6. Remaining Celibate…Unless You’re A Lesbian
As we mentioned before, during the Sanctificationist movement, women were encouraged to remain celibate in a bad marriage, and they were not allowed to bring men over when they lived in an all-female commune. If the women living in the boarding house wanted to court a new man and get married again, that was fine, If you’re a straight woman living in the commune, staying away from sex was supposed to help you keep your mind clear.
The “no sex” rule became controversial in the future, especially in more modern times, after the “free love” movement. So, this rule would change in some of the future communities, but most of the hardcore female communes still abide by the rule of celibacy.
It almost goes without saying that back in the 1800’s, the reason why many ladies were unhappy with their marriage was because they were a lesbian, but society taught them that they needed to marry a man. Many of these women who lived together in the Commonwealth were secretly lesbians, and they lived in absolute bliss together in these boarding houses, because they never thought it would be possible for them to do so.
In future all-female communes, women would become more comfortable admitting that they were lesbians, and that was the reason why they chose to join the group. This was not always the case, though, and these communities still continue to house women of all sexualities.