had been married to a man that would have been mentioned.

No she is a role model for all women

Yes, I agree

She used to travel with a female companion named only as "J" in her diary but my point is that has nothing to do with everything she achieved.

I don't see why her sexuality needed to be mentioned at all but the first words were along the lines of "she is a figurehead for the LGBT community". No she is a role model for all women.

I didn't hear it either, so I don't know if it is a fact or a supposition.

It would seem to be such a Thing now, to label some notable historical figure of a woman gay, when they can’t possibly know or prove it - just wishful thinking IMO from a certain sector.

Haven’t they recently been trying to tell us that Elizabeth the First was gay? Or even a man in disguise?

Who next? My money is on Florence Nightingale!

I agree with OP, but good role models for minorities is a real plus as history seems to forget them.

These were my thoughts exactly Callistemon21. Her being so remarkable is probably because she was brave enough to step away from the norms.

I didn't hear the programme so don't know if it portrayed her accurately or "in context" so can't comment on that.

Amelia
(Why does autocorrect keep changing it?)

What has her sexuality got to do with all the things she achieved?

I can see what you mean and why it could be thought of as irrelevant.

However, a woman born in the early 1800s would have been expected to be compliant, obey her father, marry at a young age and, if lucky, have a family. None of her own possessions would have belonged to her, they would have belonged to her husband, even her own children would have belonged to him. She would have been subjugated.

Amedlia must have had a very strong personality to break the mould, refuse to conform to the life that was expected of her and become an explorer.

It wouldn't have mattered if she had been a gay man because he could have married, made a woman miserable and still led a life of adventure.

Q: What has her sexuality got to do with all the things she achieved?

A: Absolutely nothing, but it seems that a person's sexuality is of paramount importance these days and supercedes anything else that they do, or are, in life.