Friedman earned a B.A. (1978) in political science and M.A. (1985) in history from
Ohio State University. She completed a Ph.D. (1995) in history at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison. Friedman was a lecturer in history at the
University of California, Santa Cruz from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, she joined
Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis as an assistant professor of history and women, gender, and sexuality studies. Friedman was promoted to associate professor in 2004 and professor in July 2016. She is the director of the M.A. in women, gender, and sexuality studies and the M.A./J.D. programs director. Friedman is a professor emeritus in the department of history. In 2012, Friedman won the James M. Holobaugh Award for service to the
LGBTQIA community. == Selected works ==