Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence

Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence is a 1985 anthology edited by Rosemary Curb and Nancy Manahan and published by Naiad Press.^[1] It compiles the experience of 51 queer women who are or were nuns.^[2][3]

The book was controversial with Catholic authorities prior to release. In April 1985, after the two authors were interviewed by The Boston Globe ahead of the book's release, the Archdiocese of Boston intervened to prevent a local television show from broadcasting an interview with the two women.^[2][4][5] In response, The Boston Globe began a campaign against the diocese, criticizing them for infringing freedom of speech.^[2] Religious opposition would continue; when Curb and Manahan promoted their book on The Late Late Show in Ireland, a group held a prayer vigil outside the studio.^[6] The two women also had their hotel reservations cancelled.^[7] However, Irish reception was not entirely negative; contemporary reports said that "the book's publisher in Ireland was trying to get extra copies of the book to meet demand raised by the publicity".^[7]

As a result of the controversy, the book received more coverage in the media. The book, which had been at first only carried by LGBTQ bookstores, was "moved to the front stands of the large book chains, Dalton and Waldenbooks".^[2] A month after its release, there was enough demand that a third printing was done, creating 150,000 total copies on the market.^[8]

In academic and literary circles, the book was largely well received.^[1][9][10]