Lesbian author, Jane Rule died November 27, 2007 at 76 from complications of liver cancer in her home on Galiano Island. She wrote fiction and nonfiction. The lesbian classic movie from 1985, Desert Hearts, was based on her novel, Heart of the Desert, originally published in 1964. It was her first published novel, which made her known as “the only lesbian in Canada.”

In a women’s literature class in college, I was introduced to a Rule short story. I don’t remember the title, but the story about a lesbian couple’s break up and how it affected their little girl’s life was my first taste of lesbian literature. At the time, I struggled with my sexuality and was surprised to read a story about lesbians as normal people. My desire for more lesbian fiction grew from that story. I was delighted to see lesbians as normal women and as parents. I believe that her story opened my closet door a sliver, so I could peek out at the life I’d been hiding from for several years.

Jane Rule’s literature provided a foundation for the current boundary-pushing lesbian writing. She’s an icon for current authors and readers to admire as a foremother of lesbian/dyke stories. Rule will live on in her stories and inspire a new generation of readers.

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