A lot of people continue to maintain the unfortunate stereotype that alternative types of sexuality are a recent phenomenon. Historical research proves that this simply isn't true. Not only were homosexuals present in other cultures, they were generally accepted and sometimes even quite a bit of authority. For example, in some Native American tribes, homosexual men were given the important role of medicinal men and were some of the most highly respected members of the community.

One of the easiest places to find evidence of the LGBT community's role in history is to look at artwork. A lot of artists created works that portrayed people of alternative sexualities - and usually in a favorable light. The following are just a few examples of artists that featured the LGBT community in their pieces.

Leonardo da Vinci

Although details of Leonardo da Vinci's love life remain relatively unknown, a number of scholars and historians believe that the famous artist was gay. The strongest evidence of this is a court record that shows that da Vinci was arrested for having sodomy with a male prostitute. The charge was anonymous, so nobody will ever know if it was actually true. But based on da Vinci's lack of female lovers and clues in his artwork, the court records tip the scale for most scholars.

William Blake

A famed poet and artist of the late 18th century and early 19th century, William Blake often would write poems accompanied by detailed paintings. Many of these works had LGBT themes. For example, in the work "Blake and Los," William Blake depicts a sexual and spiritual union between two men. Although Blake was largely unknown during his time, he is now recognized as a great poet and artist.

Simon Soloman

While many artists of the 19th century disguised their work by providing a historical context, Simon Soloman was daring enough to insert a great deal of social commentary into his art. One of his most notable works is "Bridegroom and Sad Love," in which a young groom is shown to be chastely kissing his new wife on the forehead, meanwhile fondling the genitals of a saddened adult Cupid standing nearby. The painting clearly shows that the gay man was forced into marriage by society, but would have preferred to pursue an intimate relationship with an adult male. This work reflected Soloman's own life, for in 1873, the artist was arrested for soliciting sex in a public male's toilet in London.

Gustave Courbet

Works of art depicting lesbian lovers were not especially common during the 19th century, but that doesn't mean that they didn't exist. Often, the lesbians would be disguised as "chaste" friends, kissing each other on the cheeks or hugging each other while fully clothed. Gustave Courbet broke with this tradition in his paining entitled "Sleep." The painting featured two naked women in bed together with their limbs entangled. Obviously, the suggestion was that the women were doing much more than simply "sleeping."

Tamara de Lempicka

As a female artist and a proud bisexual, Tamara de Lempicka broke down many barriers for both women and bisexuals. The Polish art deco painter enjoyed shocking her audiences with brazen images. Often, these paintings were sexual in nature. For example, Lempicka portrayed a group of four naked lesbians in the 1925 painting "Group of Four Nudes."

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