Category: We’ve Always Been Here

Posts from the “We’ve Always Been Here” Pride project

We’ve Always Been Here, Part 3: Even More Queer History Through the Ages

June 23- John Swann

Pirates, in the context of the Age of Piracy, were participants in a fully criminalized occupation. These exploits were not simply based in cultural conquest, as in the piracy of Scandinavian vikings or the Gothic-Herulic fleets that harried coastal towns and utilized the waterways for quick entry and escape, but was rather a concerted effort to escape mistreatment, seek wealth, affluence and security, and reset the unjust status quo. These marginalized peoples decided that rather than cowing to the powers-that-be, they could set their own rules and live a life free from the confines of society’s expectations, even if that meant living on the fringe. While this is a romanticized take on the horrors that piracy wrought and suffered, it is no surprise that those who eschewed law and order with regards to theft and maritime war also shrugged off other societal and religious expectations, such as restraints regarding alcohol and drug consumption, partaking in unmarried sex, gambling, and the expectations of heteronormativity.

One of the better documented examples of free thinking behavior was that of Matelotage. Derived from a French word meaning seamanship, the term was used to describe a same-sex marriage-like relationship between two pirates. Sometimes called consortship, these relations were sexual but more importantly indicated that this was a person of great trust, someone who you shared income and hauls with, and to whom your possessions would pass in the event of death. These close bonds were fiscal, affectionate, romantic, and sexual in nature to various degrees, as modern relationships still reflect. It is through this consortship that the name of one pirate lives on, even as so many around him lived and died in anonymity. 

Captain John Swann was a little known pirate serving on the Indian Ocean, sailing under the black flag from just1698 until 1699. His name and legacy would likely have fallen to the wayside if not for his relationship with Captain Robert Culliford, a pirate of much greater renown. They were jailed together in a Gujarati prison for four years before they made their escape alongside other comrades in 1696. After their escape, they lived together for some time in Madagascar, which was at the time a pirate safe haven. This is confirmed in the deposition of Theophilus Turner in Maryland on June 8, 1699 where he states “There is one John Swann, a great consort of Culliford’s, who lives with him…” While Swann did retire from the life of piracy a short time later, not returning to sail with Captain Culliford after they both took royal pardons, it is clear that some form of relationship took place between them, enough to establish Matelotage, despite Swann being rather unknown and unsuccessful and Culliford being quite the opposite with regards to name fame and success in piracy.

Sadly, the story of John Swann and Robert Culliford ends there, as Swann moved to Barbados and Culliford returned to the pirate’s life at sea. Perhaps it is little surprise that in a time when being a pirate and being gay were both crimes in state-sanctioned society, these two men, on the fringe of society, hated or feared or disrespected by the cultural norms, would find kinship and safety together. The relationship of these two men, for whom unjust laws would have been mere suggestions, will forever be something to take Pride in.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 22- Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley, the creator of modern science fiction, was born on August 30, 1797. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a pioneering feminist and nonconformist writer, and her father, William Godwin, was a political philosopher. Her mother died of puerperal fever ten days after giving birth to Mary, after which she was raised in a large, unhappy blended family that was often on the brink of bankruptcy.

Although Mary received little formal education, her father tutored her in a wide range of subjects. He often took the children on educational outings, and they had access to his library and many intellectual visitors. This upbringing gave Mary a sense of intellectual and progressive freedom that influenced her political beliefs and relationships. Sharing the same name as her mother, Mary learned to write her name by tracing “Mary” on her mother’s tombstone. Her mother’s grave became a sanctuary for her, where she would bring books to read, often rereading her mother’s works repeatedly. 

It is speculated that at age 16, Mary brought Percy Shelley, then 21, to the grave to share her love for him, and they consummated their relationship there. Percy was already married to another sixteen-year-old girl named Harriet, with whom he had a child. This did not deter Mary, who was captivated by Percy, an emerging poet whose works were sometimes rejected for being too edgy. Mary’s father disapproved and tried to prevent the relationship to protect his daughter’s reputation. On July 28, 1814, the couple eloped secretly to France, taking Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont, with them. Percy believed in free love, and as a result, their marriage was often polyamorous. In February 1815, Mary gave birth to a premature daughter who died in early March, plunging Mary into deep depression. She was said to have been haunted by the ghost of this child. In January 1816, Mary gave birth to a son, William, named after her father, and seemed to recover from her depression. 

During the summer of 1816, the family traveled to Geneva and met Percy’s friend Lord Byron, who was openly bisexual, and possibly others with fluid desires and identities. It was a rainy, unpleasant summer, forcing the group indoors. One evening, after reading German ghost stories aloud, Lord Byron challenged each of them to write one. Everyone except Mary abandoned the effort. This is when Mary began writing the story that became Frankenstein. She finished it early in the summer of 1817, and it was published anonymously in January 1818. Reviewers assumed Percy Shelley was the author since the book included his preface and was dedicated to his political hero, William Godwin. 

The Shelleys moved to Italy in March of 1818, where they enjoyed more political freedom and intellectual creativity. Their open relationship led to connections with other partners during this time. Mary became particularly fond of Greek revolutionary Prince Alexandros Mavrokordatos, as well as Jane and Edward Williams. 

Sadly, Mary suffered more loss with the deaths of her children Clara, in September 1818 in Venice, and William, in June 1819 in Rome. This sent her into depression. Her only joy came from writing until the birth of her fourth child, Percy Florence, on November 12, 1819, which lifted her spirits. Mary’s next loss was her husband, Percy Shelley, who died in a boating accident in July 1822. After his cremation, Mary reportedly kept his heart in a box in her desk. It remained unconsumed by the flames after his cremation. 

Recalling these years in a letter to a friend in 1835, Shelley confessed that, after Percy died, she was “ready to give myself away—and being afraid of men, I was apt to get tousy-mousy for women.” Mary grew close to Jane Williams, whose husband, Edward, had drowned alongside Percy. Jane was also said to have had a relationship with Percy. Their mutual loss created a strong bond between the two women. When Jane returned to England, they exchanged passionate letters that many scholars believe indicate a romantic and possibly sexual relationship. Jane later remarried Thomas Jefferson Hogg, so the relationship continued as friends. 

In 1827, Mary Shelley helped her friends Isabel Robinson and Mary Diana Dods begin a life together in France as a married couple, despite Dods being a woman. Dods wrote under the pseudonym David Lyndsay and was romantically involved with Robinson. Mary facilitated their escape by providing false passports. 

Mary Shelley herself never remarried. She had many rumored partners of both sexes, but none seemed to remain serious for one reason or another.  She spent the remainder of her life focused on writing, living with her son, Percy Florence, and daughter-in-law, Jane Gibson St. John. 

Mary’s later years were marked by illness. From 1839, she suffered severe headaches and intermittent paralysis, which sometimes affected her ability to read and write. In December 1850, her symptoms worsened, including numbness in her leg and speech difficulties. By late January, she was almost completely paralyzed and experienced convulsions before losing consciousness. She died surrounded by family on February 1, 1851, at age 53 in London, England. After her death, a box-desk was opened, revealing locks of her children’s hair, a notebook she shared with her husband, and a copy of his poem “Adonaïs” with a folded page containing some of his ashes and the remains of his heart.

Sources:

~ Laird Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 21- Ihara Saikaku

Ihara Saikaku was a Japanese poet named Hirayama Togo born in Osaka, Japan. His work as an early 17th century poet and writer gained him great renown. Little is known about his youth, but by his twenties he had begun to establish himself as a Hakai master under the pen name Ihara Kakuei. In his thirties he was running a business in Osaka, changed his pen name to the one recognized today, and got married. Sadly, just three years later his wife died leaving him with multiple children, which inspired him to write one of his most heartfelt and personal works, a thousand verse poem which he composed and wrote in a single day, aptly titled Dokugin ichinichi senku (“A Thousand Verses Composed Alone in a Single Day.”) After his wife’s death, the poet left his family and business behind, traveling around and devoting his life to writing. 

It was during this time that Ihara Saikaku became an accomplished haiku master, winning speed competitions where writers would race against the sun, writing for a day and a night (24-hours). His skill with prose increased, reaching a total of 4,000 verses in 1680 and 23,500 in 1684. This poetic mastery earned him great fame in Japan, and yet his most long lasting and famous works are his books depicting the racy and mundane lives of the merchant class of the Edo period. These books would be instrumental in forming ukiyo-zoshi or  “Books of the Floating World,” a genre within Japanese literature. This style of writing often depicted, both in word and illustration, the lifestyles of merchants, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, samurai, geisha and prostitutes, with a focus on the pleasurable aspects of life. 

His various erotic novels include Kōshoku Ichidai Otoko (The Life of an Amorous Man,) Kōshoku Nidai Otoko Shoen Okagami (The Great Mirror of Beauties: Son of an Amorous Man,) Kōshoku Gonin Onna (Five Women Who Loved Love,) Kōshoku Ichidai Onna (The Life of an Amorous Woman,) and Nanshoku Okagami (The Great Mirror of Male Love.) This last book depicts and describes the style of homoerotic relations of Samurai, Monks, and Kabuki actors, depicting dominant and submissive male roles in same sex (女嫌い, On’nagirai or woman-hater) relations as well as bisexual relations (常人好き, Jōjin-suki or connoisseurs of boys). 

Ihara Saikaku died in 1693 and is regarded as one of Japan’s three great writers of the Edo period, though he is perhaps most remembered for the subjects of his books: everyday people, ordinary life, and hard working members of society. These stories were not only written about them, but published for them. These depictions, while fictional, show a glimpse into the mundane, erotic, and even queer recreational sex lives of those living in Japan during the Edo period, reminding us of the existence of humanity, and same sex love throughout cultures and time periods. They act as proof that the bigotry and small mindedness of some today are not right, nor moral, nor correct, but rather that the most important thing in this world is love, and kindness, and humanity.

In honor of Ihara Saikaku, and his poetry, below is a poem composed in the 17 syllable haiku style, though nowhere near as fast as his 16 haikai per minute record. A poem that I hope captures the purpose of these articles, the intent of the researchers and readers, and the hope that we all hold; that our society, both creative and mundane, will choose love over hatred or fear.

Love without burden,
Lives that have ever been here,
Existing always.

Human to human,
Our bodies matter to none,
Love is all there is.

When we forget love,
We do abandon ourselves
And become nothing.

Instead embrace that
Which fills with hope, and those who
Need our protection.

Stand strong in all love,
Face hatred head on with strength,
Leave none left behind.

Love without burden,
Life that forever lives here
Conquering always.

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him) 

Sources:

June 20- Anne Bonny and Mary “Mark” Read

Anne Bonny and Mary Read were two of the most notorious pirates to hail from the Golden Age of Piracy. Despite being women, their audacity and toughness earned them the respect of their male peers, who reported that they could drink, fight, swear, steal, and kill as well as any man. It was considered bad luck to have a woman on board, so both Anne and Mary frequently wore men’s attire to hide their identity until they knew they would be accepted by their shipmates.

Anne Bonny rose to the rank of second in command of John “Calico Jack” Rackman’s crew. Among her many exploits, one of her more theatrical conquests involved looting a French Merchantman ship along with queer friend and fellow crewmate, Pierre Bouspeut. Pierre, also known as “Pierre the Pansy Pirate,” owned a hair and dressmaking shop. When they received word that the merchant ship would be coming into port, Anne and Pierre stole a boat from the harbor and covered the deck, sails, and themselves with turtle blood. They put one of Pierre’s dressmaking dummies on the bow, dramatically posed it, and covered it in blood as well. They then sailed out in the moonlight to intercept the vessel. When the crew of the merchant ship saw Anne, covered in blood and menacingly waving a blood soaked axe in the air, the crew was so horrified that they handed over their cargo without a fight. 

Anne met Mary while the latter was assuming the alias of “Mark.” In Mary’s early life, her mother disguised her as a son in order to claim an inheritance. The identity stuck and Mary, under the guise of Mark, enlisted as a Dutch merchantman on a ship. The ship was eventually captured by pirates and Mark was persuaded to join their crew. Anne, taken by the handsome new recruit, tried to seduce him causing Mary to reveal her true identity. The two became fast friends and were reported to be inseparable.  Their closeness caused many on the crew to speculate the true nature of their relationship and caused a great deal of jealousy in Calico Jack, who by now was married to Anne. Captain Jack did not know Mary’s true identity and threated to slit “Mark’s” throat if he did not end the affair with Anne. Fueled by suspicion, Jack barged into their chamber one day and caught the two together, discovering that Mary was a woman. After this, Jack convinced Mary to join their relationship thus protecting her and making them a triad. The three terrorized and pillaged the Caribbean until October 1720 when a battalion was assembled to put an end to their tyranny. During the final battle, the crew retreated below deck and refused to continue fighting, leaving Anne Bonny and Mary Read to attempt to defend the ship by themselves. It took an hour for the avenging crew to be able to finally subdue and capture the two women. 

Although there is no official written account of the gender or sexual identies of Anne Bonny or Mary Read, it is a widely held belief that the two women were lovers. Given that they had both taken husbands, they are widely considered to have possibly been bisexual. Both women donned men’s clothing, which seemed to be more of a personal choice than a disguise measure, especially once they were discovered by the crew and their choice of attire persisted. Regardless of what went on behind closed doors, Anne Bonny and Mary Read shattered gender norms and expectations of the time. They were wild, fierce, independent humans that have earned their place in the hearts of historians and queer history.

Sources:

~Rani Indrakshi (she/her)

June 19- The Galli

Polytheistic Roman society not only worshiped multiple gods, but often imported them from other cultures, sometimes to serve their own interests. Such is the case with Cybele, an Anatolian (modern day Turkiye) goddess called Magna Matter, “the Great Mother,” by ancient Romans. This “mystery cult” was officially brought to Rome, and a temple installed for its goddess on the Palatine Hill, in 204 B.C.E. in response to a prophecy given by Sibylline oracles instructing the Romans to find a goddess that would help them win their war against Carthage. 

Cybele’s worshipers would celebrate her by parading in the streets, dancing, playing music, and flagellating themselves, a performance which must have seemed quite a departure from traditional Roman religious practice. However, the aspect of this religion that we are going to focus on for the rest of this blog post are the priests of Cybele, called the Galli. 

An important part of Cybele’s mythic back story was her consort Attis, who castrated himself after being driven insane by the goddess. In imitation of Attis, the most devout worshipers of Cybele, the Galli, also castrated themselves upon joining her religion. After castration, they would dress exclusively in borrowed women’s clothing, becoming mendicants (beggars) who likely made a living by telling fortunes and through prostitution. 

Unfortunately, the Galli themselves left no written record. What little we do know of them comes from the writings of elite Roman male authors, who at first treated the Galli as a curiosity, referring to them at times as a “middle gender” or a “third sex.” However, the way that Roman society responded to the Galli changed over time. As Rome became more expansionist and transitioned from a republic into an empire, the Galli came under increasing criticism and stigma. Authors increasingly began to brand the Galli as a dangerous, foreign, and unRoman like influence, using them to reaffirm traditional notions of Roman masculinity. The Galli, whose members had all been assigned male at birth, threatened elite Roman male gender norms through their castration, which left them infertile, and through the wearing of women’s clothing and jewelry, which marked them as effeminate.

Yet, we have no way of knowing how the Galli actually viewed themselves. Historians have attempted to draw connections between the Galli and the modern transgender community, but a direct comparison is problematic because Roman society did not share our modern conception of gender. Perhaps some Galli, if they lived today, would consider themselves to be transgender, but this identification cannot be assumed for all members. While we should not look back on the Galli today, and classify them strictly according to our own understanding of gender, we can still use their presence as a reminder that gender has always been more complex than a simple binary, and that queerness has always been a part of history.

Sources:

~Mistress Elysabeth Underhill (she/her)

June 18- Dominique Phinot

One of the saddest ways that historians become aware of a queer person’s sexuality is when they are murdered or sentenced to death for who they are. The criminalization, imprisonment and execution of young men for being gay was a fairly regular occurrence in Christian Europe. Such is the case of the Renaissance composer Dominique Phinot.

Likely born in France sometime around 1510, Phinot spent most of his musical career in Italy and became known for his choral compositions featuring polychoral singing, a style that typically incorporates 2 choirs spaced a bit apart who would alternate turns at singing. The first of his musical works received their initial printings between 1538 and 1555, likely while the composer was in his mid to late twenties. For his various works he was praised by other musicians of his time including Heinrich Finck, a German composer, who ranked Phinot amongst other musical greats such as Crecquillon, Clemens non Papa, and Gombert, while Pietro Cerone called Phinot “one of the first and best composers of our time.” Later in his career Phino served both the court and church in 1554 and 1555, as we know he was proposed by the Duke of Urbino to be the “cantor”, singer or choirmaster, at the cathedral in Pesaro.

Dominique Phinot was executed in 1556, for sodomy and homosexual practices, marking the recording of his death by Girolamo Cardano as the last mention of him in known recorded history. Despite these brief mentions in historical recordings, Dominique Phinot himself produced a massive catalog of written works, including musical compositions covering themes from love songs and biblical scripture to satirical attacks on the clergy, including:

  • 2 Masses
  • 4 Magnificats
  • 2 Italian Madrigals
  • 2 books of French Chansons
  • Over 90 Motets

Some of his works can be heard online, and they carry distinctly period-esque sounds, giving insights into the musical entertainment and religious worship of Phinot’s day, providing a unique immersive experience for anachronists. It is sad that such a talented musician and composer’s works would be cut short due to the small minded bigotry of others. Fortunately his music lives on, and his story with it, a reminder of the price queer people have paid, their stories written in blood and, in Phinot’s case, splashed across pages of musical notation. 

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him) 

June 17- Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was a master of the literary fairy tale. Born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, near Copenhagen, Denmark, into a working-class family where his father was a shoemaker and his mother worked as a washerwoman. His mother was illiterate, and although his father had only an elementary education, he loved literature and introduced his son to stories such as “Arabian Nights.” Unfortunately, his father passed away when Hans was just 11 years old. After this, Hans became obsessed with storytelling. His mother disapproved of such silliness and sent him to find work. Hans worked as a weaver, a tobacco factory worker, and a tailor’s apprentice while also (rarely) attending school. He preferred entertaining others with stories, sometimes performing them through ballet. 

At 14, Andersen moved to Copenhagen to pursue acting. He had a good soprano voice and was accepted into the Royal Danish Theatre, but his voice soon changed, and he was dismissed. A colleague told Hans he considered him a poet, which led him to focus on writing. His life changed when Jonas Collin, the director of the Royal Danish Theatre, sent him to a grammar school in Slagelse. Collin cared deeply for Hans and persuaded King Frederick VI to fund part of his education. By then, Hans had already published his first story, “The Ghost at Palnatoke’s Grave” (1822). 

His school years were difficult and bitter. At one school, he lived at his schoolmaster’s home and was abused, supposedly “to improve his character.” The faculty discouraged him from writing, causing him to fall into a depression. Despite this dark period, he was admitted to the University of Copenhagen in 1828, where he began to thrive. In 1829, he published “A Walk from Holmen’s Canal to the East Point of the Island of Amager in the Years 1828 and 1829,” his first success as an author. He tried playwriting but returned to storytelling after little success. 

On May 8, 1835, Andersen published “Tales Told for Children: Volume One,” including famous stories like “The Princess and the Pea” and “Little Ida’s Flowers.” Later that year, Volume Two was published, featuring “Thumbelina” and “The Naughty Boy.” Despite their success, Andersen faced criticism for his casual style and perceived immorality, as children’s literature was expected to educate rather than amuse. This delayed Volume Three until 1837, which included classics such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” His collections broke new ground in style and content. His tales were not always optimistic; some were deeply pessimistic. His writing appealed to adults and children alike because he expressed feelings beyond a child’s understanding while capturing a child’s perspective uniquely. His fairy tales were relatable. 

Hans never married. He struggled with relationships throughout his life.  Early in life, his journals recorded his refusal to have sexual relations. Scholars agree that Hans was biromantic and possibly asexual. Hans was an avid writer of diaries, journals, and letters, many of which survive, offering insight into his mind and heart. He was a true romantic, yearning for love and affection beyond gender boundaries. 

He wrote letters to many men and women, showering them with adoration. Most of these men and women were unattainable. One great love and inspiration for one of Hans’ most famous works was the son of his patron, Jonas Collin. In letters to his beloved friend Edvard Collin (1835–1836), Hans wrote, “Our friendship is like ‘The Mysteries’, it should not be analyzed,” and “I long for you as if you were a beautiful Calabrian girl… No one have I wanted to thrash as much as you… but neither has anyone been loved so much by me as you.” 

Edvard Collin admitted that he could not return Hans’s feelings and, under family pressure, married in 1836. At the time of the wedding, Hans escaped to the island of Fyn. It was there that he wrote “The Story of the Little Mermaid.” Unlike the Disney adaptation, the Little Mermaid’s story is tragic. She experiences knife-like pain while walking on her new legs; she cannot speak to the prince to share her feelings, and the prince marries another woman. On their wedding night, the Little Mermaid is told that she can become a mermaid again if she stabs the prince and his new wife while they sleep. Instead of doing so, the Little Mermaid sacrifices herself, turning into sea foam and becoming a daughter of the air with an immortal soul. The story painfully reflects Hans’s emotions at the time of Collin’s wedding; she walks painfully beside the man she loves, unable to express her feelings, only to be rejected.

In early 1872, at the age of 67, Andersen fell from his bed and was severely injured, never fully recovering. Soon, signs of liver cancer appeared. Despite a difficult start, Andersen became a Danish national treasure by the time of his death. Before he died, he told his close friend and composer J.P.E. Hartmann about his funeral music, saying, “Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the beat keep time with little steps.” He died on August 4, 1875, at 70, at the home of close friends.

Sources:

~ Laird Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 16- Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ammár

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ammár was born in Estombar, near Shilb (Silves) in 1031 CE. Of humble origin, he would become famous in his later years as a renowned poet. His talent with words gained him good teachers, but his early years as an itinerant poet were lived on the edge of poverty. From Shilb he traveled east to Qurtuba (Córdoba) and Ishbiliya in 1053, shortly after king Al-Mu’tadid had annexed smaller Berber groups under his rule. Ibn Ammár wrote an ode commemorating this event and presented it in a contest. The poem so pleased the king that, in addition to the monetary prize, he included Ibn Ammár in the roster of subsidized court poets, with living quarters in castle Dimasq. 

When Al-Mu’tadid’s son Al-Mu’tamid turned 13, his father gave him the title Emir to the city of Shilb, and appointed Ibn Ammár as the young prince’s vizier. Ibn Ammár was nine years the prince’s senior. They became intimate friends. They lived a carefree, artistic life amid their appointed tasks until 1058, when Al-Mu’tadid recalled his son and Ibn Ammár to Ishbiliya. The king had heard stories of the vizier’s influence over his son and wanted to keep a close eye on them. One year later, when he was 19, the prince Al-Mu’tamid was walking among his people in disguise along the banks of the Guadalquivir with his vizier. The river glittered in the late afternoon sun, and the prince was moved to start a poem: The wind has spun a coat-of-mail of water! This was a culture of poets. If one person started a line of verses, his or her companion was expected to finish the verse with another. He turned to hear Ibn Ammár’s reply, but a woman’s voice nearby answered: What a shield it would be for battle, if it stiffened! A young slave washing linens by the river happened to be within earshot. The prince liked what he saw as well as what he heard, whispered a command to a servant, and hurried back to the palace. The young woman was bought from a muleteer named Rumaik ibn Hajaj. Thus, Rumaikiyya became I’timad ar-Rumaikiyya, who became the wife of the future king. She bore him six sons and a few daughters; all but one of the sons would die in battle or be murdered in political upheavals, and all but one of the daughters would die in exile. 

King Al-Mu’tadid was taking no chances, however. Concerned with the possible inappropriate relationship with between his son and the vizier, the king banished Ibn Ammár from Ishbiliya. Ibn Ammár settled in the court of King Al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza. When Al-Mu’tadid died in 1069, one of the first acts of Al-Mu’tamid as king was to recall his friend from exile, bestow military honors and high political offices on him, including Governor of Shilb and Grand Vizier. He soon returned to Ishbiliya, however, because the king his friend missed him.

Al-Mu’tamid held a large swath of territory. To his east and south lay the kingdom of Granada, and these two kingdoms would engage in border wars. It was one of these military campaigns, however, that began the erosion of the 25 years of friendship between the king and his Grand Vizier. Ibn Ammár had let Al-Mu’tamid’s eldest son Abbad ibn Muhammad be captured, held hostage, and later murdered in Córdoba in 1075. The Grand Vizier became his own worst enemy the rest of the way. He was given permission to visit the newly acquired possession of Murcia in 1078, and he made his procession a triumphal entry, proclaiming himself Emir rather than the ambassador he was. Word came back to the king, and bitter poems were exchanged between them. Ibn Ammár fatally forgot his place, insulting the king’s ancestors, his wife, and his children, and blackmailing him with hints at their past: 

Greet in the West a nomad tribe who stopped
their camels there and gained some modest wealth:
Stop at Yawmín, the mother of cities, or
lie down to sleep and you may see it in vision,
so you could ask the dwellers as to the ashes,
not seeing any fire glowing on the spot:
You chose her from among a race that’s mongrel,
ar-Rumaikiyya—a mare, not worth a thread!
She brought forth a brood of shameless brats,
base on the two sides of the family tree:
Short-statured they are, but on their heads
they wear long horns of opprobrious shame!
Do you recall the days of our early youth,
when you resembled a crescent on the sky?
I would embrace your body that was fresh,
and from your lips I sipped pure water as well,
contenting myself, in loving you, short of haram,
when you did swear that what I did was halal!
I shall expose your ird as time goes on,
and by degrees tear up your secrets’ veil!

That letter sealed Ibn Ammár’s fate. His soldiers in Murcia were not paid. They threatened to hand him over to the king, so he fled the city in 1080 and wandered from one lesser court to another until the nobles of the house of Sohail made him a prisoner at the castle of Segura. Al-Mu’tamid bought the castle and the prisoner and had him brought back to Ishbiliya in 1084. Still, he hesitated to sign the death warrant, and Ibn Ammár took advantage of this by writing a long poem that so touched Al-Mu’tamid that he granted him an interview, excerpted here:

Your character—if you pardon—will be more noble and generous,
your excuse—if you punish—will be more than plain and clear:
And if between the two there be a distinction,
you will surely incline toward what is nearest to God!
Have mercy upon me in my submission to your verdict,
listen not to my foes, even if they repeat their slander!
What more can my foes add to what they say,
except that my guilt is evident and clearly proved?
Yes, I am guilty, but your clemency has qualities,
which make guilt lose its balance and vanish.
***
Judge me by the good will between us, leading
to the gate open toward God’s inspiration,
and wipe out the traces of the crime I committed:
Your mercy will efface and condone it!
Pay no attention to the talebearers’ sayings:
Every pot seethes over with what it contains!
***
Yes, Al-Mu’ayyad can smite with all his power,
but to Al-Mu’ayyad clemency is more becoming;
deep in my heart my love for him is an amulet,
which will help me even if death is about to strike!
Greetings to him, whichever way passion may turn him:
Toward me, and he’ll draw near; or against me, and he’ll turn away:
Let him, if I die, be consoled by oblivion, for
I am dying while my longing for him torments me.

Al-Mu’ayyad was a Syrian prince, the third son of an Abbasid caliph, a distant ancestor of the king. Comparing the king to his ancestor, appealing to his sense of clemency, generosity, and nobility, all those things could have saved Ibn Ammár, except that it came out that the former Grand Vizier was also attempting to poison Al-Mu’tamid’s son Al-Rasid against his father. Al-Mu’tamid did not even bother with an executioner. He fell into a rage, went to the man’s cell, and hacked Ibn Ammár to death by his own hand in 1086. After this, the king grieved bitterly. He had the corpse washed, wrapped properly in a shroud, prayers said over it, and buried near the wall of castle Mubarak.

Sources:

  • El Fahli, Mourad. Women’s Writing in Al-Andalus: The Pain and Pleasure of Words. Beau Bassin: Scholar’s Press, 2017.
  • Nykl, A.R. Hispano-Arabic Poetry and Its Relations with the Old Provençal Troubadours. Baltimore: J.H. Furst Co., 1946, reprint 1970.
  • Smith, Dulcie Lawrence, trans. The Poems of Mu’tamid, King of Seville. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, W., 1915, University of Michigan Library reprint 2023.

The translations of Ibn Ammar’s poems were by A.R. Nykl. The translation of I’timad ar-Rumaikiyya’s verse was by Mourad El Fahli.

~ M. Ana de Guzman, OL

June 14- Benvenuto Cellini

Benvenuto Cellini may not have been the most prolific artist of the Renaissance period, but there are few memoirs more interesting or filled with self importance than his own. At 58 years old, he began to pen his story, adding in boasts and exaggerations that make it a compelling piece of entertainment. Despite his inflated ego, Cellini did lead an interesting and diverse life.

Born in Florence in the 1500s to a woodworking luthier, Cellini declined to follow in his father’s musical footsteps, instead becoming an apprentice to a goldsmith at the age of 15. Within a year, Cellini began to make a name for himself, not in metal working but by causing fights and starting violent scuffles with his friends. He wound up banished from the city, traveling around as an older teen and learning from an aqssortment of goldsmiths and sculptors.

By 19, he had moved to Rome, gaining the eye of Pope Clement VII and having several projects commissioned by His Holiness. Cellini resided in Rome until it was attacked in 1527 and, according to his own accounts, he helped defend the city, personally killing several important members of the opposition. These stories led to a reconciliation in Florence and he was welcomed back to his hometown, where he began crafting in earnest. Some of his most famous works were created there, including the medals Hercules and the Nemean Lion and Atlas Supporting the Sphere.

Cellini would flee Florence again, running away from the consequences of several fights ending in murders and death, later getting absolved by Pope Paul III. He was then imprisoned for allegedly embezzling the Pope’s gems and jewelry. He escaped, was recaptured, faced a death sentence, and was the target of a failed assassination. He was finally released through the work of Cardinal d’Este of Ferrara, for whom he made a beautiful cup in thanks.

Throughout his life he took both female art models and young male apprentices to bed, claiming the dominant position in seemingly all relations, presumably to help maintain his masculine self-image. These relations did not go unnoticed and he was brought up on charges of sodomy multiple times, both with men and women, and eventually he was sentenced to four years in prison for his behavior, which in the end was commuted to house arrest. 

During this time at home he made attempts at redeeming his reputation, devoting time to religious artworks. He married his servant Piera at the age of 62, then fathered several legitimate children with her. He also began his autobiography, which details the timeline of adventurous works. While he spends some time explaining the processes of his art, he also devotes space to his famous connections and making a bit of a mockery of repentance in between the boasts and self congratulating. In fact, in Chapter LXXI, he goes as far as defending the act of homosexual love making, after being called an “ugly sodomite.” 

Truly his autobiography is one of his great works, alongside sculptures like Perseus with the Head of Medusa, The Nymph of Fortainbleau, Cellini’s Cruficix at El Escorial Monastery and Gold Salt Cellar. With such history and word face behind his name, it is no wonder that Benvenuto Cellini was called one of the last great Renaissance artists. 

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 13- Chevalier d’Eon

The Chevalier d’Éon, originally named Charles d’Eon de Beaumont, entered the world on October 5, 1728, hailing from a humble yet noble French lineage in the wine-producing region of Tonnerre, Burgundy. The accounts surrounding her biological sex are rife with contradictions, yet it appears she was born male and raised as a boy. Demonstrating exceptional prowess in both academics and military training, she achieved notable milestones by the age of 35, including becoming a lawyer, an accomplished writer, a renowned fencer, and receiving knighthood.

She began her career as a diplomat to Russia, but simultaneously took on a covert role within a spy network orchestrated by King Louis XV, known as the Secret du Roi or King’s Secret. This clandestine operation facilitated the king’s endeavors to promote policies that contradicted official governmental positions and treaties. One prominent example of d’Éon’s contributions to this espionage ring involved a mission to infiltrate the court of Empress Elizabeth of Russia, where d’Eon conspired with a pro-French faction against the Hapsburgs. During this phase of her life, while publicly presenting as a man, she adopted the disguise of a woman, the lady Lia de Beaumont, to successfully navigate English efforts to bar the French from entering Russia.

In Russia, d’Éon further defied gender norms while attending Elizabeth’s weekly “metamorphosis balls,” where women dressed as men and men as women. Empress Elizabeth showcased her commitment to her father’s legacy through these extravagant gatherings, embodying her authority by merging masculine and feminine traditions. 

d’Eon was sent back to France to serve as a Captain of Dragoons in the French army during the Seven Years’ War and was dispatched to London in 1762 to assist in negotiating the peace treaty that ended the conflict. For her service, she was awarded the Order of Saint-Louis in 1763, earning the title of chevalier (French for knight) and becoming the Chevalier d’Éon. After the war, she was sent back to was appointed as liaison to the English court with secret orders to scope out the coastline for a possible French invasion.

When the Comte de Guerchy was appointed as her replacement, d’Eon faced demotion to the position of secretary and was ordered to leave London, a command she refused, fearing it would jeopardize the imminent invasion plans of which her replacement was unaware. d’Eon asserted that only the King could dismiss her, bolstered by her conviction in her superiority for the role.

Upon hearing of d’Eon’s refusal to resign, the King retaliated by freezing her pension. In a desperate gamble, the Chevalier resorted to blackmail. When the King denied her assertions regarding her position, d’Éon published a book detailing state secrets she had accumulated throughout her espionage career. By strategically withholding some of the most incriminating information, she managed to maintain her standing and remain under Louis XV’s employment while publicly clashing with the French crown.

Following the book’s publication, d’Eon ascended to international fame in Britain, becoming a sensational figure admired for her audacious opposition to the French government. Londoners began to speculate on the Chevalier’s gender, with popular broadsheets depicting her as both man and woman; the London Stock Exchange even commenced betting on her gender. This situation provided a unique opportunity for a public gender transition, allowing her to assert that she had always been a woman masquerading as a man. At the age of 49, after England officially recognized her as female, d’Éon negotiated her return to France with the understanding that she would surrender the remaining documents from her spy days and commit to living as a woman from then on. Thus, she returned to Paris and, on November 21, 1777, was formally introduced at the court of Versailles as Mademoiselle la Chevalière d’Eon, rejuvenated after a four-hour transformation involving powdered hair and an elaborate gown crafted by none other than Marie Antoinette’s dressmaker.

In 1785, d’Eon returned to England, sustaining herself on the negotiated pension from the French government. However, the onset of the French Revolution marked the end of that pension, compelling her to sell her possessions to make ends meet. Ultimately, she passed away in poverty in London in 1810 at the age of 81, buried in the churchyard of St. Pancras Old Church. A post-mortem examination revealed that d’Éon possessed “male organs in every respect perfectly formed,” in addition to “breasts remarkably full.”

Sources:

~ Laird Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 12- Frederick the Great

Doing his best to bring art, culture, prosperity, philosophy and education to his people, Frederick II earned himself the moniker “The Great.” While he was by no means faultless, Frederick did make a concerted effort to improve his state and secure a better life for his people than he himself experienced in his youth.

Frederick spent the first 6 years of his life with his mother, studying music, poetry, philosophy, and languages. He was described as effeminate, which was a great disappointment to his father, himself a religious and military fanatic who regularly found his son’s passion for art, French, and music worthy of casual physical abuse. At 7 years old Frederick’s father removed him from his mother’s schooling and subjected Frederick to a strict education consisting of military strategy and training as well as puritanical religious study, forbidding the arts and literature that Frederick truly loved. Every time the King found fault with the young prince, Frederick was ridiculed, humiliated, and often beaten. 

By the age of 16 Frederick learned to sneak around his fathers orders, amassing a secret library of some 3000 books and finding companionship with Peter Karl Christoph von Keith, a young page in the King’s employ. Whether the rumors of romantic exploration are true or simple court gossip, it was enough that the young page was banished to the far reaches of the country while Frederick was sent off to the King’s hunting lodge in order to learn more masculine traits. 

At 18 Frederick, fed up with his father’s strict rules, tried to run away to London with his close friend and suspected lover, Hans Hermann von Katte. Their plot was discovered, however, and since both men were in the military, they were tried and sentenced for treason; Katte was beheaded while Frederick was forced to watch, fainting just as the killing blow struck, unable to bear watching his companion be killed. Frederick was also stripped of his rank and all benefits as prince. It was not until he agreed to recommit to his father’s military and religious education, as well as a marriage to Elizabeth of Brunswick-Bevern, that Frederick regained his status.

Eventually the old King passed away, leaving Frederick in charge of the throne. The time spent in his father’s military training paid off, as Frederick proved himself to be an incredible strategist and tactician. His battles in the various wars Prussia was involved in resulted in a vast expansion of Prussia’s territory and a stronger, more unified country. He also began reintroducing culture and art to Prussia, restarting many of the programs his father had stripped away. He invested in music, philosophy, and art, wrote sonnets, music, and philosophical and military treatises, and filled his living quarters with homoerotic paintings and sculpture while developing many male friendships.

It is well documented that Frederick gathered around him many attractive military men and handsome pages, choosing to eschew the company of women altogether, instead gathering around him those with whom he most enjoyed companionship. This included another suspected lover, Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, a man described as “the King’s darling at the time,” who was also employed as the King’s valet. While Frederick has not always been regarded as a gay man, a more open attitude about historical queerness has led to the reexamination of Frederick’s relationships and writings, and he is now generally accepted as having been a gay man. His contributions to his country, his general belief that a monarch should be a servant of the people who leads by example, and his prowess on the battlefield are just some of the reasons he is referred to as “The Great.”

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 11- Aelred of Rievaulx

While a lot of historical queer research focuses on sexuality or presenting oneself outside of societally-expected gender norms, Aelred of Rievaulx reminds us that romantic feelings are enough to define our queerness, with or without any outward physical actions. Aelred was born in Yorkshire, England during the early 12th century. Likely educated at a cathedral school, Aelred entered the Scottish court of King David I at the age of 14, and was accused of sexual relations with another man in his youth while serving there. By 1134, he had given up court life in exchange for the monastic life, joining the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx.

In his time as a monk, Aelred gained a reputation as a passionate scholar and writer. One of his more noted treatises was De Spirituali Amicita (“On Spiritual Friendship”) which expounds on the relationship between human love and spiritual love. In the prologue of that piece, Aelred writes about his time in school, when “the charm of [his] companions gave [him] the greatest pleasure.” He went on to say that “among the usual faults that often endanger youth, my mind surrendered wholly to affection and became devoted to love. Nothing seemed sweeter to me, nothing more pleasant, nothing more valuable than to be loved and to love.”

While modern scholars disagree about whether Aelred’s writings tell us anything about his sexual identity, former Yale history professor John Boswell saw Aelred’s writing about his friendships with men as an indicator of his homosexuality. In his book Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, Boswell states that “It was Saint Aelred of Rievaulx who gave love between those of the same gender its most profound and lasting expression in a Christian context…. There can be little question that Aelred was gay and that his erotic attraction to men was a dominant force in his life.” Aelred’s closest friends in the monastery were two men named Simon and Hugh. When Simon died unexpectedly at a young age, Aelred wrote that he felt “as if [his] body has been eviscerated” and his soul “rent to pieces.” In his book Mirror of Charity, he writes: “I grieve for my most beloved, for the one-in-heart with me who has been snatched from me.” While we have no proof that he ever had sexual relationships with these men, the depth of feeling cannot be denied.

After his death, Aelred was revered as a saint, particularly in northern England and among the Cistercians. Today, Aelred is thought of as a patron saint among certain circles of gay men, and those who read his work cannot help but be reminded that, no matter whether we are gay, straight, or asexual, love should be at the center of all we do.

Sources:

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)

June 10- Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio was born in Milan in 1571, where he spent the first five years of his life. He was the firstborn of Fermo Merisi and his second wife, Lucia Aratori. His family later relocated to the nearby town of Caravaggio, a name he would ultimately be associated with. Caravaggio was known to possess an unruly and fiery temperament, coupled with a profound sense of abandonment, which may have originated from losing most of the adult figures in his life to the bubonic plague by the age of six. In April 1584, at the age of twelve, Caravaggio became an apprentice to the Milanese fresco master Simone Peterzano. In his free time, he honed his skills in swordsmanship and became a proficient duelist. 

Following the wounding of a police officer, Caravaggio fled to Rome at the age of 21. There, he found work as an assistant to Giuseppe Cesari, painting decorative borders and flowers, which helped him develop a keen eye for detail and a fondness for the subtleties of still-life painting. It was during this period that Caravaggio evolved from a mere copyist to a figure admired by some of Rome’s most notorious patrons. It was also during this time that his paintings began to exhibit noticeable sexual overtones, offering insights that could hint at his sexuality.

The question of Caravaggio’s sexuality remains a subject of ongoing debate. Speculation has arisen regarding a homosexual relationship between the artist and Mario Minniti, with whom he lived for over five years. Minniti is believed to have been the model for several of Caravaggio’s paintings, such as “Boy with Fruit,” “Lute Player I,” “The Musician in Musicians,” and “Bacchus.” Due to his frequent troubles with the law, much of what is known about Caravaggio comes from his criminal records. He often escaped severe consequences, as his artistic talents afforded him a degree of immunity; his patrons provided him with enough privilege to help him evade punishment for serious crimes and often assisted him in fleeing from any prison or jail he encountered. There exists a lawsuit record from 1603, which alleges that Caravaggio shared a bardassa (a male who assumed a female role in social and sexual contexts) named Giovanni Battista with his friend Onorio Longhi.

Another piece of evidence suggesting that Caravaggio had homosexual experiences comes from a notebook of a British visitor to Rome in 1650, in which the traveler notes that the model for the painting “Victorious Cupid” was Caravaggio’s “…own boy or servant who laid with him.” Because there are very few documents that provide concrete facts about Caravaggio’s private life, this information relies largely on hearsay and personal perspectives. However, Caravaggio’s works serve as the most reliable sources from which to interpret his feelings, aspirations, and identity.

Sources:

~ Laird Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 9- The Boxer Codex

One of the challenges queer individuals have faced over our long existence is a lack of voice. Part of this is the disturbing practice of othering, persecution, and harassment, while another is the breakdown of communication between language, custom, description, and depiction. This often happens with anthropological works such as the Boxer Codex. This late 16th century manuscript contains intensely detailed paintings of various ethno-groups of the Philippine Islands. It is an anonymous work, though the illustrator is believed to be a Chinese artist, and the descriptions written throughout are in both Spanish and Chinese. The main disconnect appears to be a lack of understanding regarding gendered language, something not present in many of the Philippine Island languages of the time, but which does exist rather prevalently in Spanish. Additionally, Spain’s patriarchal power structure and religious views are lenses which have contaminated portions of the Boxer Codex through application of dismissive language and imperialist views as they set their sights towards future conquest.

Despite its negative analytical rhetoric, the artistic representation in the Codex provides some of the earliest visual depictions of the indigenous peoples of the Philippine Islands and its Asian neighbors. The depictions include portrayals of Cagayans, Visayans, Tagalogs, Moros, and more, with special care taken to capture the details in dress and hairstyle of men and women of the various cultures without simply painting them all as “similar” through the eyes of the European “otherness.” Among this text we also find depictions of the Bayog or Bayoguin, people who dressed and presented as feminine priestesses but may have been of a different gender. It is unclear whether they were culturally women or if they were men who took on the garb and honorifics of the female priestesses in a cross dressing manner. This quote, translated from the codex, offers some insights into the Bayog: “Although these Indios have no temples, they have priests and priestesses, who are the principal masters of their ceremonies, rituals and omens, and to whom are entrusted all of their important affairs; they are well paid for their work. They are usually in women’s clothing. Their demeanors are so effeminate that those who do not know them would believe they are women.” Additionally, the Codex author referred to the Bayog as “impotent … thus they marry other males and sleep with them as man and wife.”

While there is debate as to the specifics regarding these religious leaders, their mention within articles of the Codex demonstrates the open existence of gender non-conforming people within cultures where they were not persecuted or forced into hiding, at least until colonial forces began to push the issue.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 8- Idet and Ruiu

While still up for debate, historians, Egyptologists, critics, and fans alike often disagree on whether homosexuality as we know it existed in ancient Egypt. An 18th Dynasty statue depicting two women named Idet and Ruiu is one of the items at the center of this dispute.

 Guy Curtois of the World History Encyclopedia identified the statue of the two women as “possibly mother and daughter, sisters, or a same-sex couple” (Curtois, 2021). Despite this equivocation, there still exist records of homosexuality that lend creedence to the interpretation of Idet and Ruiu as a lesbian couple. Moses ben Maimon (better known as Maimonides) was a Sephardic rabbi and prolific philosopher of the Middle Ages (1135/1138 – 1204) who lived and worked in both Morocco and Egypt as a rabbi, physician, and philosopher (Kramer, 2005; Nuland, 2008). His take on Egypt? He believed lesbianism and polyandry to be the “acts of Egypt,” while male-male homosexual relationships were typically attributed to Sodom, Gomorrah, and Amalek (Alpert, 1997). Rashi, an 11th-century CE French rabbi, was said to have described an “Egyptian practice for women to have multiple husbands” (Alpert, 1997).

Keeping these things in mind, one could also examine the deliberate seating arrangement of most, if not all, Egyptian statues and artwork. The right seat is typically reserved for those of higher importance and is considered a place of honor, while the left is of lesser prominence by rank. The inscriptions call Idet the “lady of the house” or ‘nebet per’ and states, “to Osiris… lord of eternity, that he may give… every good and pure thing, and the pleasant breeze of the north wind, to the ka (‘soul’) of the lady of the house Idet, justified” (Museo Egizio). The formula is repeated on the opposite side for Ruiu, but it contains several variations to the script, with no mention of a title.

What’s so interesting is how the two women are posed. This statue was found in a Theban necropolis and comes from the same dynasty as another statue featuring a woman named ‘Ruiu’ but where the former is of her and Idet, the latter depicts this Ruiu with her husband, Pashedu (World History Encyclopedia, 2017). Both feature the same pose with Ruiu on the left and her spouse on the right, with an arm around each other. That pose was used for married couples and could give more credence to the polyandry and lesbianism Rashi and Maimonides were talking about.

Sources:

~Lady Sága mac Cianain (she/they)

June 7- Francesco Calcagno

Francesco Calcagno (1528-1550) was an Italian friar affiliated with the Fransciscan order who became infamous for his radical views, and was ultimately executed by the Venetian Inquisition. Calcagno’s case stands out in the historical record for its intersection of blasphemy, heresy, and open expressions of homoeroticism, all factors that deeply unsettled both the religious and civic authorities of the time. According to Church records, Calcagno was accused of promoting and engaging in sodomy and of making many blasphemous claims, including denying the existence of God and the immortality of the soul (Tucker, 1997). During the investigation conducted by the Holy Office of the Venetian Inquisition, a witness testified that Calcagno slept with a different man almost every night. Among the most inflammatory claims recorded during his trial was his belief that Jesus Christ had maintained a homosexual relationship with St. John (Felici, 2024). 

Calcagno’s worldview was shaped by the libertine ideals that were circulating in radical intellectual circles of sixteenth-century Italy. Despite theological condemnation, particularly of sodomy, libertine ideas flourished in cities like Rome and Venice, where intellectual circles promoted freethinking and homoerotic discourse. Influenced by figures like Lauro di Gilsenti da Vestone, a notable atheist of his time, Calcagno espoused a materialist and skeptical perspective that rejected religious orthodoxy. Gilsenti reportedly claimed that “he did not believe in anything except what was seen,” a statement reflective of the broader libertine tendency to prioritize empirical reality over religious dogma (Dall’Orto, 2004). Through Gilsenti was also how Calcagno became engaged with provocative literature, including La Cazzarìa, a text rich in erotic and anti-clerical content by Antonio Vignali, which further shaped Calcagno’s unorthodox beliefs (Dall’Orto, 2004). 

The implications of Calcagno’s beliefs were profound. His case underscored the perceived threat posed by sodomy and libertinism to early modern state and ecclesiastical order. Homosexual acts, when coupled with overt theological heresy, were seen not merely as sins but as subversions of the divine and civic hierarchies that underpinned society. As Giovanni Dall’Orto (2004) notes, the history of sodomy has often been framed by authorities as a destabilizing force that undermines the natural, religious, and political structures central to social cohesion. In this sense, Calcagno’s execution was not just a punishment for personal behavior, but a public reaffirmation of ideological and moral boundaries in Counter-Reformation Italy. His tragic fate reveals both the rigidity of the institutional orthodoxy and the radical potential of early modern dissent.

Sources:

~Aisha bint Allan (they/ them)

June 6- Leendert Hasenbosch

Forcing isolation upon others has always been a tool of the oppressors to ensure no voices could band together and freely rise up, and in the case of Leendert Hasenbosch this was not just some psychological or metaphorical isolation, he was left, truly alone and abandoned.

Leendert Hasenbosch, a Holland native, was born around 1695, and grew up with his sisters under the care of his father until they moved away, around the time Leendert would have been a young teen. In 1714 at 19 years old he struck out as a soldier with the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC (Dutch East India Company). He served in Batavia, modern day Indonesia for a year, before moving on with the VOC to India where he served until 1720. He returned to Batavia having been promoted to Corporal and by 1724 he had become a book keeper and naval military writer for a different ship, which would prove to be his last command. In 1725 he was accused of intimate relations with another man, tortured for a confession and, finally relenting to his accusers and confessing, was punished by way of marooning on Ascension Island, an uninhabited place in the southern Atlantic. 

He was left upon the volcanic island with precious little in the way of supplies: a small tent canvas, two buckets, a frying pan, some rice and seeds, a cask of water, an empty musket, and materials with which to write. His journal entries begin on May 5th, describing his situation, his provisions, and his faith in his god for protection. His journal ends with precious few words describing his last days, from October 9-14th, stating simply “I liv’d as before.” 

In January the following year, his journal and the accountings of his time on the island were found by the members of an East India Company ship named Compton. Neither his skeleton nor any proof of his demise were found in the search of his camp and the island, though it is believed, based on his own writings, that he succumbed to dehydration, hallucinations, and lack of adequate sustenance. His journal was published as Sodomy Punish’d and within his writings we see his attempts at finding food, regular sources for hydration, his faith in rescue or relief from rain, and his psychological spiral; his writing wavered between begging forgiveness, expressing extreme bouts of loneliness (which he attempted to assuage through keeping a pet bird,) and hinting at an eventual mental break which resulted in his talking to dead turtles and hallucinating old paramours. 

The story of his unjust punishments and the brutality with which he was handled for the sake of his sexuality is a heart wrenching tale. His journal is a grave reminder of what hatred and bigotry can result in, especially when isolated, alone, and unsupported. The document is an important read, and we would do well to meditate on its message, if only to remind us to seek fellowship and remember that we stand stronger together.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 5- Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton is one of the most highly regarded scientists in history, often regarded as a father of modern science. His theory of gravity and laws of motion are a staple in any scientific education, but his personal life is not well documented, which can be attributed to his very private and secretive nature. There are many theories that Newton was either bisexual or homosexual, and he is said to have boasted on his deathbed that he never touched a woman. However, as the visibility and acceptance of asexuality increases, the theories about his actions and love life (or lack thereof) have started to change our understanding of Newton’s life.

Isaac Newton’s beginnings are not uncommon for the time. Newton’s father died about three months before his birth. His mother remarried Barnabas Smith before he was three and he was sent to live with his grandmother. After his stepfather’s death, Newton’s mother was hopeful that he would learn to manage the family estate. He was enrolled at King’s School, Grantham in 1654. In 1658, he stopped attending school to manage the estate. All records we have point to Newton being incompetent and neglectful, so much so that his mother was convinced to return him to school. He began his attendance of Trinity College in 1661, supporting himself as a tutor or servant for higher class fellow students and a small money lending business.

In 1663, he became friends with his roommate, John Wickins. The two would live together for the next 20 years. We know very little about Wickins and his relationship with Newton. However, one source, a note written by Wickins’ son in 1728, described that the intimacy between the two ‘came by mere accident.’ The note goes on to describe an argument between Newton and Wickins, which resulted in Newton pouting and them both agreeing to set aside the argument. Newton and Wickins parted ways in 1683 and there is no evidence that they ever had contact with one another again.

In 1687, Newton met Nicholas Fatio Duillier, a Swiss mathematician and another member of the Royal Society. For the next four years the two shared a close intellectual and personal relationship, which is well documented in what many refer to as love letters. There is no evidence that their relationship was ever physical but the amount of affection they held for each other is undoubted. Fatio was also instrumental in defending Newton’s development of calculus against fellow mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Around 1692, the relationship between Newton and Fatio ended abruptly with the two never resuming contact. Newton suffered an emotional breakdown around the same time, which has been attributed to a variety of causes: the end of his relationship with Fatio, a friend trying to set him up with a woman, depression, and mercury poisoning.

Though we will never know for sure about Isaac Newton’s sexuality, or if he would consider himself homosexual or asexual in the language we use today, it is obvious that he prided himself on three things: his dedication to his work, his development of calculus, and the fact that he never touched a woman.

Sources:

~Lady Bak Nabiya (she/her)

June 4- Felipa de Souza

Born in the city of Tavira, Portugal, in 1556, Felipa de Souza is remembered as one of the earliest known LGBTQ+ individuals in Brazil. While not officially the first, Felipa embodied a bold spirit of defiance, living her best life in the face of adversity. A woman of some status and previously married to a weaver of fine silks until her husband’s death, she enjoyed certain privileges—being well-read, educated in writing, and possessing refined etiquette. She was considered a distant “New Christian” of Hebrew descent, as her family had previously encountered the Church of Rome when it coerced its religion upon the previously unconverted population in 1496 through inquisition-pushed efforts.

Felipa later moved to Salvador, in what was then the captaincy and is now the state of Bahia, where she made a living as a seamstress for women of high society. Through these connections, she found the freedom to live without a husband or children, engaging in romantic relationships with women she met through her work. While records reveal she had six lovers during her short 35 years, it is believed the actual number may have been closer to forty. Felipa was known as a prolific seductress who lived authentically, largely unbothered by the colonial authorities or the Inquisition—at least for a time—in the culturally diverse city of Salvador. A hopeless romantic, she once expressed that she felt “great love and carnal affection” so deeply that it overcame her inhibitions, and that simply seeing a beautiful woman was enough to stir strong attraction.

Her recorded affairs began with Maria Peralta in 1583, another “New Christian” in Salvador, who Felipa continued to visit even after Maria married a man from the neighboring captaincy of Pernambuco. Felipa also admitted to other brief relationships, including with several married women such as Maria Lourenço, Paula Antunes, and Paula de Sequeira, the wife of a bookkeeper.

Felipa earned a reputation as a womanizer, yet faced little interference from the Church or colonial authorities until the arrival of the Inquisition. Her relationship with Paula de Sequeira appears to have lasted nearly three years, during which they exchanged amorous letters and gifts. Despite their closeness, Paula ultimately confessed their involvement to inquisitor Heitor Furtado de Mendonça. It remains unclear why Paula turned Felipa in, or whether the information was volunteered or extracted. It is also uncertain whether Felipa had been open about seeing other women during their relationship. Some speculate the exposure may have stemmed from jealousy, frustration, or betrayal. Paula was not the only one to denounce Felipa; others, hoping for mercy and forgiveness, claimed they were unaware their actions were sinful and confessed their involvement.

In the end, Felipa was summoned before the Inquisition on December 28, 1591, to confess. She bravely shared her reasons, fully admitting to her actions and offering detailed testimony—living openly as a proud lesbian and loving without fear. Remarkably, she was spared execution, a fate that had befallen others for living their truths. Instead, she was sentenced to “physical punishments,” which included lashings, banishment, and fasting as penance, along with a fine of 992 réis. She was also banished from the captaincy of Bahia.

Together this Pride month, we look to Felipa de Souza for inspiration on what it means to live true to yourself, without fear of loving who you love and to bravely face those who would tell us to closet ourselves – no matter your identity.

Sources:

  • de Jesus, Iara Silva. “Mulheres sodomitas nas visitações do Santo Ofício na Bahia.” Dissertação (Mestrado acadêmico – PPGHIST) Universidade do Estado da Bahia. Departamento de Ciências Humanas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em História Regional e Local – ( PPGHIST), Campus V. 2022. https://ppghis.uneb.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Iara-Silva-de-Jesus.pdf
  • Guimarães, Anderson Fontes Passos. ““Uma lésbica é uma mulher?”: vozes e silêncios.” Dissertação (mestrado) – Universidade Federal da Bahia, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, 2013. https://repositorio.ufba.br/bitstream/ri/14306/1/Anderson.pdf
  • Mott, Luiz. “Sodomia Faeminarum: Inquisition and the Manumission of Lesbianism in the Portuguese World, 1646.” Pol. Hist. Soc., Vitória da Conquista, v. 20, n. 1, p. 45-66, Jan.-Jun. 2021. https://app-testes-periodicos.uesb.br/politeia/article/view/8999/6099
  • Santos, Shirley Romera dos. “A educação sexual no Brasil colônia prescrita nos Regimentos do Santo Ofício da Inquisição Portuguesa (1552-1774).” Dissertação (mestrado) – Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Faculdade de Ciencias e Letras (Campus de Araraquara), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11449/115934
  • Viega, Edison. “Quem foi Felipa de Sousa, processada por lesbianismo pela Inquisição e hoje ícone do movimento LGBT. BBC News Brasil, 27 June 2020, https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-53190229

~Lady Luiza Vincente (she/they)

June 3- The Leveret Spirit

The tale of the Leveret Spirit, or Rabbit God, as recounted in Yuan Mei’s Zibuyu, offers a compelling window into the complexities of gender, sexualtiy, and religious expression in Qing Dynasty China. First published in 1788, Zibuyu (“What the Master Does Not Speak Of”) is a collection of 747 short supernatural stories that explore various dimensions of life, including ghosts, sex, betrayal, revenge, and corruption. The work was later censored by the Qing government in 1836 due to its controversial and unorthodox content (Szonyi, 1998). The Qing Dynasty, which spanned 1644 to 1912, was the last imperial dynasty of China and upheld strict Confucian moral codes, particularly regarding gender roles and sexuality. One of the most provocative stories in Zibuyu is that of Hu Tianbao, a provincial official who falls in love with another man and is punished with death after spying on him. Hu returns from the grave in the form of a leveret, a young hare, in the dream of a village elder. In the dream, he demands that a temple be erected in his honor for the purpose of aiding men in “affairs of men” (Szonyi, 1998). 

The story inspired the rise of a popular cult in Fujian province, particularly in the city of Fuzhou, where Hu Tianbai was worshipped as a divine intermediary for men who desired romantic or sexual relationships with other men. The Qing authorities, wary of any deviation from the prescribed norms, attempted to suppress the cult, which they viewed as immoral and subversive. The primary evidence for the cult’s existence comes not from its worshippers, but from state officials such as Zhu Gui, who described the cult’s iconography as featuring “two men embracing one another; the face of one is somewhat hoary with age, the other tender and pale” (Szonyi, 1998). Worshippers were said to pray for assistance in pursuing young men and offered thanks by smearing pork intestine and sugar on the idol’s mouth (Szonyi, 1998). 

Although Hu Tianbao came to be known as the Rabbit God, this moniker is likely a result of later slang in which homosexual men were called “rabbits” in Chinese culture (Jie, 2008). Szonyi (1998) argues that the image of the rabbit deity was a poetic invention by Yuan Mei, as there are no other sources from the region that predate his account. It is also important to not confuse Hu with Tu’er Ye, the moon rabbit of traditional Chinese mythology. Despite this fictionalized origin, the cult of Hu Tianbao was historically real and widely documented, proving that religious movements can thrive even when built on new mythologies, especially when they serve the needs of marginalized communities. 

Sources:

  • Hu, N. (Trans.). (n.d.). Tu Er Shen (Rabbit God) by Yuan Mei: A translation of Tu Er Shen story from Zibuyu. Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/232222865/6679-the-Rabbit-God
  • Szonyi, M. (1998). The cult of Hu Tianbao and the eighteenth-century discourse of homosexuality. Late Imperial China, 19(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1353/late.1998.0004
  • Zhang, J. (2008). Investigation into depictions of homosexuality in pre-modern China (p. 228). Yunan Renmin Chubanshe.

~Aisha bint Allan (they/ them)

June 2- Pepi II Neferkare

During the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, sometime in the 2200s BC, a six year old boy was crowned as the next Pharaoh. His name was Pepi II Neferkare, a name meaning “Beautiful is the Ka of Re” (or, beautiful is the life essence/soul of the sun god Re). Guided by his mother Ankhesenpepi II and her brother Djau, a vizier under the previous Pharaoh, Pepi II Neferkare is considered the last significant ruler of the Old Kingdom. He ruled an estimated 60 years, though some speculation puts his reign as long as 90 years.

With multiple wives and consorts, it would be easy to conclude his heteronormativity, but Pepi II Neferkare holds a rather special place in ancient Egyptian literature which might contradict such a notion. The story “King Neferkare and General Sasenet” is one with heavy suggestions of homoeroticism. While the story is incomplete, portions of it are found to be repeated in several places of archeological discovery. The story tells the of a voyeur named Tjeti son of Hentu, watching the Pharaoh as he ventures to the house of one of his generals, a man stated to have no wife or woman in his house, in the darkest hours of night, to do “what he desired with him.” A portion of the story is relayed here: 

“[…] Then [he (i.e.,Tjeti the son of Hentu) saw] the Majesty of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt Neferkare going out at night all alone, with nobody with him.

Then he moved away from him so as not to be seen by him. Tjeti son of Hentu stood still, being concerned and saying: “Obviously it is true what people say, that he goes out at night!” Tjeti son of Hentu followed this god closely, without letting his heart restrain him, in order to see everything that he was going to do. He (the King) arrived at the house of the general Sasenet. Then he threw a brick and stamped with his foot, so that a [ladder (?)] was lowered to him. He climbed up, while Tjeti son of Hentu stood waiting till His Majesty would return. After His Majesty had done what he desired with him, he returned to his palace and Tjeti followed him. When His Majesty had returned to the palace (I.p.h.), Tjeti went home. Now His Majesty went to the house of the general Sasenet in the course of the fourth hour of the night, he spent the next four hours in the house of the general Sasenet, and he entered the Palace when four hours remained till dawn. And Tjeti son of Hentu followed His [Majesty] every night without letting his heart restrain him, and (each time) after [His] Majesty had entered [the house of the general Sasenet (?)/the Palace (?), Tjeti…].”

It is normal to find symbolism and allegory in Egyptian art and literature, and some speculation has been given to the time table mentioned within the tale. The fourth hour of the night he went calling, followed by four hours “spent” with his general, after which there are still 4 hours before dawn. The time when Pepi II Neferkare spends with his general is a period of the night which the Egyptians refer to as “profound darkness” and it is mentioned that the visitations repeat nightly. This journey reflects the journey of the sun god Re during the most crucial part of his resurrection journey in the underworld: during the fourth hour of his journey, Re finds Osiris laying motionless and seemingly dead, and the two gods unite, becoming one god. “Re has come to rest in Osiris and Osiris has come to rest in Re.” Following this union Re is reborn after the period of “profound darkness” and continues his journey to bring the dawn. This unification is the main object of worship in the Litany of Re, known as “Book of Adoring Re in the West and of Adoring the United One.” While it is never explicitly described in sexual terms, the texts do mention that the gods “embrace each other” and Re becomes one with Osiris. 

The story of King Neferkare and General Sasenet closely mimics the story of Re and Osiris, both alluding to homosexual acts. Like so much ancient Egyptian literature, the story remains incomplete, its ending lost to time and erosion. However, it is clear that men loving one another was not an unknown concept to the ancient Egyptians, their monarchs, or their gods.  

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 1- Here we are again

On May 6, 1933, a Nazi youth group attacked the Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft (Institute for Sexual Science) in Berlin. The institute was created by Magnus Hirschfeld, the founder of Wissebschaftlich-humanitares Komitee (Scientific Humanitarian Committee,) a group believed to be the first homosexual organization of the modern age, one that campaigned for queer rights and tolerance during the Weimar interwar era in Germany. The institute opened in 1919 and housed a library devoted to research on gender, same-sex love, and eroticism. During the attack on the building, much of the contents of the collection were destroyed. Four days later, the items that had somehow avoided destruction during the first attack by the students were dragged into the street and publicly burnt by members of the SA in coordination with the youth group.

The loss of the institute’s library represented a significant setback to research on sexuality of all kinds, but especially research around intersexuality and same sex love. There are anecdotes about bits and pieces from the collection surviving, but few materials have actually been accounted for. Despite stipulations in the institute’s charter and Hirschfeld’s will about the distribution of assets to the Humboldt University of Berlin and several of his students, these requests were never carried out: the West German legal system found that the Nazi seizures were legal, and the students, being gay men, were not able to claim recompense for the destroyed property.

The destruction of the Institut fur Sexualwissenschaft is one of many entries in the list of attempts to erase queer stories from history. No matter how many books or buildings are burnt, though, the queer community resurfaces, reestablishes, and reminds the world of its existence as a part of the human experience. Setbacks happen in every generation, but we continue to move forward and hold tighter to that which we have learned.

This year, as we honor Pride month in the East Kingdom, as we honor all people in the queer community past and present, we will again be posting the stories of queer figures from the SCA period and beyond every day this month. Easterners will be sharing their research on people from the queer community across a wide range of times, places, and circumstances, providing us with a daily reminder: They were here, they lived, and they deserve to be remembered, and this office will continue to preserve their stories for posterity.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)
Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences for Education
Chief of Staff to Their Majesties Ryouko’jin and Indrakshi

We’ve Always Been Here, Pt. 2: More Queer History through the Ages

June 29- Vitória

To really drive the point that there are more examples of specialized vocabulary for pre-colonial and colonial era queer folk and that we have always been here, Luiz Mott, a Brazilian queer historian, “popularized” the story of a woman from Benin from the arrest records of the Portuguese Inquisition in Lisbon in 1556 (Sweet, 2009, pp. 128; Elnaiem, 2021). Vitória, an enslaved individual recorded under the name Antônio when she came to Azores, had presented herself as a woman and worked in the riverbank of Lisbon as a healer where she’d “beckon men like a woman enticing them to sin” (Sweet, 2009). 

According to Sweet, witnesses attested to Vitória taking clients to an orange grove in Ponta Delgada or out on the streets at night (Sweet, 2009). In Lisbon, Vitória took part in the typical social roles attributed to enslaved women of that time. She’d been seen walking around with a ‘vessel of water’ on her head (Sweet, 2009). There were, however, times where Vitória challenged social norms and a witness claimed to have seen her ‘doff her hat and bow like a man’; while most testimonies agreed that Vitória ‘appeared to be more man than woman,’ her androgyny still proved confusing to many (Sweet, 2009).  

Unfortunately, the uproar regarding Vitória garnered the attention of the Portuguese Inquisition. Under interrogation and what was likely torture, Vitória was adamant of her womanhood and “had the anatomy to prove it”; unfortunately, the inquisitors were unconvinced and questioned how she came to acquire her anatomy (whether she’d ‘created’ it or it was the ‘result of some illness) (Sweet, 2009). Vitória stated she’d had her anatomy since birth and that there were ‘many others in her land who were born with the same orifices (buracos)’ (Sweet, 2009).

The Inquisition refused her statement and sent her for medical examination which determined that she had the ‘physical character of a man’ without the characteristics of a buraco or a ‘woman’ (Sweet, 2009). This led to her being sentenced to life imprisonment for the ‘abominable sin of sodomy’ in the king’s galleys (Sweet, 2009; Garcia, 2015). 

Vitória was, reportedly, the first of many names to appear in Inquisition records between 1550 and 1730 for the ‘crime’ of sodomy (Sweet, 2009). Sweet’s perspective is that how Vitória presented herself and how the Portuguese viewed her actions were completely different based on culture and context and that how the latter interpreted her gestures was at the ‘very core of these struggles’ (Sweet, 2009). Mistranslations, miscommunication, and misinterpretation are to be expected when different cultures come into contact but especially when one is the hostage of another. The ‘reduction’ of gender to mere sexual acts is, as Sweet said, ‘simply old wine in new bottles’. There is nothing new about the gender binary being a myth or trans, nonbinary, genderfluid, and non-conforming folk existing. The terms may be new but at its core, the concepts are older than we are.

Sources:

  • Elnaiem, M. (2021, April 29). The “Deviant” African Genders That Colonialism Condemned. JSTOR Daily, https://daily.jstor.org/the-deviant-african-genders-that-colonialism-condemned/ 
  • Garcia, F. V. (2015). Sex, Identity and Hermaphrodites in Iberia, 1500-1800. Taylor & Francis. 10.4324/9781315655147
  • Sweet, J. H., & The Past and Present Society. (2009). Mutual Misunderstandings: Gesture, Gender and Healing in the African Portuguese World. James H. Sweet. https://jameshsweet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/sweet-mutual-misunderstandings.pdf

~Lady Sága Björnsdóttir (she/they)

June 27- Catherina Linck

Catharina Margaretha Linck (d.1721) was a Prussian woman put to death after an itinerant life of dressing as a man, chasing salvation, and then women, on the road. Linck is another entry in a long line of women from pre-modern times who dressed as a man to live and work in society on her own terms. Unlike many in that lineage, we have a surprising amount of information about her life, thanks in large part to detailed trial transcripts that share stories of her life, travels, and sexual exploits.

Initially dressing in men’s garb to protect her chastity, Linck appears to have joined the Inspirants, likely a group of Quakers, seeking out baptism and religious ecstasy, believing she was receiving visions from god. Once her supposed prophecy left her, she joined several military units, which is also when she began pursuing sexual encounters with women, at first to fit in with the other soldiers, though she admitted to feeling intense arousal from the touch of these women during her trial, going so far as to have chased one woman for miles to feel her touch again. Linck ultimately deserted each of her military units, escaping execution after getting caught by physically demonstrating that she was a woman. 

By 1717, she had settled into a new town and trade, this time working for a French stockingmaker, still dressing as a man. It was at this point that she met Catherina Margaretha Muhlhahnn. The two were engaged and then married within the year, complete with the reading of the banns and a church ceremony. According to transcripts from her trial, Linck avoided being caught as a woman even to her wife through the use of “a penis of stuffed leather with two stuffed testicles made from pig’s bladder attached to it” (Matter 91). It was ultimately her wife’s mother who outed her as a woman, seizing her fake penis and turning into the authorities as evidence against Linck.

Linck has the dubious distinction of being the last woman executed in Europe for lesbian sexual activity, beheaded in 1721, her sentence confirmed by the order of King Frederick after much debate about the appropriate punishment and whether her crimes could, in fact, de defined as sodomy (which would have seen her burned at the stake.) While no European state has officially executed a woman for her sexuality since then, it is important to remember that many people have lost their lives due to their sexuality in the centuries that followed, whether by official or tacit approval from societies across the globe.

Sources:

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)

June 25- Shakespeare

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” We all know the quote and its author, William Shakespeare, and have probably each read some of his works, whether in school or for pleasure, either in the form of his plays or poetry. We know of his sonnets to ‘The Dark Lady’ and that he wrote several to one known ‘The Fair Youth,’ but most do not realize that some of his more romantic pieces were actually to the latter, not the former. 

Shakespeare wrote a total of 154 sonnets that we are aware of today. The first 126 of these are dedicated to this ‘Fair Youth.’ While they start with the writer urging the young man to marry and father children, the sonnets continue into a friendship, followed by what is very strongly hinted at a relationship between the two. Sonnet 18, which starts with “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” is one such where the writer is clearly attracted to the subject, describing him as lovely both explicitly and through wordplay. In Sonnet 20, he suggests that the young man take female lovers but love only him when he says, “mine be thy love and thy love’s use their treasure.” They continue with more sexual wordplay, such as “So is the time that keeps you as my chest, / Or as the wardrobe which the robe doth hide, / To make some special instant special blest, / By new unfolding his imprisoned pride.” The term “pride” was often used in Elizabethan England as a euphemism for men’s genitalia, so these lines imply something more sexual in nature.

It was never proven who the ‘Fair Youth’ was, though there is a dedication in the sonnets to a Mr. W.H. There are many speculations about whose initials those are,  ranging from William Hughes, a young actor who played several female roles in Shakespeare’s plays, to Earl Henry Wriothesley of Southampton (his initials getting reversed) who was often a patron of the Bard. Shakespeare had previously dedicated a poem to Wriothesley about Adonis and Venus, a young man known for his beauty who is loved by Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Another possibility was Earl William Herbert who was another patron of Shakespeare’s who refused to marry until the age of 24 and later had an affair with Mary Fitton, who herself may have been the inspiration for The Dark Lady.

Regardless of who the Fair Youth was, if they were real or completely fictional, if the love noted was platonic or romantic, scholars will continue to debate the meanings behind the works and the questions will remain. What we do know is that poetry is often written as a form of self-expression to evoke emotion in the reader. The emotions of Shakespeare’s sonnets lead many to believe that The Bard may have been counted amongst the LGBTQ+ community.

Sources:

  • Burrows,Colin, ed. The Complete Sonnets and Poems. Oxford UP, 2002, pp. 98–103. 
  • Duncan Jones, Katherine, ed. Shakespeare’ s Sonnets. Arden Shakespeare, 1997, pp. 52–69. 
  • Hubler, Edward. Shakespeare’s Songs and Poems. McGraw HIll, 1964.
  • Smith, Jessica-May. “The Mysterious Identity of the ‘Fair Youth’.” Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, 14 September 2018, https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/blogs/mysterious-identity-fair-youth/ 

~Don Ciaran ua Meic Thire (he/him)

June 24- Babur

Babur, the first Mughal Emperor, documented his personal experiences and feelings in his memoirs, the Baburnama. This autobiographical work, celebrated in the medieval Muslim world, sheds light on Babur’s sexual inclinations towards the same sex.Among these accounts, Babur expressed his profound infatuation with a younger boy named Baburi in Urdu Bazaar. He detailed his intense emotions and the impact of Baburi’s presence on him, describing his confusion and inability to interact directly with the boy due to his overwhelming feelings: “In those leisurely days I discovered in myself a strange inclination… I am maddened and afflicted myself for a boy in the camp-bazar, his very name, Baburi, fitting in” (Baburnama, Vol. 1, p. 120). 

Until the 19th century, homosexuality was considered a natural part of life within Muslim societies. Romantic stories of homosexual love were part of educational curricula, a stance that contrasts sharply with the views held in many parts of the contemporary Western world. The notion that Babur was homosexual is supported by his candid reflections in the Baburnama, where he recounts his attraction to Baburi when he was just sixteen years old.

The debate over Babur’s sexuality often involves discussions about the accuracy of translations from Persian. However, dismissing Babur’s words as mistranslated seems to serve as a denial of the presence of homosexuals in the Muslim world. The definition of homosexuality focuses on the existence of same-sex attraction, regardless of whether these feelings are acted upon. Babur’s writings clearly indicate his sexual attraction to Baburi, affirming his inclinations regardless of any subsequent actions. While Islamic theology considers homosexuality sinful based on the Quranic story of the people of Lut, medieval Islamic legal codes (Shariat) did not prescribe specific punishments for homosexual acts, treating them under the broader category of adultery. Unlike medieval Europe, instances of punishing homosexuals were rare in Muslim societies. 

The shift from acceptance to stigmatization and criminalization of same-sex love in Muslim societies is complex. Notably, the five Muslim countries where homosexuality is not criminalized, Mali, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, and Albania, were never colonized by the British. In fact, the Ottoman Empire decriminalized homosexuality in 1858, two years before the British Raj’s Indian Penal Code, Section 377, criminalized it in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Babur’s candid reflections in the Baburnama offer a nuanced perspective on historical attitudes towards homosexuality in Muslim societies. His experiences highlight a period when same-sex attraction was openly acknowledged, in stark contrast to later stigmatization influenced by colonial legal frameworks. Understanding this historical context is crucial in recognizing the diverse and evolving attitudes towards sexuality across different cultures and eras.

Sources:

~Lady Aisha bint Allan (they/them)

June 23- King Edward II

Edward of Caernarfon, later named King Edward II, was born April 25, 1284 in Caernarfon Castle in North Wales. It is theorized that the location of his birth was an attempt by his father, King Edward I, to solidify royal authority in the region as he had only conquered the area the year before. Edward II was his father’s fourth son, his brothers John and Henry having died before he was born, and his brother Alphonso dying only four months after Edward was born. 

As a young man, Edward’s most notable ‘favorite’ was Piers Gaveston. Gaveston begins to appear in the household accounts of the Prince in 1300. He was the son of one of the Knights of the household and the two quickly became close. Gaveston was exiled in 1307 after a falling out between the Prince and King. Before he left for France, Edward lavished him with gifts, including five horses, swans, and herons. One chronicler of the time wrote:

“upon looking on him [Gaveston] the son of the king immediately felt such love for him that he entered into a covenant of constancy, and bound himself with him before all other mortals with a bond of indissoluble love, firmly drawn up and fastened with a knot.”

Edward was wed to Isabella of France in an attempt to solidify relations between France and England. He assumed the throne upon his father’s death July 7, 1307, and immediately invited Gaveston back to England, granting him the Earldom of Cornwall as  his first charter as King. 

In 1311, a baronial committee made of 21 members drafted “Ordinances,” where the barons demanded Gaveston be banished and that a restriction be imposed upon the powers of the King in relation to finances and powers of appointment. King Edward II pretended to cave to the Ordinances. Gaveston was sent out of the country, but returned soon after. Upon his return Gaveston was bestowed “disposition and control of all the royal treasure, jewels, and precious stones.” In retaliation, the barons beheaded Gaveston on June 10, 1312. The inventory of items that were found in his home included various goods, jewels, warhorses, and various silver items, totaling about $4,457,543.09 in today’s money. This collection of goods far exceeded the means that Gaveston would have had. The prevailing theory is that the collection was made of gifts from Edward.

In the 11 years following Gaveston’s execution, Edward lost the battle with Scotland and was put at the mercy of barons and his cousin, Thomas of Lancaster. Thomas was not capable of maintaining control of the group. In 1318, a more moderate group, led by Aymer de Valence, acted as arbitrators between Thomas and Edward.

Edward found two new favorites during this time, Hugh le Despenser and his son (also named Hugh le Despenser). Edward supported the son’s territorial ambitions in Wales, who was appointed Chamberlain by parliament in 1318 and was thus able to control who saw the King and when. By 1320, he refused to allow anyone to see the king without him or his father present. He also began to answer petitions without consulting the King. The King supported Despenser’s claim to the Marcher lord’s Gower lands, even supporting his assertion that not giving the lands to him as the Chamberlain was tantamount to treason. The blatant abuse of station and disregard for law led to the Despensers fleeing to France in 1321. Edward took up arms on their behalf, defeating many of their enemies. In 1322 he captured  and executed his cousin Thomas, which ended the baronial control imposed by the Ordinances. This also enabled him to make the older Despenser Earl of Winchester.

Edward’s wife Isabella resented the Despensers. The final straw for Isabella seems to have been when Edward began permanently living with Despenser the Younger in 1322 after removing her children from her care. She became the mistress of Roger Mortimer, an exiled baronial opponent of Edward who aligned with Thomas of Lancaster, while on a diplomatic mission to Paris in 1325. In September 1326, Isabella and Mortimer invaded England with the backing of France. Hugh Despenser the Younger was hanged, drawn and quartered upon his capture in South Wales in November of 1326. Edward II was captured and deposed in favor of his son, Edward III, and imprisoned immediately after. His death was recorded in September 1327, though some historians suggested that Edward’s death was staged and that he probably survived until 1330. Whatever the truth of his death was, his reign saw the start of parliamentary institutions that most agree have benefitted England in the long term.

Sources:

~Lady Bak Nabiya (she/her)

June 22- Marie Maitland

Marie Maitland (d. 1596) was one of four daughters of Sir Richard Maitland, a Scottish statesman and influential lawyer and judge with ties to the Scottish crown. In addition to political connections, the Maitland family also maintained a reputation for their literary prowess, and Sir Richard is credited with compiling one of the most important collections of Scottish poetry of the era.

Marie could not help but be influenced by this world in which she found herself, even given the stifling and sexist nature of Scottish society at the time. Researcher Ashley Douglas describes it as a time where “suffocating social and religious orthodoxy reigned supreme.” Despite this, Marie Maitland managed to craft a passionate poem of female love, now referred to as Poem 49, slipping it into a family manuscript, The Maitland Quarto, making it one of the earliest known examples of female homoerotic poetry from Renaissance Europe.

Poem 49 is a work in nine stanzas, written in a woman’s voice, praising the superior constancy of women’s relationships. Marie plays on the Renaissance poetic tradition used by many male poets when they spoke about the power of male friendship, likening the strength of her relationship to those of famous figures from history and mythology. It moves well beyond praise of her beloved, though; the sixth stanza becomes overtly sexual in its vocabulary choices, building to the last two stanzas where the poet longs to take the semblance of a man so that she can marry and consummate her relationship with her beloved. The poet ultimately acknowledges the limitations of their relationship, marriage not being an option available to them, but instead devoting themselves fully to the most perfect and constant friendship.

Marie married in 1586, as would have been expected of a woman of her station. While we cannot say for certain whether Marie would have viewed herself using our modern terms of “lesbian” or “bisexual,” nor do we have proof that she had any physical relationship with another woman, she did leave behind striking textual evidence that she held strong romantic feelings for women. This is an especially important reminder about the long-standing existence of queer people for a country with a history of condemnation and criminalization. While Scotland finally decriminalized same-sex relations between men in 1981, and legalized same-sex marriage in 2014, the country still has its struggles with acceptance.

Sources:

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)

June 21- Pre-Colonial Africa’s Queer Traditions

There are 55 different countries in Africa, all composed of their own nations and ethnic groups, languages, dialects, and customs. So why do we have such restricted access to information from the pre-colonial era? It’s not because Africa as a whole was “underdeveloped” or didn’t possess writing systems or support record keeping. Rather, it was due to the violence of colonization and the brutality of weaponized religion. This line of thinking goes against the views of many African (and world) leaders who label homosexuality of any kind as “unAfrican,” “nonindigenous,” and “unnatural foreign import” of Western ideals and seek to scrub their queer populations from history (Muiga, 2019; Kimuhu, 2023; M’Baye, 2013, pp. 110). 

While heterosexuality was the more common practice, many countries didn’t view gender as a rigid binary dependent on anatomy as we do in modernity but rather something far more fluid and, often, spiritual (Buckle, 2020). Sexuality in pre-colonial Africa was just as complex as the many societies on the continent (Kimuhu, 2023). According to Murray and Roscoe in Boy-Wives and Female Husbands, many of those societies had ‘relaxed attitudes’ about different gender identities and sexual expression (Murray & Roscoe, 2001). For instance, pre-colonial West Africa had over 40 societies where women could marry one another or engage in polyandry as long as they could afford the dowry or any other stipulations placed on the marriage(s) (Tamale, 2013, pp. 35; Elnaiem, 2021).

The very fact that there are words to describe different queer folk should be a clear indicator of existence. Faculty dean Sylvia Tamale of Makerere University mentions the mudoko dako or ‘effeminate males’ of the Langi of northern Uganda who were able to marry men and move through society as women; even Angola and Namibia had an entirely separate caste specifically for their male diviners and healers known throughout the region as zvibanda, chibados, quimbanda, gangas, jinbandaa, and kibambaa (Tamale, 2013, pp. 35; Sweet, 2009, pp. 131; Driberg, 1923). According to Captain Antônio de Oliveira Cadornega in his História geral das guerras Angolanas (General History of the Angolan Wars, 1681), Angola’s jinbandaa or quimbanda were “adroit sorcerers and are well respected and the people are careful not to offend them in any manner” (Mott, 2016).

The inkotshane of the Shangaan-Tsonga of South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and the Senegalese Wolof gor-digen have literal translations that don’t do the contextualized meanings justice but best translate to ‘male-wife’ and ‘man-woman,’ respectively; and the term motsoalle in the Basotho nation of Lesotho is used to describe lesbian relationships to this day (Tamale, 2013, pp. 35). Among the Maale of Southern Ethiopia, there are records of a gender identity called ashtime. This minority of folk dressed as women, performed tasks assigned to that gender role, and even had relationships with men (Murray & Roscoe, 2001; Donham, 1994). 

With such a variety of ethnic groups, nations, and kingdoms this large, one would think there would be enough notable figures to share dozens of stories, but many of their stories have been redacted from history due to Western Imperialism. While difficult, the ability to look at pre-colonial Africa’s queer history without homogenizing the many nations and ethnic groups within the continent or trying to retroactively fit them into modern narratives or categories is paramount to understanding the complexities of those that came before. Fortunately, through the preservation efforts of activists and the invention of the internet, information is now within reach for anyone with a connection. Despite all of the untold horror and violence, systematic erasure and criminalization due to imported homophobia, Africa’s queer history can be remembered as an act of rebellion and of survival.

Sources:

~Lady Sága Björnsdóttir (she/they)

June 20- Richard Puller von Hohenburg

Richard Puller von Hohenburg was a 15th-century Alsatian and Swiss nobleman and knight. He was the only son to the successful noble Konrad von Hohenburg. 

He lived in Strasbourg in Alsace where he married.

In 1463, the Swiss noble Wirich von Berstett captured Ludwig Fischer, one of Puller’s servants, after he had been seen dressed in lavish clothes and with more money than his occupation could afford him. In early modern Europe, these things were often synonymous with someone that is being paid for improper sexual activities. After being tortured, Fischer confessed that Puller had romantically pursued him. Puller was then arrested and stripped of his fiefs; however, he was not put on trial, and was released shortly after. 

In 1474, he was once again accused of sodomy. In medieval and early modern Europe, ‘sodomy’ could refer to any sexual contact that intentionally resulted in non- procreative ejaculation, including but not limited to contact between men. He once again evaded any major consequences by use of his social status. He procured, or perhaps forged, letters of recommendation from far-off authorities, playing the local Alsatian nobles against the secular imperial powers of the Holy Roman Empire. 

By 1476, Puller was released upon the following set of conditions: he would have to confess his misdeeds, give up his properties, and submit to monastic imprisonment. Puller was quickly stripped of his possessions, but fled from Alsace before beginning a monastic life. His plan was to later reclaim the possessions he had lost. He turned to the Old Swiss Confederacy for help, but his property claims created some conflict between the Confederacy and the city of Strasbourg, which was then complicated by city officials discovering  a homosexual relationship between Puller and his servant, Anton Mätzler, in 1482. Mätzler was also seen in lavish clothing and other forms of prosperity beyond what his means would provide.  

This time, Puller was sentenced to be burned at the stake alongside Mätzler in the market square of Zurich. On 24 September 1482, a large crowd had gathered to see  the execution. Puller was asked to repeat his confession, but he refused and continued the claim that the accusation of sodomy was only a cover for the Zürich officials who wished to seize his land and fortune. A manuscript illustration exists of the burning of Puller and his servant from The Official Chronicle of Bern, but the depiction of the execution happening before the city walls is inaccurate, as Puller was actually burned in Zurich’s market square. 

Puller died at the age of 28, and with his death, the von Hohenburg family ceased to exist.

Sources:

~Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 19- Sappho

Sappho of Lesbos was a Greek poet born around 630 BCE to an aristocratic family. Many of her works have been lost to time, but the surviving portions and references by her contemporaries, such as Plato and Aristotle, provide us with more context about her life. Plato referred to her as “the Tenth Muse,” which gives credit to her level of influence and popularity during her time. It is known that she learned the lyre and composed songs, had three brothers (two of whom were referenced in her poetry) and was famous enough to have coins, statues, and ceramics made in her honor. Sappho had many female companions ranging from friends and students to lovers whose names were documented in her poetry. 

She is rumored to have run a school dedicated to Aphrodite. It’s recorded that the main focus of this thiasos (a group of worshipers of a god or goddess) was “learning grace and elegance for seduction and love.” Her dedication to the goddess appears in her poetry through one of her surviving fragments. In her “Ode to Aphrodite,” consisting of 7 sapphic stanzas, Sappho details a story of unrequited love from a woman in which she is asking Aphrodite to help her woo her love.

Another poem used as a testament to her sexuality is Fragment 31. This fragment tells the story of the narrator, Sappho, longing for the attention of a woman who is in conversation with a man. She describes her physical reaction to her envy. The ability of Sappho to put her passion into words is one of the key elements to her surviving works.

There are many legends surrounding Sappho and her life beyond her poetry. It’s theorized that she married a wealthy man and birthed a daughter. It’s also theorized that she threw herself off of a cliff due to her unrequited love from a sailor. While the theories have focused around men, there is no denying her love and longing for women based in her poetry.

Sources:

~Lady Bak Nabiya (she/her)

June 18- Khajuraho Sculptures

If you travel through the countryside of Northern India, you would be hard pressed to find more beautiful displays of architecture and sculpture than the temples and monuments that make up Khajuraho. From a distance they may look like any other sacred worship space, yet upon closer inspection the detail and breadth of the sculptures, both provocative and mundane, is enough to take one’s breath away.  

An astounding 85 temples were originally built by Chandela rulers between 900 and 1300 CE, and despite the ravishment of time and civilizations, 20 of these beautifully carved temples have survived to provide us with a unique and detailed glimpse into the culture and minds of the artisans over 7 centuries later. These temples are a perfect example of Nagara or Northern style temples, built and carved of sandstone. Each temple is set above the landscape by an ornate terraced platform, upon which the main structure of the temple stands. The inner sanctum is topped by a tower, and on top of that, the main spire rises into the sky, surrounded by a series of smaller spires, designed to symbolize Mount Kailasa, the dwelling place of the Gods. 

Words cannot do justice to the magnificence of the architecture or the stunning nature of the carvings. Some examples of the scenes depicted include anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic depictions of Hindu deities and scenes from Hindu mythology, depictions of acts of worship, domestic scenes of teachers and disciples, dancers and musicians, and amorous couples entwined in intimate acts. These intimate depictions include imagery of homosexual pairings, highlighting both male and female couples.

The depictions of so many erotic and intimate sculptures could have been a way of encouraging fertility sects and deities, or served as a visual accompaniment to the Indian teachings of sensuality in the Kamasutra, however the existence of homosexual sculptures counter anti-queer narratives that same-sex love is unnatural or didn’t exist in India before Western introduction.

Homosexuality and queerness have been controversial points in recent Indian history, but with the overturning of anti-gay laws in India in 2018, laws that had been in place since they were introduced by the British colonizers in 1861, the queer community India has been trying to express their existence. This existence has clearly always been there, depicted in its historical art and religious temples, and perhaps someday soon India’s acceptance of its queer population will increase to the embrace it had centuries ago. Truly the best part of artistic expression is when the works before us reflect the beauty and diversity of the lives surrounding it.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 17- King Kristina of Sweden

Kristina was born in 1626, heir to King Gustavus Adolphus. When the birth was announced, the nurses initially mistook Kristina for a boy due to the amount of body hair and their strong, hoarse voice when they cried. King Gustavus, having tried unsuccessfully for a male heir for a number of years, stated “She’ll be clever, she has made fools of us all!” and decided to raise Kristina as a prince. 

In 1632, King Gustavus died on the battlefield fighting in the Thirty Years’ War, making Kristina the king-elect at the age of six. They were afforded the education of a royal male and studied theology, philosophy, politics, and the art of war. They learned German, Dutch, Danish, French, Italian, Arabic, and Hebrew. Their thirst for knowledge and their love of the arts was voracious. Kristina was officially crowned as King of Sweden in 1650. During their reign and with the end of the Thirty Years War, they transitioned the country out of  conflict and into a focus on education. They established the first country-wide school ordinance and founded Sweden’s first newspaper, which is still running today. Kristina had an intense aversion to marriage and childbirth. Because of their refusal to marry and produce an heir, and the growing physical toll that reigning was having on their health, Kristina named their cousin Charles X Gustav as their successor and abdicated the throne to him. 

Kristina has been speculated by historians to have been transgender or on the gender nonconforming spectrum. Throughout their life, they preferred to wear attire that would be worn by men. They expressed discomfort with traditionally feminine interests and had hobbies that were traditionally practiced by men, such as fencing, horse riding, and bear hunting. It was said that Kristina “walked like a man, sat and rode like a man, and could eat and swear like the roughest soldier.” Kristina had a deep, masculine voice and styled their hair like that of a young man. Despite this, it is not known for sure how Kristina actually identified themselves or how they would have identified in the modern age. 

Kristina’s sexuality has also been of some debate. They had a passionate relationship with one of their handmaids, Ebba Sparre. In Kristina’s memoir, they said that Ebba was the one love of their life. Once this relationship ended, Kristina did not have any other public romances. It is speculated that given Kristina’s emphatically voiced aversion to marriage and pregnancy, they could fall on the asexual or demisexual spectrums. While some identify Kristina as a lesbian, others have questioned if they were bisexual due to their close and amorous friendship with Cardinal Azzolino. The friendship was so close that the Pope had Cardinal Azzolino sent to Romania as punishment for maintaining it.  This is mostly speculation however, because aside from their relationship with Ebba, Kristina kept most of her romantic life private.

Kristina was one of the most influential figures of their time. Kristina converted to Catholicism and relocated to Rome. Their palace in Rome contained the greatest collection of Venetian paintings ever assembled. They founded The Arcadia Academy for philosophy and literature which is still in existence. They also helped to start the first public opera house in Rome. Regardless of how Kristina would have identified their gender and sexual identity, their impact on the arts and culture had an impressive impact, lasting even to today.

Sources:

~Countess Indrakshi Aani Aravinda (she/her)

June 16- Emperor Hadrian

Publius Aelius Hadrianus, better known to history as Emperor Hadrian, was one of the five “Good Emperors of Rome,” monarchs who are remembered for ruling justly. He is remembered for both his massive infrastructure projects throughout the Roman Empire and his love affair with a Bythynian young man named Antinous, who after his tragic death, was deified by Hadrian resulting in the cult of Antinous.

Hadrian was the force behind Hadrian’s Wall in Northern Britain, a 73 mile long defensive creation designed to protect the northernmost territory of the Roman Empire from attacks by the Picts. East of the River Irthing the wall was made of stone, measuring just under 10 feet wide and 16-20 feet high, while west of the river it was constructed of stone and turf and measured 20 feet wide by 11 feet high, stretching out across the landscape of Britain. The largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain has survived the weathering of milenia and can be visited still today, and has been featured in multiple films including King Arthur (2004), Centurion (2010) and The Eagle (2011). 

Besides his famed wall, Hadrian also raised cities and monuments, improved roads throughout the empire, and increased the integrity of infrastructure in Egypt, Asia Minor, North Africa, Greece, and throughout the Balkan Peninsula. He was part of rebuilding the Pantheon after its destruction and adding an annex to Trajan’s Forum known as the Athenaeum. While no longer believed to be the sole architect on any singular project, Hadrian provided architectural plans, oversight, and funding for many projects, including a variety of Roman baths and villas.

Hadrian was also a lover of Greek literature and Egyptian mysticism and magic. He wrote poetry and several complete compositions of his have survived, most famously his deathbed poem which historians believe was penned as he lay dying (translations can be found in the links below). It is also said that Hadrian wrote erotic poetry of his male lover, Antinous.

Hadrian had a multi-year, open love affair with Antinous despite being in a political marriage to Sabina, the great niece of his predecessor Emperor Trajan. The two men would become near constant companions for the next several years. Hadrian arranged for Antinous to be sent to a prestigious boarding school for young men to be trained in the ways of courtly life, following which Antinous and Hadrian were inseparable and traveled together for years. Tragedy struck as Antinous drowned while sailing the Nile to celebrate the Festival of Osiris, leaving Hadrian despondent and heart broken. Emperor Hadrian had Antinous deified almost immediately, without waiting for the approval of the Senate, and had the city of Antinoopolis built in his honor. He commissioned statues throughout the empire celebrating Antinous’ beauty, and as part of the deifying, Hadrian also had Antinous erected to godhood, an honor that was unprecedented for those who were not members of the imperial family. 

The cult of Antinous proved rather popular, and more images of Antinous survive than any other Roman figure besides Emperor Julius Caesar Augustus and Emperor Hadrian himself. Such a heartfelt and emotional response demonstrates the true love that Hadrian felt for his paramour and greatest companion, a sweet reminder that love is love and it has always existed, regardless of the labels placed upon it.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 14- Xica Manicongo

Xica Manicongo (pronounced She-ka Mah-knee-congo) was a queer enslaved person brought to Salvador, Bahia, the epicenter of the Portuguese colonies in the northeast of Brazil in the 16th century. Many in Brazil consider her to be the nation’s first non-indigenous trans person, or at least some form of cross-dressing gender non-conforming individual. While forced to present as a man either due to their given enslaved name or to hide themselves for their safety, Xica was forced to be called Francisco, commonly nicknamed Xico in northeastern Brazil. Her true name is lost in the accounting books that kept her from her freedom. 

Xica was a shoemaker in Cidade Baixa who refused to wear the masculine clothing restricted to her perceived gender assigned at birth and refused to behave “like a man.” Because of this, the Inquisition accused her of sodomy, witchcraft, and heresy by the Tribunal of the Holy Office. She was condemned to a public execution in the square for living as their true self. Some reports said she relinquished her femininity to remain safe, others that she was burned at the stake, but it is difficult to find a decisive answer. 

Today, Xica is a touchstone in the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ freedom in Brazil. So much so that at the last Carnival, in February 2024, one of the Samba schools paid homage to Xica as a way to reflect on the current struggles of the Brazilian queer community and the erasure in the history of enslaved and queer persons.

Sources:

~Lady Luiza Vincente (she/they)

June 13- King James I

King James I (1566-1625) is a well known figure in European history, first coming to power as King of Scotland, from 1567-1625, and then also King of England, from 1603-1625. A fairly successful ruler in Scotland, he played Protestant and Roman Catholic factions against one another while retaining his Presbyterian faith, becoming the head of the Scottish Presbyterian church in 1584. 

When Queen Elizabeth I passed and James succeeded her on the English throne, his experience in ruling Scotland did little to aid him. He was considered ineffective in his dealings with England’s Parliament, and while he pulled troops out of the Spanish war he inherited, tensions never fully evaporated between the two countries, leaving James caught between his English countrymen and his endearment to Spain, specifically Spain’s ambassador, Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar.

While a fairly tolerant man in terms of Christian religious faiths, and having worked with multiple sects while King of Scotland, religious tension still plagued his reign. The Gunpowder Plot, orchestrated by Roman Catholic conspirators, sought the destruction of the Houses of Parliament, which led to strict sanctions and penalties for Roman Catholics in England. Most famously, James greenlit a project from a group of religious leaders in 1604, to replace the Roman Catholic English translations of the Bible, as they were believed to be corrupt and unanswerable to the truth of the original. James authorized this new translation of the Bible, which became known as the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, published in 1611. King James was also known for other works of literature including The True Lawe of Free Monarchies, Basilikon Doron, and is credited with a number of political works and poems.

In 1589, James was wed to Anne of Denmark, the daughter of Frederick II of Denmark. The relationship appeared to flourish, and the couple produced 9 children. She was not to be his only lover though, as King James I is also suspected of having affairs with a number of men. Chief among them was George Villiers, the Earl of Buckingham, who the King referred to as “my sweet child and wife,” and who was later raised to Duke, an honor which had not occurred in over a century and was typically reserved for members of the royal family. A younger James also wrote a rather suggestive poem about Esmé Stuart in which he describes a resting phoenix between the thighs of the Stuart. Rumors abound regarding who else may have shared the King’s bed, as many handsome young nobles were lavished and doted on as part of James’ favorites, much to the ire of those less favored within his court.

At the time of King James’ rule, the modern labels of bisexuality and queerness weren’t used as they are today, so it is no surprise that he was not identified as a queer individual until a more recent look into his writings and the historical depictions of the time. Instead, societal and religious pressure around him caused him to condemn sodomy as an unforgivable crime. Perhaps he didn’t think such rulings applied to him as the monarch, perhaps he maintained some form of cognitive dissociation, or perhaps he was simply a hypocrite and preached one thing while actively abandoning those ideals in his personal life. Regardless of the reason, it is a shame that the man was unable to pursue those in life he may have cared about with openness and acceptance, a struggle many queer people can still relate to in the current age. 

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 12- Al-Hakam II

Despite modern assumptions, homosexuality and religion haven’t always been at such odds. In fact, in 961 in the Moorish empire of Cordoba, in what is now modern day Spain, an openly gay Islamic man was appointed as ruler. After Al-Hakam II was made Caliph, he kept a male harem much the same way as his father before him, Abd-al-Rahman III, had, though his father’s harem consisted of both men and women. 

Beyond being an openly gay man, al-Hakam is credited with bringing an incredible amount of books back to the lIbraries of Cordoba, though his dream was to convert as many books from their original Greek and Latin into his own native tongue of Arabic. In order to bring this dream to fruition, he formed a joint team of Arab Muslims, Jews, and Iberian Mozarab Christians to facilitate this incredible feat, and by the middle of the tenth century, most existing Greek and Hellenic works had been translated, preserving cultural scientific and literary works for future generations. It is estimated that the library reached more than 400,000 volumes during his tenure, and during his reign the city was a haven for researchers, translators, scholars, and philosophers, whose visitation and relocation turned it into an intellectual’s paradise. 

At a time when other parts of Europe were mostly illiterate, Cordoba had over 800 public schools and Caliph al-Hakam II worked ardently to promote education and the pursuit of knowledge, going as far as offered incentives to those researchers and students in his kingdom. Writers, researchers and translators were exempt from conscription or participation in wars and conquests, and given rewards and generous gifts in return for their work.

Bookish pursuits aside, an unavoidable element of ruling is the responsibility to produce an heir, a task even a gay Caliph couldn’t avoid. It is said that to ensure al-Hakam II’s lineage, a female concubine was dressed in boys clothes and given the masculine moniker Jafar in order to coax an heir from the ruling scholar. The technique worked and a son was born. He was named Hisham II, succeeded his father at the age of 10, and also ended up keeping a male harem. 

Al-Hakam’s devotion to education and promotion of learning, philosophy, and the sciences turned Cordoba into the hub of the intellectual world. Arabic became the language of the learned, and students and researchers from all over Europe traveled to Cordoba to benefit from the myriad of opportunities that al-Hakam II had provided. This atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration between Arabs, Jews, and Christians is proof that embracing diversity and people of all backgrounds builds a better, more educated world for us all, a lesson all of us would do well to remember in our modern lives.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 11- Third Genders and Two-Spirit Persons

The term Two-Spirit is a relatively modern pan-Indian term used to describe people who fulfill a third-gender role within Native American and Native Alaskan communities. This term was coined as a way of describing someone (in English) who may be male, female or intersex and who combines the gendered activities of both men and women, while also acknowledging their own unique traits and status. In tribes where two-spirit men and women are referred to with the same term, they constitute a third gender; if the tribe refers to two-spirit men and women with different terms, they become distinct third and fourth genders.

Male and female two-spirit people were often described based on their achievements and preference in the work of the “opposite” sex or within their own unique roles. This includes craftwork such as basket weaving, pottery making and leatherworking as well as engaging in activities of hunting, warfare and leadership. A variety of other identifiers distinguished two-spirit persons, including dress, lifestyle, temperament and social roles. Two-spirit individuals were widely believed to be linked to supernatural phenomena including spiritual intervention in the form of visions, dreams and other means of communication sanctioned within tribal mythology. In many tribes, two-spirit people filled spiritual and religious roles as healers, shamans and ceremonial leaders. Two-spirit people typically formed relationships (sexual and emotional) with non-two-spirit members of their own sex within their community; among some tribes, including the Lakota, Mohave, Crow, and Cheyenne, two-spirit people were believed to be “lucky in love” and capable of bestowing this amorous luck onto others.

Most native communities have terms in their own language for other-gendered persons as well as the details of roles and responsibilities these individuals would fulfill. With over 500 surviving Native American cultures, there is a myriad of attitudes about sex, gender and social roles as is to be expected from such a diverse community, and not all cultures welcome or use a pan-Indian umbrella term such as two-spirit to replace the terms already used in their culture. 

While the roles of third or other-gendered persons vary from tribe to tribe, it is clear that gender was certainly more fluid among Native American society when compared with the norms of European colonizers. The effects of these differences resulted in extreme marginalization of Indigenous peoples both in terms of racial/ethnic identity as well as gender and sexual expression. Christian European colonizers used Indigenous same-sex relationships and gender variance as ways to condemn and further dehumanize Native American people in the push to invade and displace them from their lands. 

Despite these persecutions and systemic injustices, the strength of Indigenous voices continues to be heard, and many of the traditions and cultural practices are being preserved by incredible caretakers. Since the 1990’s, national gatherings of two-spirit people have been held, and regional gatherings are held throughout many parts of the country. For more information please visit www.ihs.gov/lgbt.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 10- Leonardo da Vinci

Erasure is a concept anyone familiar with history should be aware of. “History is written by the victors” goes the cliché, articulating that every narrative can be as fickle as the moods of those retelling the tale. So it is for one of the great artists of the 16th century, a man whose works cause people to stand in line for hours simply to get a glimpse of them. Leonardo da Vinci is often praised as a Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, military engineer, draftsman and mentor, but what time has tried to erase, what has been researched and found, is that Leonardo da Vinci was also a queer man. The artist credited with painting noted works like The Last Supper and the Mona-Lisa is also responsible for creating St. John the Baptist and Angel Incarnato, both works thought to depict his muse and lover, with the latter sporting a full erection. 

The man said to be da Vinci’s lover was Gian Giacomo Caprotti, nicknamed ‘Salai,’ meaning ‘little devil,’ in response to Gian’s precocious habit of stealing da Vinci’s things and playing pranks. While historians have debated da Vinci’s sexual identity in the past, the general consensus today is that he was engaged romantically with both Salai, and later a young man named Francesco Melzi, both of whom were apprenticed under da Vinci. Indeed, these relations lasted for long periods, Salai staying with da Vinci for 25 years, departing just before the artist’s passing, while Melzi was there with the dying artist through until the end. Both of these young men were benefactors in da Vinci’s will, with Salai being gifted an estate outside Milan, and Melzi listed as the heir to the remainder of Leonardo’s artistic and scientific estate. 

This attitude of permissive homosexuality amongst men is well documented in 15th century Florence. Despite the fact that sodomy was considered illegal, it appears to have been treated with an air of acceptance, given only about 20 percent of those accused of sodomy were actually convicted and fewer still jailed. The list of renaissance men who had carnal or romantic relationships with members of the same sex is a long one and contains other famous names such as Michelangelo, who wrote love poems to Tommaso Cavelieri, a young nobleman, and Machiavelli, who had an ongoing affair with a sex worker named Riccio.

Sadly, if you walk the museum-converted halls of Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years, you will find few references to the artist’s two long term companions. It is quite unfortunate that the sands of time, whether malicious or not, seem to have robbed these men of their contribution to the artistic workings of such a talented artist. Perhaps additional historical research will bring about a karmic kindness and reunite the history of these famous men and their muses, so that they too may be given the recognition they deserve.

Sources:

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 9- Rolandina Ronchaia

Rolandina Ronchaia lived in the Rialto of Venice during the 14th century. She was considered male at birth, but had a feminine face, voice, gestures, with pronounced breasts. She married a woman early in life, but never had sexual intercourse with her, nor any other woman, because of a lack of sexual appetite and an inability to achieve an erection. Failure to gain an erection was grounds for a divorce in early modern Italy, and after nearly ten years, Rolandina’s wife left the marriage.

After the divorce, Rolandina moved to Padua to live with a mason and it was there that she began to sleep with men as a woman, hiding her penis during intercourse. Rolandina then moved back to Venice, and with her voice, gestures and outward appearance being so feminine, others also believed she was a woman. This is when she began using the name Rolandina. 

Rolandina frequented brothels and was asked to have sex with many men in Venice, all thinking Rolandina to be a woman. She deceived them by taking hold of the penis of the man while they were on top of her and inserting it into her rear. She lived successfully as a woman and supported herself through sex work for more than seven years.

In early 1354, Ronchaia was apprehended on the streets of the Venetian Rialto by the Lords of the Night, the magistrates in the Republic of Venice that operated in special courts, during a routine sweep against moral crimes. The Lords of the Night’s interest in Ronchaia’s allegedly criminal activities was not limited to prostitution but moreso for being a man dressed in women’s clothing for the purpose of sexually deceiving men. When interrogated, the questioning centered around Rolandina’s genitalia and motivations. She was asked:

“If anyone committing that act with him saw [his] penis, answered no. 

Asked whether [his] own penis became erect while [he] was with those men, answered no. 

Asked why [he] committed that sin, [he] answered, “to bring in some money.”

The misgendering in that transcript of the trial is faithful to the original text, and unsurprising given the time and circumstances. Rolandina was then tortured and interrogated at the Lords’ command to better speak the truth. Even after being whipped, she would give the same answers. As a result, on March 28 1355, Rolandina was sentenced to be burned until death.

Sources:

~Tove Elwyn (they/them)

June 8- Gender Fluidity in the Viking Age

Much social discourse has transpired over the years about what makes someone masculine or feminine. Many societies purport to know best and yet the more we review history the more obvious it becomes that structures around gender are culture-specific social constructions, which are rarely binary and can be quite fluid.

The study of Nordic cultures is no stranger to misinterpreted assumptions. It was once theorized that, culturally, men and women were so fundamentally different that they were restricted to fixed domains.In Icelandic the term innanstokks means “within the household,” and utanstokks means “outdoor activities,” not only on the property, like farming, but also trade, travel, sailing and fighting. This ideal is hard to imagine being strictly applied, given its heavy binary implication, and a more nuanced approach to gender and its assumed roles should be considered.

In one of the most stereotypical displays, cooking was once considered to be a part of the woman’s domain. This trope persists today, despite having only a few references in written media to support such a claim, and despite archeological evidence in the form of grave goods showing that kitchen equipment is commonly featured in both male and female graves. Corroborating this theory there are several references in written sources of men engaging in food preparation1. This leads to several examples of a much more non-gendered society, where expression was of the individual and duties were designated based on ableness of body and not gendered roles.

Flexing gender stereotypes in Nordic culture in the opposite direction, Seid, or the practice of magic, was considered a strongly female art form, and considered a near solely feminine activity. For a male practitioner to be caught was to be accused of ergi meaning unmanliness, softness or cowardice, it was considered a terrible insult for a man. Yet Odin, the Norse God of War was considered by many to be a great practitioner of seid, once again subverting the narrative of strictly enforced gender binaries.

This would not be the only time that Odin engaged in gender fluid behavior, though. In the mythos he would go on to practice seid in order to travel to the kingdom of the dead and bring back knowledge in the form of runes. In one myth he would don women’s clothing to beget a son, in order to avenge Balder. Odin is not the only male God we have written reference for partaking in cross dressing. Throughout Þrymskviða (The Lay of Thrym) we find Thor being dressed by Heimdal in the finest of bridal garb, in order to trick a giant into thinking they are the Goddess Freyja, and it is mentioned that he is accompanied by Loki, dressed as his bridesmaid. The text translates as such with Heimdal speaking:

“Let’s dress Thor in a bridal head-dress,
 let him wear the great necklace of the Brisings”
 “Let keys jingle about him
 and let women’s clothes fall down to his knees,
 and on his breasts lets display jewels,
 and we’ll arrange a head dress suitably on his head.”2

So while cross dressing or magic using may not have been considered standard behaviors for men, they were, at the same time, not so far removed from the realm of possibility that depictions and stories of such behavior haven’t survived to our modern age.

Further archeological research has provided additional goods in which we find many fluid gender role elements supported by pictorial evidence. Lund University Senior Lecturer, Ing-Marie Back Danielsson, terms many of the gold foil bracteates she has examined as depicting “loving couples” due to uncertain gender determination and has called into question the tendency to affix known categories, i.e. gender, to historical aspects which does not fit into such parameters.3 Other examples clearly show same-sex couples engaging which brings additional queer interpretations to these archeological finds.

Also calling into question assumed gender norms are the depictions on the Gotlandic picture stones. Images that show women carrying drinking horns and greeting warriors, generally interpreted as being depictions of arrival scenes from Valhalla, with at least one such stone depicting a woman as the arriving person.4 Lastly the seated figure, often interpreted as Odin from Gamle Lejre in Denmark, is depicted as wearing a female dress, marking it as a manifestation of the queerness of Odin, as can be argued from his contradictory nature in many mythos stories, or as a manifestation of a female depicted in a seat of power, further reinforcing the break from the innanstokks narrative.5 These pictorial finds continue to show gender as a more complex research point than the previously established binary divide between domicile confined women and farmer/warrior archetypal males.

These findings continue to bring nuance, fluidity and complexity to the discussion of past social norms, just as our modern expressions of gender should be embraced and discussed with open mindedness and nuance in the conversations of today.

Sources:

  • 1  “Vatnsdøla Saga.” In Norrøn Saga, pp. 255-336. vol. II. Aschehoug, Oslo, 1989.
  • 1 Njålssoga. New and complete edition by Jan Ragnar Hagland ed. Verdensbiblioteket bok nr. 32. De norske bokklubbene, Oslo, 2007.
  • 1  “Soga om fosterbrørne.” In Islendingesagaene, edited by J. G. Jørgensen and J. R. Hagland, pp. 327-329. vol. II. V vols. Saga Forlag, Reykjavik, 2014.
  • 1 “Tåtten om Ravn Gudrunsson.” In Islendingesagaene, edited by J. G. Jørgensen and J. R. Hagland. pp. 459 vol. V. Saga Forlag, Reykjavik, 2014.
  • 2 Clunies Ross, Margaret. “Reading Þrymskviða.” The Poetic Edda: Essays on Old Norse Mythology, edited by Paul Acher and Carolyne Larrington. Routledge, New York, 2002.
  • 3 Danielsson, Ing-Marie Back. “Masking Moments: The Transitions of Bodies and Beings in Late Iron Age Scandinavia.” PhD, Stockholms universitet, Stockholm, 2007.
  • 4 Snødal, Porgrunnr. “Ailikn’s Wagon and Odin’s Warriors: The Pictures on the Gotlandic Ardre Monuments.” In The Viking Age: Ireland and the West, edited by J. Sheehan and D. Ó.nCorráin, pp. 446. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2010.
  • 5 Pedersen, Unn. “Vikingtidskvinner i maktens innerste sirkel.” In Dronningen i vikingtid og middelalder, edited by N. Løkka and K. Kjesrud, pp. 116. Spartacus, Oslo, 2017.

~Lord Ragnall Cennétig (he/him)

June 7- Lisbetha Olsdotter

There are many cases throughout history where women have disguised themselves in mens’ clothes in order to do jobs reserved for men. We have fewer examples of those women going on to marry another woman, which brings us to the unusual case of Lisbetha Olofsdotter.

Sources record her name differently: Elisabeth, Lisbetha, or Lisabetha, with Olsdotter or Olofsdotter for the patronymic, but they all agree on the essential details of her story. She was married to the local tailor and had children with him, but left because he was abusive and adulterous. Instead of staying and suffering through the situation, as many women over the centuries have felt compelled to do in such situations, she donned men’s clothing and sought work on a farm.

After 4 years of working on the farm, her master’s brother coerced her into military conscription, threatening to reveal her true identity if she did not. This gained the brother a finder’s fee for getting her to enlist, though it also enriched Lisabetha to the tune of 300 daler in soldier’s wages, a not insignificant sum. To maintain her secret, she made every attempt to appear the soldier, attending every military gathering and even devising a way to urinate while standing like the rest of the men through the use of a horn inserted into her trousers.

While enlisted, Lisbetha married the maid Kjerstin Ersdotter, who, along with the priest and other locals in attendance, appears to have been ignorant of Lisbetha’s true identity. It was, in fact, Kjerstin who reported Lisbetha to the authorities after having been rebuffed at her attempts to consummate their marriage, maintaining that she had been deceived.

In the end, Lisbetha Olsdotter was found guilty by the court, primarily, it seems, for fraud. While part of that centers around her “fooling” Kjerstin into marriage and claiming a soldier’s job (with the court claiming “she allowed herself to be hired for a service she could not perform,” and interesting turn of responsibility in that phrasing) there seems to have been grave concern over her attire. Lisbetha’s choice to dress as a man was thought to be an affront to god and the Bible, an “abomination,” to use the phrasing of the profoundly religious Lutherans in control of Sweden at the time. To make an example of what happens to cross-dressers, Lisbetha was sentenced to death, ordered to wear the clothes of a man and the headdress of a woman when her sentence was carried out. Her public execution, in 1679, was a public decapitation, designed to instill fear in others who would dare to defy gender norms. 

Sources:

  • Fur, Gunlog. “Reading Margins: Colonial Encounters in Sápmi and Lenapehoking in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.” Feminist Studies, Fall 2006, vol. 32, no. 3, https://www.jstor.org/stable/20459102
  • Liliequist, Jonas. “Elisabeth (Lisbetha) Olofsdotter.” Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon, 8 March 2018, https://www.skbl.se/en/article/ElisabethLisbethaOlofsdotter

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)

June 6- The Muxes of Oaxaca

The Muxes (pronounced mu-shay) are a recognized third gender among the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico. Their origins are debated, with some suggesting they stem from the ancient Zapotec culture due to Zapotec’s genderless language. Indigenous communities worldwide often acknowledge multiple genders, attributing unique social roles and sometimes supernatural powers to individuals identifying as a third gender. European influence and westernized ideologies have diminished these traditions, but among the Zapotec, Muxes are integral to cultural identity and tradition. The term ‘Muxe’ derives from the Spanish word ‘mujer’ for ‘woman’, but the phenomenon predates Spanish colonization, reflecting a broader Mesoamerican acceptance of diverse gender identities. 

In Juchitan, Oaxaca, a legend attributes the creation of Muxes to the patron saint of the city, San Vincente Ferrer, who inadvertently spilled a mixture of male and female seeds, leading to the emergence of Muxes predominantly in this region. Despite external influences, Juchitan has maintained its cultural heritage by blending Spanish colonialism with Zapotec traditions, showcasing the resilience of indigenous identity in the face of historical change.

In Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a small town in Oaxaca, the Muxes hold a significant place in social organization and local tradition. Neither strictly male nor female, Muxes identify with femininity and often dress in traditional female attire without necessarily seeking transgender identity. They self-identify and are recognized as a distinct third gender, adopting characteristics of both male and female roles within Zapotec society. Muxes challenge conventional notions of gender, sexuality, and the binary system by openly embracing feminine roles and attire while being fully integrated into the Zapotec community. Despite their distinct gender identity, Muxes do not conform to Western gay/straight binaries in their choice of sexual partners. Each Muxe selects their own pronouns, reflecting the community’s view that being Muxe is not a choice but an inherent aspect of identity.

Sources: 

~Lady Aisha bint Allan (they/them)

June 5- The Sacred Band of Thebes

There are few bonds stronger than those formed in battle amongst brothers in arms, to raise one’s shield to not only protect oneself but also the soldier standing at their side. It was the Spartans who said “This is my shield. I bear it before me into battle, but it is not mine alone. It protects my brother on my left. It protects my city. I will never let my brother out of its shadow, nor my city out of its shelter. I will die with my shield before me facing the enemy.” 

However, there is one bond that is said to be stronger than those between brothers in arms: the bond between two lovers that binds them to their souls. At least, this is what was believed by Gorgidas who created an elite fighting unit of Ancient Greece known as the Sacred Band of Thebes. As Plato stated in Symposium, ”And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their beloved, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonour, and emulating one another in honour; and when fighting at each other’s side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this. Or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger?”

This unit was composed of 150 pairs of male lovers, consisting of an older soldier known as “erastes” (meaning lover) who would have been around 30 years old or older and a younger “eromenes” (meaning beloved) who was about 20 years old and beginning their military career. The older would serve as a mentor and teacher to their younger companion, teaching them in not only combat but also philosophy, poetry, politics, and dance. The sanctity of the bond was said to be based on the fact that both swore their oaths at the shrine of Iolaus, the male lover of Heracles. Stories from Greek mythology are filled with stories of pairs of lovers such as these including Heracles and Iolaus, Achilles and Patroclus, and many others. These couples were said to have fought in the name of Eros, son of Aphrodite and god of love. While it was not unusual in Ancient Greece for two soldiers to become lovers, this unit comprised entirely of couples was something not seen before.

The Sacred Band acted as a primary attack unit in the 4th century BCE and was so strong that it was considered to be the driving force in ending Spartan dominance. In 378 BCE, King Agesilaus II of Sparta sent his armies to Boetia but was pushed back by the Band with the Athenians as allies. At the battle of Tegyra, the Band plus a unit of 200 calvary stood against 1,000-1,800 Spartan hoplites and were able to defeat them with minimal casualties. According to Plutarch, “This battle first taught the other Greeks also that it was not the Eurotas, nor the region between Babyce and Cnacion [Sparta] which alone produced warlike fighting men, but that wheresoever young men are prone to be ashamed of baseness and courageous in a noble cause, shunning disgrace more than danger, these are most formidable to their foes.” 

While this was not the only battle that the Sacred Band went on to win, this marked one of their greatest military achievements until their destruction at the hands of Phillip II of Macedon in 338 BCE who sent an army of over 30,000 led by his son, Alexander, to destroy Thebes and their allies. When the mass grave of The Sacred Band of Thebes was discovered in the 19th century, it became very apparent that full annihilation of the unit was the goal and yet several pairs of corpses remained with arms linked together, even in death.

Sources:

  • Crompton, Louis. Homosexuality and Civilization. Harvard University Press, 2003.
  • DeVoto, James G. “The Theban Sacred Band.” The Ancient World 23, 2021, pp. 3-19.
  • Flynn, James. “Lovers and Soldiers.” Humanities: The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities, 22 June 2021, https://www.neh.gov/article/lovers-and-soldiers
  • -Plato. Symposium. Translated by Benjamin Jowett, 1939.

~Don Ciaran ua Meic Thire (he/him)

June 4- The Bitten Peach

The original EK Pride Project highlighted the story of “The Cut Sleeve,” one of the most notable tales of queer love from China during the medieval period. The other tale is “The Bitten Peach.” Though time has mixed truth and fantasy, the romance of the life of Duke Ling of Wei and his lover Mizi Xia has made its mark on history. 

Duke Ling of Wei was born to Duke Xiang and his favorite concubine around 543 BCE. Though he was the second son of Duke Xiang, oracles of powerful houses were consulted after his father’s passing and it was decided that Yuan, the name he was given at birth, would be Duke. His life as Duke was filled with 42 years of turmoil. In 522, he was forced to flee the city of Siniao due to rebellion caused by his older brother’s mistreatment of royal advisors. By his own admission, he was not a very good ruler. His wife, Lady Nanzi, handled government affairs with his blessing. No matter his affections for his wife, his dedication was to his lover, though it became a cautionary tale in the end.

Not much is known about his lover, Mizi Xia, beyond his appearance in the writing of Han Fei. Mizi Xia was described as being beautiful. It is this beauty that is rumored to have been the start of the relationship between him and Duke Ling.

The bitten peach is the most romanticized of Duke Ling’s interactions with Mizi Xia. One day while strolling through the orchard, Mizi Xia bit into a peach and after tasting how good it was he offered the bitten peach to his lover. According to the “Passions of the Cut Sleeve,” Duke Ling exclaimed, “How sincere is your love for me! … You forgot your own appetite and think only of giving me good things to eat!” 

Their love was documented as crossing the boundary of their stations. In one instance, Mizi Xia learned his mother was ill and immediately stole one of the royal carriages by forging the Duke’s permission. Upon learning of the theft, Duke Ling could only praise the dedication of Mizi Xia to his family and determined that there would be no punishment. If another person, no matter their station, had done the same, history says that they would have had their feet removed. 

Unfortunately, their love was not meant to last. As Mizi Xia aged and he was no longer in Duke Ling’s favor, he was accused of committing an unspecified crime. Duke Ling was quoted as saying “”After all, he once stole my carriage, and another time he gave me a half-eaten peach to eat!” Nothing is known of what happened to Mizi Xia after he was cast out. The Duke died while still in power and was succeeded by his grandson.

Through the writings of Han Fei, the phrases ‘bitten peach’ and ‘Mizi Xia’ became synonymous with homosexuality in Ancient China.

Sources:

~Lady Bak Nabiya (she/her)

June 3- Julie d’Aubigny

Julie d’Aubigny, famously known as La Maupin, lived a remarkable and controversial life during late 17th and early 18th century France. Born around 1670 in Paris, she was raised by her father, Gaston, who passed on his swordsmanship skills along with his drinking and gambling vices. She received an education typically reserved for boys of the time, excelling in academic subjects and fencing, becoming known as one of the best fencers of her time. Starting her career as a singer at Marseille Opéra, Julie’s talent on stage garnered admiration, but her personal life was equally dramatic. When she fell in love with a young woman whose family sent her to a convent to avoid their  relationship, Julie followed her lover to the convent, and together they escaped in a daring plot involving a staged fire and a deceased nun’s body.

After returning to Paris, Julie’s career soared to new heights as she became a member of the prestigious Opéra. However, her unconventional behavior offstage often drew as much attention as her performances. She scandalized Parisian society by attending a court ball in men’s attire and engaging in a duel with three noblemen who were vying for the attention of a woman she kissed. Remarkably, she emerged victorious in all three duels, cementing her reputation as a formidable swordswoman. Despite her tumultuous personal life, Julie’s talent as an opera singer was undeniable. She collaborated with leading composers of her time, bringing roles to life with her unparalleled vocal range and dramatic flair. Her contributions to French opera were significant, pioneering new vocal techniques and captivating audiences with her performances.

Julie navigated relationships with both men and women in her lifetime, including a passionate liaison with Madame la Marquise de Florensac, renowned for her beauty and influence. Their love affair, characterized by passion and scandal, epitomized the complexities of romantic relationships of that era. Eventually, Julie’s audacious behavior eventually led to her downfall. Her scandals and controversies overshadowed her artistic achievements, prompting her to retreat from the limelight. Yet, her legacy endures as a symbol of defiance against societal norms, challenging gender roles and sexual identity in an era marked by rigid conventions. Her legacy as a bisexual, cross-dressing swordswoman and talented opera singer continues to captivate audiences, reflecting the complexities of gender roles and sexual identity in 17th-century France.

Sources:

~ Lady Aisha bint Allan (they/them)

June 2- Gaius Julius Caesar

When one hears the name Gaius Julius Caesar, they likely think of his assassination in 44 BCE when 60 Roman senators stabbed him 23 times. Maybe they think of his accomplishments as a general in the Gallic Wars and his famous quote “Veni, vidi, vici.” Today, Caesar is viewed as a middle-aged man with a bald spot, known for his sternness and cunning, but the Caesar of Ancient Rome was very different. When he was younger, Caesar was seen as very pretty, dressing in more effeminate clothing, often playing with his hair, traits that his political opponents claimed made him ill-suited for politics. Curio, one of Caesar’s political opponents, described him as “every woman’s man and every man’s woman,” implying that he was well liked by women and assumed a submissive role towards men.

In Rome, it was not only considered socially acceptable for men to be sexually promiscuous even when married, it was all but expected of higher-class individuals. Heterosexuality was not the standard nor were there words for hetero, homo or bisexuality as the Romans, and the Greeks before them, did not define sexual relationships by the gender of the partner but in terms of being in the “dominant” or “submissive” role. To this end, most free Roman men were expected to take both male and female lovers before they married. Caesar himself not only pursued strangers but also the wives of his political rivals. His promiscuity and lack of concern for the marital status of his partners earned him the nickname “moechus calvus,” which translates to the “bald adulterer.”

While many records regarding Caesar may have been questionable in their accuracy due to political motives and hearsay, the volume of such accounts makes it hard to believe that at least some were not true. For example, Julius Caesar spent several years from age 20 in the kingdom of Bithynia, trying to convince King Nicomedes IV to provide a fleet. He stayed well after this mission was complete and was rumored to be having a sexual relationship with the King. While Caesar denied that anything occurred between himself and Nicomedes, he was given the epithet “Queen of Bithynia” and was noted in a song by Caesar’s men following their triumph over Gaul. According to Suetonius’ biography of Julius Caesar, one line was “Gallias Caesar subegit, Nicomedes Caesarem,” or in English, “Caesar conquered Gaul, Nicomedes conquered Caesar.” Cicero, a philosopher and politician- albeit one who often openly opposed Caesar- at one point wrote “the virginity of the one sprung from Venus [Caesar, whose family was believed to be able to track their ancestry through the demigod Aeneas, son of Venus) was lost in Bithynia.” 

While rising politically, rumors circulated that Caesar adopted his nephew, Octavian (later known as Augustus) as his heir due to a sexual relationship the two shared. Once again, these could have just been rumors to slander Caesar and destroy his reputation, but the sheer quantity of them in different forms combined with the socially accepted default of bisexuality in ancient Rome lead to the understanding that Julius Caesar had both male and female partners throughout his life. This, combined with the fact that several of these stories come not from political rivals but from those who supported Caesar himself, adds to the validity of these in ways that describe his actions in neutral or positive lights.

Sources:

~Don Ciaran ua Meic Thire (he/him) 

June 1- We’re Still Here

Happy Pride, East Kingdom!

Two years ago, a team of a dozen SCAdians came together and shared their research as a way to commemorate queer people throughout history. The original “We’ve Always Been Here” project published a new post every day in the month of June, covering figures from across different time periods and cultures, making a clear and unambiguous statement that LGTBQ+ people have existed throughout human history.

To celebrate Pride month, and in honor of all the people in the queer community past and present, we’re back this year with a new series of posts from queer history every day this month. Contributors will be sharing information about people from the queer community from a wide range of times, places, and circumstances, reminding us every day that queer people were very much a part of the period we re-create in these current Middle Ages. Their lives and stories are part of our history, they deserve to be remembered, and that is exactly what we will be doing in this space for the rest of the month. We hope you join us in this journey.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)
Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences for Education

We’ve Always Been Here: Queer History through the Ages

June 30- A Word about Erasure

We have arrived at the end of the month, and over the course of the past 30 days we have been introduced to stories about a wide range of queer people from history. Some were closeted, others were not; some were names that would be familiar to many SCAdians, while others were probably new to many readers. We have covered poets and prostitutes and persecutions and all points in between, but before we sign off on this Pride Project, there is one more topic that I would like to address: erasure.

Erasure is the removal of queer people from various historical records, or downplaying queer people’s significance in history. This also connects to the false idea that heterosexuality Is the “norm,” a standard by which human existence should be measured. If persecution was a common theme in many of the posts this month, erasure is a more insidious way of denying queer existence through history. It happens in many ways, including straightwashing, which is when queer relationships are recast as heterosexual ones in a written or pictorial record. This happened with retellings of the life of Alexander the Great. Despite being a historic figure known to have lovers of multiple genders, some versions replace his male lover Bagoas with a female version instead, swapping his gender both in the text and the painted miniature accompanying it.

That is just one of many examples of queer erasure from the period we recreate. There are likely countless others we may never know about because their names and stories have not survived into the 21st century the way that Alexander the Great’s have. In the SCA, where we strive to recreate the Middle Ages “as they should have been,” whether you are a member of the queer community or an ally, I would suggest that it is our responsibility to keep the names of these people alive. Share their stories, remind the naysayers that queer history is, in fact, a part of our period, and make sure we do not stand by and allow queer erasure to continue into these Current Middle Ages.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne, OP (she/her)
Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences for Education

June 29- Usuegi Kenshin

Usuegi Kenshin was a famous Sengoku period daimyo in 16th century Japan. Known as “The Dragon of Echigo” for prowess on the battlefield, Kenshin was also a respected politician and skilled administrator who worked to improve the lives of the people in the province. Today, Kenshin’s name is also tied to the “Female Uesugi Kenshin” theory (上杉謙信女性説), proposed in 1968 by historical novelist Tomeo Yagiri, which claims that Kenshin was secretly a woman. Yagiri bases his theory on two primary points: the uncertainty surrounding their cause of death and the feminine depiction and references to Kenshin’s life.

On the 9th of March, 1578, Kenshin collapsed suddenly and fell into a coma, dying a few days later. The cause of death was believed to be a cerebral hemorrhage, as the fall and subsequent coma would suggest.1 However, a letter reporting Kenshin’s death claims that what caused him to fall in the first place was “mushike” (虫気), a broad term for intense abdominal pain of various causes.2 In Toudaiki (当代記) or “Current History”, a collection of diary-style historical records believed to have been compiled by fellow daimyo Matsudaira Tadaaki (松平忠明) around 50 years after Kenshin’s death, the cause of death is instead recorded as “oomushi” (大虫) or “big bug”.3 Yagiri explains that “oomushi” was a feminine term for red miso and was sometimes used among women to allude to menstruation or other uterine bleeding. Because Kenshin was also reported to suffer from recurring abdominal pain during battle, Yagiri theorizes that complications related to menstruation, such as uterine cancer, might be the true cause of death, or at least a contributing factor to his sudden collapse.4

Depictions and references to Kenshin also tend to indicate a female person is being portrayed or discussed. For example, Yagiri cites a song circulating among the people that refers to Kenshin as “a peerless power that even a man can’t reach” (男もおよばぬ大力無双), suggesting that the specific wording calls his gender into question.5 However, the specific wording also carries a Buddhist connotation in line with the prevailing belief among Kenshin’s followers that he was an avatar of the Buddhist god of war, Bishamonten.6 Yagiri also cites a report that he claims to have personally found in a monastery in Toledo from a “Gonzales of Spain” to King Philip II that references an aunt of Kenshin’s nephew. As Kenshin was his sister’s only sibling and did not have a wife, Yagiri suggests this must have been a reference to Kenshin, and that the Spanish saw Kenshin as a woman. However, Yagiri does not provide a name for this monastery, and the report has not been verified by anyone else.7 There is no proof of Kenshin having a wife, concubine, biological children, or any relations at all, only tales. Kenshin was also the only man allowed to interact with the emperor’s harem unsupervised. Though this is commonly attributed to Kenshin’s Buddhist vow of celibacy, Yagiri believes it to be further evidence in support of his theory.8

Despite a general lack of academic support for Yagiri’s theory, the mystery surrounding many aspects of Uesugi Kenshin’s life and the frequent depiction of a female Kenshin in popular culture continue to inspire debate among fans of the period, and rumors abound about the whereabouts of the body (some theorists claim that it was moved to prevent a closer examination which might reveal Kenshin’s gender.) For further reading on the more speculative aspects of the Female Uesugi Kenshin Theory, forum threads and blog posts abound in both English and Japanese. Were Kenshin alive today, we might consider them to be genderfluid or transgender, or we may have discovered that they were intersex, but in the 16th century, for a relatively high-ranking noble, such terminology was not an option.

Sources:

1. Sakae Ono, Yonezawa-Han (Tōkyō: Gendai Shokan, 2006), p. 62.

2. Itō Jun and Masahiko Naishi, Kantō Sengokushi to Otate No Ran: Uesugi Kagetora Haiboku No Rekishiteki Imi Towa (Tōkyō: Yōsensha, 2011), pp. 163-165.

3. Tsuneo Nanba, “Toudaiki,” Shiseki Zassan, vol. 2 (Tōkyō: Kokusho Kankōkai, 1911), pp. 1-215, https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1912983/7?itemId=info%3Andljp%2Fpid%2F1912983&contentNo=7&__lang=en.

4. Tomeo Yagiri, Uesugi Kenshin Wa Onna Datta (Tōkyō: Sakuhinsha, 2002).

5. Tomeo Yagiri, Warera Nihon genjūmin (Tōkyō: Shinjinbutsuōraisha, 1970).

6. Ōta Gyūichi, Elisonas J S A., and Jeroen Pieter Lamers, in The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (Leiden: Brill, 2011), p. XV.

7. Tomeo Yagiri, Intoku No Nipponshi (Tōkyō: Nippon sheru shuppan, 1982).

8. Uesugi Kenshin No shōgai, 6. Shin Jinbutsu Ōraisha, 1988. https://books.google.com/books?id=PZcyAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%E5%A4%A7%E8%99%AB.

~Lord Jaspar van Doorne (he/him)

June 28- The Cut Sleeve

Emperor Ai of Han was an emperor of the fabled Chinese Han dynasty for six years. In those six years, Emperor Ai was viewed as intelligent, capable, and articulate. He was also viewed as corrupt and tyrannical due to the heavy influence from his grandmother. However, Ai was also known to be quite the romantic according to traditional historians.

Circa 4 BCE, Ai began to favor a minor official, Dong Xian. Historians believe that, even though both men were married, they had a homosexual relationship. Indeed, Ai came from a long line of emperors, all of whom were married, with male companions listed in their official histories. Dong and his wife moved into the palace and Dong’s sister may have become an imperial consort. Further favor was shown in that Dong’s father was made an acting marquess. Emperor Ai also ordered that a residence as lavish as an imperial palace be built for Dong. Dong, himself, was noted for his relative simplicity contrasted with the highly ornamented court and was given progressively higher and higher posts as part of the relationship. Eventually, Dong became the supreme commander of the armed forces.

There is a short story that also demonstrated Ai’s love for Dong by Pu Songling called Huang Jiulang, which when translated into English is “Cut Sleeve.” The story alludes to Emperor Ai’s romantic relationship with Dong Xian where, after a night of drinking they fall asleep next to each other. When the emperor is awakened to attend to Court business, he cuts off his sleeve which is trapped underneath a sleeping Dong so not to awaken him. In doing so, Ai demonstrated quite a romantic gesture since the Emperor’s clothing was very expensive to create.

Unfortunately for the two lovers, their relationship was short lived. A short three years after the beginning of their relationship Ai died due to an illness. On his deathbed, he ordered that the throne be passed on to Dong (which was completely ignored by imperial counselors). Upon Ai’s death, Dong Xian and his wife committed suicide. Emperor Ai’s abuse of power, first influenced by his grandmother and then by his love for Dong, caused the people and the officials to yearn for the return of the Wang Clan. All that remains of Ai and Dong’s tale is the lasting imagery of seeing your love fast asleep and, as to not disturb them, a single sleeve remaining acting as a pillow, though the single cut sleeve lives on in Asian street fashion among queer youth as a subtle way to express their sexuality.

Sources:

~kasumi no tanaka, OP (she/her) & Viscountess Sefa Hrafnsdóttir, OP (she/her)

June 26- Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

Nanshoku (男色) meaning “male colors” was used to describe male homosexual interactions in the pre-modern eras of Japan. One of the more prevalent places Nanshoku occurred was in Buddhist monasteries. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate formerly named Haruō, was sent to a Buddhist monastery prior to being named shōgun at the age of ten. Once he reached adulthood, he quickly became a powerful shōgun and was greeted by many emperors and kings of other nations. He was also entitled to all forms of entertainment which is how he met Zeami Motokiyo, his “Beloved Retainer.”

Zeami Motokiyo was raised in a Noh theater ensemble started by his father. Zeami was found to be a skilled actor and as the popularity of Noh and his father’s ensemble grew, Zeami was invited to perform in front of the shogun Yoshimitsu. Impressed by his skill, Yoshimitsu and Zeami began to have a love affair with him and became his beloved retainer. Through the shōgun’s patronage and love, Zeami acquired an education in literature and philosophy which gave him the tools and knowledge to go on to write between 30 to 50 Noh plays. Zeami being an educated actor was something not known at the time due to an actor’s designation as a member of the lower class, which also led to some controversy in the imperial court.

Alas, all was not always well between Zeami and Yoshimitsu. Zeami spent a lot of time trying to surpass a rival actor favored by the shōgun named Inuo. Once Yoshimitsu passed away at 49 in 1408. Zeami found it hard to gain favor with the new Ashikaga shōgun Yoshimochi. He was exiled to Sado Island in 1434 but was eventually pardoned and returned to the mainland to eventually pass away in 1443.

Yoshimitsu and Zeami’s relationship was one of many Nanshoku relationships in the pre-Meiji era Japan and helped sculpt and solidify nanshoku relationships in the future which lead to the writing of the Saiseki (Silkworm hatchling), a guidebook written in a Buddhist temple in 1657 which was a guide for proper behavior in nanshoku relationships. 

By the late Tokugawa era and leading into the Meiji era, western culture seeped into Japan and so did the scorn and condemnation of homosexual relationships. Though homosexuality was only officially criminalized for 8 years in Japan (from 1872-1880), same-sex couples are still not afforded the same rights and protections that those in heterosexual relationships enjoy in modern-day Japan.

Sources:

  • Furukawa, Makoto. The Changing Nature of Sexuality: The Three Codes Framing Homosexuality in Modern Japan. pp. 99, 100, 108, 112.
  • Childs, Margaret. (1980). “Chigo Monogatari: Love Stories or Buddhist Sermons?”. Monumenta Nipponica. Sophia University. 35: 127–51.
  • Stavros, Matthew, and Norika Kurioka. (2015). “Imperial Progress to the Muromachi Palace, 1381: A Study and Annotated Translation of Sakayuku Hana”. Japan Review 28: 3–46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43684115
  • Crompton, Louis. (2003). Homosexuality and Civilization. Harvard University Press. p. 424.

~Lord Albrecht Anker (he/him)

June 24- Aelia Eudocia

Aelia Eudocia (nee Athenais) was the wife of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II and the daughter of Athenian sophist Leontius. She received the best classical education available and was an accomplished poet at a young age. She impressed the young Theodosius’s sister Pulcheria so much with her erudition that Pulcheria convinced her brother to marry this daughter of a minor family from a city that had seen better days. They were married in 421 CE in Constantinople.

Eudocia bore two daughters to Theodosius. The elder daughter Licinia Eudoxia would marry Valentinian III in 437, which secured an alliance between the eastern and western empires. The following spring, Eudocia went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, without her husband, which has fueled much speculation about this trip and about her eventual exile from Constantinople. She funded public works along her journey through Antioch and Jerusalem proper. She traveled often in the company of Melania the Younger, a Christian ascetic who would later become venerated as a saint.

Upon her return to Constantinople, Eudocia found herself estranged from Theodosius and his inner circle. The court eunuch Chrysaphius was not fond of the empress, whose reputation he ruined by persuading Theodosius that she had an affair with Paulinus of Nola, master of offices (the equivalent of a Chief of Staff) and political rival of Chrysaphius. It should be noted, however, that Theodosius did not send his wife away in disgrace. She retained the title Augusta until her death and kept an imperial retinue, at least in the early years of her exile. She returned to Jerusalem, where she continued to contribute to the civic, social, and cultural scene there.

Christianity was gaining ground in the Eastern Empire around this time. Much of Eudocia’s poetry appears in the dedication of public works such as the baths of Hammat Gader. She was skilled in the art of the cento, a common practice of the literate classes of taking lines and allusions from classical Greek works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey and using those to write distinct and separate works to be read and recited at gatherings. She used this technique to paraphrase the Bible, taking a Hellenic poetic tradition to spread a growing religion.

Her poetry deserves mention here because her works contain the bending of social roles for some of her characters, among these Biblical ones. For example, in the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Eudocia reworks Jesus’ reference to the gift of God from an allusion about living water into an allusion about nuptial gifts and a dowry. The characters become a spiritual bridal party, and Eudocia reverses and bends their gender identities. When the woman initiates gift-giving through the promise of civic generosity, food, drink, and gifts, she is being a good host. When she continues to bless the “man” who would lead Jesus into marriage and weigh him down with a dowry, this situates Jesus as a bride in search of a groom. The depiction of Jesus as a maternal woman is a theological explanation about Jesus’ own complex identities, including God, human being, and Sophia, a feminine personification. By describing Jesus as a guest laden with wedding gifts, Eudocia conflates Christian imagery of the Savior of the world with the classical Greek trope of a god disguised as a human being who is hosted by unwitting people.

Another of Eudocia’s works is a poetic reworking of a Christian prose narrative titled The Martyrdom of Cyprian, the story of a fictional Christian bishop and martyr. A central character in this story is a woman named Justina. Justina converts to Christianity in this poem, but during the narrative, she fights off the unwanted advances of one Aglaidas. She throws Aglaidas to the ground, scratches his cheeks, pulls out his hair and beard, and tears his clothes. She disfigures him and strips him of his clothing, a scene where a potential rape victim gives her assailant a taste of his own medicine. She also engages in battles with demons before becoming a deaconess in Antioch’s community. She eventually settles into a more traditional role, the superintendence and teaching of a community of early nuns, but her stint as a heroine of exceptional strength given to her through prayers and devotions must have given some young female readers moments of fierce satisfaction.

Source:

  • Sowers, Brian P. In Her Own Words: The Life and Poetry of Aelia Eudocia. Harvard University Press, 2020.

~ M. Ana de Guzman, OL

June 22- Khnumhotep & Niankhkhnum

Recorded as the first same-sex couple in the 5th dynasty of Egypt (approximately 2400 BC), the relationship between Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum has been debated since the uncovering of their shared tomb in 1964. While homosexuality as we know it is a rather modern concept, queer relationships are a part of our global history. Sexuality as a “dominant characterizing force” was not a defining trait in the ancient world. Preferences were acknowledged something akin to tastes in food and did not often serve as a basis for inequality or discrimination. For example, a rather ‘persistent rumor’ among scholars of Nubia states that of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, aka the Kushite Empire around 744 BC to 656 BC, there were “entirely homosexual groups of men living in the kingdom of Kush.”

Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum embracing at false doors in their tomb

According to the surrounding hieroglyphs in their tomb, Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum shared the title of Overseer of the Manicurists in the Palace of the sixth pharaoh, King Nyuserre Ini. The two were depicted in intimate poses typically reserved for married couples such as standing or sitting together, holding hands, standing nose-to-nose, or embracing.

Archaeologists initially suggested that the two were ‘close friends’ to explain their ‘exaggerated affection’ (that they were twins was a later theory.) However, a banquet scene within their tomb showed space behind Niankhkhnum for his wife, eldest son, and his wife (with them being removed after being placed there) with Khnumhotep depicted on the other side with no space for family. He is, however, shown holding a lotus which, in the era of the Old Kingdom, was customarily saved for women. While there isn’t enough information or evidence to confirm whether Khnumhotep identified with womanhood himself, the fact that he’d solely taken the physical position of ‘wife’ when depicted alongside Niankhkhnum despite his own wife being present (albeit smaller and also smelling a lotus) is evidence that should be taken into consideration.

Although the label in which to place upon their relationship is still hotly debated, what archeologists cannot deny is the intimacy and closeness Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep had in life; so much so that their families respected their wishes to have them buried together with their epigraph reading ‘Joined in life and joined in death’.

Sources:

~Lady Sága Björnsdóttir (she/they)

June 21- Katherina Hetzeldorfer

When surveying lists of people tried and punished for homosexual activities in late medieval and early modern history, the collection leans very heavily toward men. There are several possibilities for this, including the fact that men’s lives, in general, were better recorded at this point in time; in particular, men were more likely to appear in court documents, a robust source of material about homosexual persecution.

Enter Katerina Hetzeldorfer, who is believed to be the first woman to be executed for homosexual activities.

Hetzeldorfer hailed from Nuremberg, Germany, but moved to Speyer in 1475, where she dressed in public as a man and lived with a woman who is variably referred to as either her sister or her wife. She was arrested and brought to trial, which is where things really get interesting. According to court testimony, Hetzeldorfer solicited sex from women, offering them what would be considered significant sums of money for their attentions; the lovers in question are recorded by the court scribe to praise the manly virility of the defendant and swearing that they believed Hetzeldorfer to be a man (Puff 45.) Court documents also accused Hetzeldorfer of “deflowering” her live-in lover and go so far as to include details about the construction of her dildo: “She made an instrument with a red piece of leather, at the front filled with cotton, and a wooden stick stuck into it, and made a hole through the wooden stick, put a string through, and tied it round” (Crawford 162). Hetzeldorfer was ultimately found guilty and drowned in the river Rhine in 1477.

But what was she found guilty of, exactly? As fascinating as the very specific testimony about Hetzeldorfer’s prowess as a lover and preferred sex toy is to read, an additional piece of intrigue here is the fact that no crime was specifically named. Given the extreme level of detail of the trial proceedings, a lack of something as seemingly straightforward as what she was charged with should be a significant oversight. In reality, this was not uncommon in Germany in the 15th century. There was growing concern in Speyer about cross-dressing during this period, where “the magistrate prohibited women from wearing men’s clothes, and later, men from wearing women’s clothes” (Puff 50) so Hetzeldorfer may have found herself a victim of this crime, though execution would be beyond the normal punishment for such an infraction. One theory presented by Puff is that the law lacked specific verbiage for lesbian sexual activities and would be simply considered “heresy.” If that theory holds, there are likely other women recorded as heretics who might today be more appropriately identified as queer.

Sources:

  • Crawford, Katherine. European Sexualities, 1400-1800. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
  • “Katherina Hetzeldorfer.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherina_Hetzeldorfer
  • Puff, Helmut. “Female Sodomy: The Trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer (1477).” Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, vol. 30, no. 1, 2000, pp. 41-61.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne, OP (she/her)

June 20- Walter Hungerford

We have all heard about King Henry VIII and how poorly he treated his wives.  However, it was not only his wives that he treated poorly. Indeed, King Henry VIII was one of the first to bring sexual activities condemned by religion into secular criminal law by passing the Buggery Act of 1533. Aside from assisting the process of the dissolution of the monasteries and the seizing of their land and property to benefit the crown, the act, formally titled “An Acte for the punysshement of the vice of Buggerie,” made certain homosexual activities punishable by death in England.

Sir Walter Hungerford (1503–1540) was the first person to be executed under this act. Even though Sir Walter had been married three times and fathered children, he was not known for his kindness towards his third wife and accusations of homosexual activity were alleged.  Arrested in 1540, Sir Walter was accused of being “Replete with innumerable, detestable and abominable vices and wretchedness of living… and hath accustomably exercised, frequented, and used the abominable and detestable vice and sin of buggery with William Master, Thomas Smith and other of his servants.”

Due to his relationship with Thomas Cromwell and quick rise in favor, as well as his not-so-subtle support of the Pilgrimage of Grace revolt, it is more probable that treason is what cost him his head. Be that as it may, Sir Walter was the ONLY person executed under this act in the Tudor period. The act was repealed by Queen Mary (shocking!) after her father’s death but reinstituted by her sister, Queen Elizabeth, upon her succession. It has been suggested that this charge was tacked on to the others to humiliate him and add more weight to the case against him. 

It wasn’t until July 27, 1967, when England passed the Sexual Offenses Act, that private homosexual acts between two men, both over the age of 21, were finally decriminalized. This was the start of a revolution for sexual freedoms that has lasted over 50 years in England, though the fight for equality there and in other areas of the Commonwealth remains ongoing.

Sources:

~Viscountess Sefa Hrafnsdóttir, OP (she/her)

June 18- The Hijras

In Sanskrit, the word trityaprikruti identifies the genders of Hindu people. By today’s definition, we would consider these three distinct genders: male, female, and a gender-neutral group called the Hijras. The Hijras have been considered blessed, recognized as a third gender, and worked as eunuchs, proof of non-binary gender existence throughout India’s long history.

One of the first literary references to the Hijras was in the Ramayana, a 2000-year-old epic poem by Valmiki. The poem tells the story of Lord Rama, a Hindu god-king, being exiled to the forest with his people. He tells all the women and men to leave, but a group is remained, since they were neither men nor women. These people, the Hijras, he tells to wait in the forest for his return. They remained in the woods for 14 years for Lord Rama’s to reappear. For their patience, the Hijras become his Blessed.

Throughout the history of Hinduism, the Hijras brought blessing to birth rituals and weddings. During the time of the Mughal Empire, the Hijras were also the eunuch guards of the Emperor’s Harem. 

Today, the Hijras are considered transgender or intersex people. They can be found begging on the street near train stations or providing sex work; “they sashay through crowded intersections knocking on car windows with the edge of a coin and offering blessings. They dance at temples. They crash fancy weddings and birth ceremonies, singing bawdy songs and leaving with fistfuls of rupees. Many Indians believe hijras have the power to bless or curse, and hijras trade off this uneasy ambivalence” (Gettleman).

In the past, traditional Hindu culture allowed hijras to live in Indian society with a “certain degree of respect.” The British colonization of India during the 19th century altered their already tenuous position, as the Victorian’s particularly limited viewpoint did not permit for such nuances of sex and gender, with the British criminalizing “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” and according to Gettleman, this was the beginning “of a mainstream discomfort in India with homosexuality, transgender people and hijras.”    

Sources:

~kasumi no tanaka, OP (she/her)

June 17- Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer is regarded as an archetype of Renaissance artists in Northern Europe. He was a writer, a theoretician, and an engraver, but was most famously known as a painter and woodworker. Born in 1471 in Nuremberg as one of eighteen children 9though only 3 survived to adulthood), he spent years honing his skills traveling to and from Venice. During one such trip in 1494, a marriage was arranged for him, by his parents, to Agnes Frey. Though they remained married for the rest of his life, they never had children. According to letters sent between Dürer and his friends, his relationship with Agnes was one based on financial gain. In one letter between Willibald Pirckheimer to Johan Tscherte, Pirckheimer states that he blames Frey for Dürer’s death after “she drove him to work hard day and night solely in order to earn money that he would leave to her when he died because she wanted to ruin everything…”

Dürer’s artistic break came in 1496 when he was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise. After said commission, he was brought on to paint the palace chapel in Wittenburg. Though his portraits and paintings were gaining popularity, his wood carvings were the main source of his rising fame. One of his first published works was a depiction of the Biblical book of Revelations, in a piece titled “Apocalypse with Pictures” in which Dürer created a series of fifteen relief style wood engravings.

It is often said that Dürer was bisexual, evidenced by the homoerotic visuals and the “theme of Homosexual behavior” that are quite prevalent in his works. After his wood carving art gained popularity, he began to branch from the religious works and stylings of Venice to develop his own style, richly influenced by Roman sacred stories and other artists such as Mantega, Leonardo, and Geovani Bellini. Two such works that give weight to the belief of his same-sex attractions are Dürer’s wood carvings depicting Hercules and Orpheus, two characters who are often interpreted to have homosexual tendencies in their mythos stories, particularly Orpheus, whose carving depicts a banner stating “Orpheus, The First Sodomite.” As his art progressed, his lovers began to appear as figures in his works, The Bath House depicts his attraction to his lovers, as it shows four men and two musicians naked in a bath house in Nuremberg. The men are Stephen Paumgarther, Lucas Paumgarther, Willibald Pirckheimer, and Dürer himself. In the work, the phallic fountain covers the genitals of Dürer’s character while he looks at his lovers. The men make another appearance in the Paumgartner altarpiece.

In Dürer’s letters to Pirckheimer, the men allude to homosexual activity on the part of the other. It is theorized that Pirckheimer was Dürer’s most intimate lover, heavily reinforced given that in one portrait of Pirckheimer, written on the page in Greek is a phrase that roughly translates to “with a cock in his asshole.” However, though the homosexual visuals in his work are prominent, in his letters it is clear that Dürer was interested in both sexes. Pirckheimer wrote that “whores and pious women” alike were asking about the whereabouts of Dürer while he was in Venice in 1506.

Dürer dedicated his life to developing the understanding of art. In 1504, he stated the idea that artistic value was detached from manual skill. He published two books in his lifetime and one after his death; in total, there are over 1,300 works in Dürer’s collection. Dürer’s work shows us his muses and that even if you aren’t openly out in the community, you can still show them off to the world (and also that arranged marriages aren’t for everyone.)

Sources:

~Bak Nabiya

June 16- Ergi

When people use the word ‘Viking,’ especially outside of the SCA, they probably picture a large person with matted hair, tattoos, muscles enlarged from battle, something most people would consider to be the epitome of masculinity, right? Now, what if I told you this picture in your head is only a half truth? What if someone told you that queer Vikings (even Gods!) existed?

From all the stories we have heard and research many of us have done, we know that the Viking world was massive and wide-ranging. Across a few hundred years and spanning people in Scandinavia (modern day Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) as well as the migration to Iceland, the north of England, Ireland, Normandy, the Volga River, and plenty other places, it is unlikely for a culture that far-reaching to have existed without queer people.

The Viking world had a word in Old Norse that makes it very easy to look for queerness: ergi. This word’s meaning is still debated but seems to have the overarching meaning of “doing gender wrong,” while some more specific meanings include “unmanliness” and “female lust.” Amy Jefford Franks translates ergi to be “queer” because that ultimately seems to be the meaning. A few documented examples of queer Vikings in the historical record may help to explore the range of this word.

First, Odin himself, the god of war, poetry, and death, is referenced as ergi a number of times in Norse mythology. In the story Lokasenna (The Flyting of Loki) in the Poetic Edda, Aegir was hosting a feast for the gods. Offended that he wasn’t invited, Loki storms in and starts insulting the gods one by one. At one point, Loki turns to Odin and says:

“And you practiced magic,
In Samsey,
And you struck on a drum like a sorceress;
In a wizard’s form you travelled over mankind,
And I thought that was ergi [queer] in nature.”

Additionally, in the poem The Lay of Hárbarðr, also from the Poetic Edda, Odin is disguised as a ferryman called Hárbarðr and is refusing to help Thor cross the river. Eventually, Thor shouts “Hárbarðr you queer” as an insult. This seems to be in reference to Odin earlier bragging about practicing a specific form of magic known in Old Norse as seiðr. By practicing magic, Odin is portraying himself as a woman as it was only women that could practice this form of magic. 

Modern understandings of queerness also helps us to explore how identities could have looked in the past. Indeed, queer people have always existed. However, the way that queerness looked is not fixed. One example to look at is burial Bj. 518. This burial was found in the Viking Age site of Birka, on the island of Björkö in Sweden. When first excavated, the burial site was immediately presumed to be that of a male warrior. They had been sent to Valhalla with a complete set of weapons, two horses, and a full set of gaming pieces. In 2017, it was found that the person was actually female. The researchers who made this discovery announced that therefore this was the first confirmed high-ranking Viking warrior woman. There were no items in this burial site to suggest that this individual took on a feminine role (like other gravesites with beads, drop spindles, or other feminine associated items). Instead, it may be that by becoming a warrior, they also became a man, and were understood to be a man by their community. It is possible that this individual is what we would understand now to be a transgender man.  

The Viking world was vast. The way that queerness shows up again and again mythological and physical worlds, it is easy to see how the queer community has always been here.

Sources:

~Viscountess Sefa Hrafnsdóttir, OP (she/her)

June 15- Persecution as Proof

At the halfway point of this Pride month project, we have already seen stories of the queer experience spanning the globe across over 2,000 years of history. Given that, it can be truly frustrating that there are people in the 21st century who aim to paint queerness as something new or modern. Sometimes people try to argue that the increased number of individuals publicly acknowledging their queer identity is a result of whatever perceived societal ill is in their crosshairs, blaming everything from shows like Queer Eye on television to mothers not staying at home with their children to instances of child abuse (a myth debunked by the Southern Poverty Law Center.) In reality, modern science has supported the idea that a person’s sexual orientation is not a choice influenced by what you watch on TV, but rather a combination of biological and environmental factors.

In period, however, a time before queer visibility on television, latchkey kids, or a complete understanding of genetics, we have plenty of evidence that queer people existed in large enough numbers to draw the attention of lawmakers both temporal and ecclesiastical, inspiring them to create gruesome punishments to discourage and punish queer behavior. Flogging, exile, mutilation, burning, being buried alive: these are just some of the techniques used to punish queer people in the Middle Ages. The list of every document or office prescribing punishment for queer behavior would be a textbook unto itself, but a brief collection of some of them include:

For anyone attempting to deny the existence of queer people in the Middle Ages, one must ask the question: if queer people weren’t there, why would they need so many laws to punish their existence?

Before we get too comfortable about the century we’re living in, it might be good to remember that homosexuality was still classified as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association until 1973 (and by the World Health Organization until 1981.) The American Bar Association only supported decriminalization of consensual adult homosexual acts in 1974. Perhaps no one is suggesting legislation promoting castration for having consensual sex with your partners in the United States in 2022, but there are still almost 70 countries in the world where it is illegal to be gay.

We will continue highlighting queer figures for the rest of Pride, sharing figures both celebratory and tragic, but at the halfway point, we hope it is already abundantly clear: queer is period.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne, OP (she/her)

June 13- Rumi

Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose love for another man inspired some of the world’s best poetry and led to the creation of a new sect of Islamic Sufism, the Mevlevi Order, better known as the Whirling Dervishes. With sensuous beauty and magnificent spiritual insight, Rumi writes about the sacred presence in the ordinary, everyday experiences of life. He once wrote, “love is the bridge between you and everything,” which illustrates why his poetry has been admired around the world for centuries and how he continues to be one of the most popular poets in America. One of his oft-quoted poems begins:

“If anyone asks you
how the perfect satisfaction,
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.”

Given this, it is no prejudication that the homoeroticism of Rumi is hidden in plain sight. It is well known that his poems were inspired by his love for another man, but the queer implications are scarcely discussed. There is no proof that Rumi and his beloved Shams of Tabriz had a sexual relationship, but the intensity of their same-sex love is undeniable.

Rumi’s life changed when he met a man called Shams. Rumi’s father died when Rumi was young, and he inherited a position as teacher at a madrassa (Islamic school). He continued studying Islamic law, eventually issuing his own fatwas (legal opinions) and gained favor and notoriety by giving sermons at local mosques. Rumi also practiced the basics of Sufi mysticism in a community of dervishes, despite this behavior and belief system being generally looked down upon by other sects of Islam. Then Shams of Tabriz arrived. It is said that Shams had traveled throughout the Middle East asking Allah to help him find a friend who could “endure” his companionship. A voice in a vision sent him to the place where Rumi lived (Cherry, 2022). The initial spark of their connection inspired Rumi to take Shams into his home, and the two become inseparable. Many theories surround Shams’ eventual disappearance from Rumi’s life. Popular theory suggests Rumi’s youngest son, who had a special closeness to Shams’ wife Kimia, committed an honor killing on Shams for causing her death. Other tales claim Rumi’s disciples murdered Shams out of jealousy. Or perhaps, in true Sufi fashion, Shams left Rumi, in the dead of night, and became the wanderer he always was. Regardless of the reason for the absence, after Rumi waited for 40 days with no news of Shams, he donned a black robe from then on and proclaimed Shams dead (Shiva, 2018).

Undoubtedly, Rumi developed an intense relationship Shams, but knowing to what extent that relationship reached is a challenge to ascertain. What is indisputable is that Shams embodied Rumi’s idea of the ‘Perfect Human being’ in the tradition of Ibn Arabi. The love expressed for Shams is love for all that a human could be (Mir, 2020). Furthermore, what has been documented is that Rumi couldn’t bear the painful separation from his Sheik and poured his emotions through poetry, writing tens of thousands of verses. It is estimated that Rumi wrote over 3,000 poems for Shams, expressing his love and devotion for his guide who he referred to as the bird and the sun who showed him the right path (Pareek, 2017). And while contemporary terms of gay, homosexual, and queer cannot cleanly be imposed upon writing and figures from centuries ago, it also cannot be doubted that Rumi and Shams had a some type of intense affair. Rumi and Shams were inseparable, both emotionally and physically. They spent months together, lost in a kind of ecstatic mystical communion known as “sobhet”, conversing and gazing at each other until a deeper conversation occurred without words (Cherry, 2022). Rumi danced, mourned, and wrote poems until the pressure forged a new consciousness, uttering, “the wound is the place where the Light enters you”. In the end, his soul fused with his beloved. They became One: Rumi, Shams, and God, blended together in ecstasy. Or in Rumi’s words:

There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives,
the touch of Spirit on the body.

Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.

And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild Darling!

At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face into mine.
Breathe into me.

Close the language-door,
and open the love-window.

The moon won’t use the door,
only the window.

Sources:

~Lady Aisha bint Allan (she/they)

June 12- Māhū

Polynesian culture, more specifically Hawaiian culture, is rich in oral tradition, expressed through stories (Moʻolelo), songs (Mele), or dance (Hula). Many people may not realize that some of the most revered and respected practitioners of all of these are Māhū, meaning “in the Middle” in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian culture, or the third gender. They were looked to for their insight, wisdom, and knowledge. 

According to present-day māhū kumu (teacher) hula Kaua’i Iki, “Māhū were particularly respected as teachers, usually of hula dance and chant. In pre-contact times māhū performed the roles of goddesses in hula dances that took place in temples that were off-limits to women. Māhū were also valued as the keepers of cultural traditions, such as the passing down of genealogies. Traditionally parents would ask māhū to name their children.”

One of the earliest and most well-known Mo’oelo is the “He moolelo kekahi no ka pohaku kahuna Kapaemahu” (The story of the Kapaemahu priest stones). It is said before the time of the great chief Kakuhihewa of Oʻahu four soothsayers or wizards came from the land of Moaulanuiakea (Tahiti). They were named Kapaemahu, who was the leader, Kinohi, Kahaloa and Kapuni. They traveled around the island of O’ahu, were described as unsexed by nature, and their habits coincided with their feminine appearance although manly in stature and bearing courteous ways, kindly manners, and “low, soft speech.” They were Māhū – a Polynesian term for third gender individuals who are neither male nor female but a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit.

They eventually settled in Waikiki, specifically Ulukou on O’ahu. There they performed with their skill in the science of healing. They affected many cures by the “laying on of hands,” and became famous across the island. When it was time for the Māhū to leave the island, those who witnessed or were actually cured by them decided to erect a monument to the great teachers and healers. From the hills of Kaimuki three miles away, four boulders were brought to Waikiki. Two were placed in the ocean where the Māhū bathed and two were in the ground close to their dwelling.

It is then said that the Kapaemahu began a series of ceremonies and chants to embed the healers’ powers within the stones, burying idols indicating the dual male and female spirit of the healers under each one. The legend also states that “sacrifice was offered of a lovely, virtuous chiefess,” and that the “incantations, prayers and fasting lasted one full moon.” Once their spiritual powers had been transferred to the stones, the four Māhū vanished and were never seen again.

Over many centuries the stones stayed and were eventually removed, moved, and buried under a bowling alley. It wasn’t until intervention by kanaka (indigenous Hawaiians) and the government got the stones were restored and enhanced in security and viewing in 1997. They stand today in Waikiki not far from the Statues of Duke Kahanamoku and King David Kalākaua. The Mahu were and now are accepted in Hawai‘i as it was throughout Polynesia, defined in part by what it was not: a demographic, a race, an excluded minority, contrary to what Christian missionaries spent decades claiming. Polynesian and Hawaiian cultures accepted and even held sacred the third gendered, the Māhū.

If you would like to see a wonderful animation of the story of Kapaemahu, follow this link to a short video from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/video/kapaemahu-lylrwy/

Sources:

  • Kaua’i Iki, quoted by Andrew Matzner in “’Transgender, queens, mahu, whatever’: An Oral History from Hawai’i.” Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context, Issue 6, August 2001.
  • “Ka Buke Almanaka a Thrum.” Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 1907, Jan 4, p. 1.
  • “The Wizard Stones of Ka-Pae-Mahu.” 2001. More Hawaiian Folk Tales: A Collection of Native Legends and Traditions. University Press of the Pacific.
  • Dvorak, Greg, Delihna Ehmes, Evile Feleti, Tēvita ʻŌ. Kaʻili, Teresia Teaiwa, and James Perez Viernes. 2018. “Gender in the Pacific.” Teaching Oceania Series, edited by Monica C. LaBriola. Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaii–Manoa.
  • “Wizard Stones’ Blessed.” Honolulu Advertiser, 1997, Mar. 4, p. 1.
  • Pagliaro, Emily. 1997. Nā Pōhaku Ola Kapaemāhū a Kapuni Restoration. Fields Masonry, Hawaii, Queen Emma Foundation Historic Preservation Division, Honolulu, Hawai’i.

~Lord Albrecht Anker (he/him)

June 11- Agnolo Bronzino

Sometimes, a poem about cheese may not actually be talking about cheese.

Such is the double entendre of the worlds walked by Agnolo di Cosimo, famously known as Agnolo Bronzino (1503 – 1572), the Italian painter lauded for his paintings and drawings that swept the courts of Duke Cosimo de Medici and Duchess Eleonora di Toledo in 16th Century Italy.

Portrait of Andrea Doria as Neptune by Agnolo Bronzino

Bronzino’s connections to his peers and loved ones were complex and nuanced. He painted men who were known to have patron and romantic connections, such as Luca Martini and Piero da Vinci. Bronzino was also known to participate in burlesque poetry inside and outside Academy circles, a genre of writing full of double meanings and codes meant for those who knew the “true” and often risqué meanings of the prose. Bronzino’s own poems “Il Raviggiuolo” and “Della Cipolla del Bronzino, Pittore” would make the most indecorous person you know blush and laugh at the same time.

While Bronzino’s lifestyle as a painter and hobby-poet could brand him as “Queer” in the 21st Century, the comings and goings of Bronzino were largely left unsaid outside of letters and mentions of his “relations” to others, due to the attitudes of male friendship and sexuality of the period. As mentioned by Lisa Kaborycha’s lecture “Among Rare Men: Bronzino and Homoerotic Culture at the Medici Court,” sodomy laws, shifting demographics, and the pressing authoritative application of Duke Cosimo’s hand for decades affected the lives of artists and “Queers” such as Bronzino. The levels of discretion he partook during his life leaves us a blurry and unpolished picture of Bronzino’s identity, much like the scratched fresco left behind by his student.

For Pride month we celebrate not just the brusque and the camp in our lives, but the ability to live the best we can in the time that we are given; for while Dukes may come and go, and laws may pass and repeal, art is persistent and everlasting.

Source:

~Cateline Straquhin, Armiger (she/they)

June 10- Jeanne d’Arc

Born around 1412, Jeanne d’Arc (translated in English to Joan of Arc) was the daughter of a tenant farmer from the village of Domrémy, in northeastern France. A peasant girl, Joan of Arc could neither read nor write, but firmly believed that God had chosen her to lead France to victory in its long-running war with England. Despite a lack of military training, Joan convinced the embattled crown prince Charles of Valois to allow her to lead a French army to the besieged city of Orléans, achieving a momentous victory over the English and the Burgundians. After seeing King Charles VII crowned, Joan was captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces, tried for witchcraft and heresy, and burned at the stake in 1431, at the age of 19. The Burgundians referred to her as hommasse, a slur meaning “manwoman,” or masculine woman (Feinberg, 1996). By the time she was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1920, the “Maid of Orléans” had long been considered one of history’s greatest saints, and an enduring symbol of French unity and nationalism.

While Joan’s prowess in battle and Godly devotion cannot be ignored, what is often overlooked is Joan of Arc was a cross-dressing teenage warrior who led her army to victory when she was just 17. In May of 1428, Joan had made her way to the stronghold of Charles followers in Vaucouleurs. Despite initially being rejected by the local magistrate, Robert de Baudricourt, she persisted, and attracted a small band of followers who believed her claims to be the virgin of prophecy destined to save France. When Baudricort relented, Joan cropped her hair and dressed in men’s clothes to make the journey across enemy territory to the site of the crown prince’s palace (History.com, 2022). Queer writers tend to downplay Joan’s Christian faith, while the Church covers up the importance of her cross-dressing. According to the historical records and writing of the time, one can assume that Joan believed strongly in God AND in cross-dressing. She insisted that God wanted her to wear men’s clothes, making her what today can be called “queer,” “lesbian” or “transgender” (Cherry, 2022). Though it’s hard to apply these contemporary categories to people who lived centuries before those terms existed, both the lesbian and trans communities claim Joan as one of their own.

Nobody knows for sure whether Joan of Arc was sexually attracted to women or had lesbian encounters, but her abstinence from sex with men is well documented. Her physical virginity was confirmed by official examinations at least twice during her lifetime. Joan herself liked to be called La Pucelle, French for “the Maid,” a nickname that emphasized her virginity (Cherry, 2022). Witnesses at her trial testified that Joan was chaste rather than sexually active. Contemporary feminists believe that when the term “virgin” was used, it didn’t mean sexless, but rather belonging to no man. There are many “virgin saints” who refused heterosexual marriage and joined convents to have their primary relationships with women. These figures are often revered as role models for lesbians and queer persons of faith.

One of the first modern writers to raise issues of gender identity and sexuality was early 20th century novelist Vita Sackville-West. In Saint Joan of Arc, published in 1936, she suggests that Joan of Arc may have been a lesbian due to sharing a bed with women (Sackville-West, 1936). Warner also argues that in pre-industrial Europe, a link existed between cross-dressing and priestly functions, hence justifying the historical interpretation of her as both a witch and a saint (Sackville-West, 1936). Warner further argues for Joan as not occupying either a male or female gender: “Through her [cross-dressing], she abrogated the destiny of womankind. She could thereby transcend her sex… At the same time, by never pretending to be other than a woman and a maid, she was usurping a man’s function but shaking off the trammels of his sex altogether to occupy a different, third order, neither male nor female” (Sackville-West, 1936). Warner categorizes Joan as an androgyne. Even though she knew her defiance meant she was considered damned, Joan’s testimony in her own defense revealed how deeply her cross-dressing was rooted in her identity. ‘”For nothing in the world,” she declared, “will I swear not to arm myself and put on a man’s dress”’ (Feinberg, 1996). Regardless of modern queer terminology labeling Joan of Arc as lesbian, transgender, nonbinary or androgynous, what is irreputable the strength and symbolism that she continues to be for modern day Queers. In the contemporary, Joan is recognized as a kindred spirit and role model in her stubborn defiance of gender rules.

Sources:


~Lady Aisha bint Allan (she/they)

June 9- Eleanor Rykener

In 1995 an article was published in GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies introducing to the historical record a newly discovered document that summarized the court testimony of Eleanor, a sex worker who was arrested in December of 1394, along with the man who had propositioned her. While both individuals gave testimony, Eleanor’s was longer and much more detailed, as she discussed her history in some depth, relating examples of her work as a prostitute, an embroiderer, and a tapster/barmaid, along with references to some of her other more personal sexual encounters.

While testimony from a sex worker would be interesting enough in a historical record otherwise filled with the stories of the social elite, what makes this document particularly important is the fact that Eleanor, also known during her life by the name John Rykner, was biologically male and dressed in women’s clothing at the time of her arrest.

The historians who wrote about her testimony over 25 years ago referred to Eleanor as a “transvestite prostitute,” used he/him pronouns, and focused their attention on this case as an example of male-to-male sexual relations, largely discussing it in the context of English laws related to sodomy. However, scholars working in the present day are more likely to argue for and support Eleanor’s identity as a transgender woman. While it is true that Eleanor’s fact-based account of her life does not include explicit comments about her personal feelings regarding her gender or sexual identity, there are several factors of her life and public presentation that align with our modern understanding of this identity.

During her court testimony, she asked to be called by the name of Eleanor, showing a strong preference for a female form of address. PhD candidate Kadin Henningsen asserts that “by making this statement [Eleanor] strategically…inscribes herself into the historical record as a woman.” Henningsen also argues that modern history should identify Eleanor as a transgender woman “because she lived and worked for periods of her life as a woman, and [because] other people in her social milieu accepted her as such.” During her testimony, Eleanor described residing with other women whom she noted taught her to dress, act, and have sex as a woman. By working as an embroiderer, Eleonore was engaged in a job that was predominantly seen as women’s work, and during this period in English history, women were as equally likely as men to work as tapsters serving alcohol in taverns. Finally, prostitution at this point in medieval society was almost exclusively associated with the female gender; there are no other court cases during this time where a man was accused or convicted of prostitution. Henningsen lays out this evidence and argues that, while we cannot assume “a ‘historical equivalency’ between trans women today and trans women in the past,” Eleanor, through her choice of a name, dress, and employment used “common understandings of femininity and womanhood of the period to mark herself as a woman.”

Sources:

  • Kadin Henningsen, “Calling [herself] Eleanor”: Gender Labor and Becoming a Woman in the Rykner Case,” Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality, 55(1), 2019, https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/mff/vol55/iss1/9/
  • Samantha Charland, “Gender Fluidity in Medieval London: Considering the Transvestite Prostitute Eleanor John as Lesbian- Like Woman,” In Imagining the Self, Constructing the Past (edited by Sulivan and Pages), 44-52. Google Books.
  • Ruth Karras, Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others (second edition), Routledge, 2012
  • “John/Eleanor Rykener,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John/Eleanor_Rykener

Note: It is also important to note that Eleanor may have been a bisexual or lesbian transgender woman. While she was paid to have sex with men, Eleanor noted in her court testimony that she also had sex with women at various times in her life but did not receive money in those instances. This may indicate that she had a preference for sexual encounters with women.

~Mistress Elysabeth Underhill (she/her)

June 8- Nzinga Mbande 

Born in 1583 in present-day Angola, Nzinga Mbande was the Ngola (which translates to ‘ruler’) of Ndongo (1624-1663) and Matamba (1631-1663) until her death on December 17, 1663, at the age of eighty-one.

Legend says that her birth was a difficult one, as her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. Considering that those who survived ‘unusual births’ in the royal family were believed to have spiritual gifts or become a powerful person later in life, it is not surprising that she was her father’s favorite child and received extensive military training to fight alongside him in battle. Nzinga displayed an aptitude for warfare and preferred the traditional weapon of Ndongan warriors: the battle axe.

Queen Nzinga – The fearsome warrior – African Lisbon Tour

The interest in Nzinga as a queer person in history should also be extended to pre-colonial Ngola. Gender roles outside of Western standards (and even then) were and continue to be different. Historical reports from regions all over Africa show that gender does not coincide with biological sex.

As the throne of Ngola could only be held by men, Nzinga chose to dress in traditional kingly attire and was then regarded as a man which led to the need of a harem of wives to produce heirs (as kings were wont to do.) Olfert Dapper, a Dutch geographer, wrote in his 1668 account of Nzinga’s court, “(She) also maintains fifty to sixty concubines, whom she dresses like women, even though they are young men… Even though they know it, she dresses these fifty to sixty strong and beautiful young men in female garment, according to her habit, and dresses herself as a man. She calls these men women and herself a man…”

Ngola Nzinga is still regarded as a hero of Angola for pushing back against Portuguese slavers and colonial rule, and is an example of pre-colonial, African gender fluidity.

Sources:

~Lady Sága Björnsdóttir (she/they)

June 7- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1648-1695) was a Mexican writer, philosopher, composer, and poet. Her mental prowess and contributions to the Spanish Golden Age earned her the names “The Tenth Muse” and “The Phoenix of America.” Modern scholars have called her work proto-feminist, acknowledging her as a contributor to the Querelles des Femmes, an early feminist debate on the nature of women and campaign for social change. Sor Juana’s writings tackle the concepts of gender, education rights, women’s religious authority, and colonialism. Her work Respuesta a Sor Filotea is credited as the first feminist publication of the New World. 

In her early years, Sor Juana had an avid love of learning. Although formal education was forbidden to girls, she taught herself to read and write Latin by the age of 3. By the age of 13 she was composing poetry, some of which was written in the Aztec language Nahuatl; she also had a solid mastery of Greek logic. When she was 16, she asked her mother if she could cut her hair and disguise herself as a boy in order to further her formal education and attend university. When this plan failed, she became a lady-in-waiting to the colonial viceroy’s court. It was here that she was taken under the wing of Vicereine Donna Eleonora del Carretto. Impressed with her intelligence, the viceroy invited numerous theologians, philosophers, jurists, and poets to meet with young Sor Juana to engage in academic discourse. Through these interviews, her word fame spread, and she received a number of marriage proposals, which she declined.

In 1667, she entered into monastic life and became a nun, giving her the freedom to continue her studies. During this time, she began writing poetry and prose on the topics of love, feminism, and religion. She amassed the largest library in the New World and turned her nun’s quarters into a salon where she was frequently visited by the intellectual elite. She lived in the convent the rest of her life, writing and teaching young girls music and drama. Her writings and critiques of misogyny gained the increasing ire of the of Bishop of Puebla, and in 1694 she was forced to sell her 4,000-volume library as well as musical and scientific instruments. Rather than be censured, Sor Juana dedicated the remainder of her life to charity work with the poor and died in 1695 after caring for her fellow sisters that were ill with the plague. 

Despite being a nun, Sor Juana’s love poems expressed desire for women. She wrote passionately about love and sensuality. The first published collection of her poetry was published by Vicereine Marie Luisa Manrique de Lara y Gonzaga. There is speculation that the two had a romantic relationship, given their extremely close friendship, the woman’s name in the poetry, and that the Vicereine is the one who had possession of these love poems and ultimately had them published. Regardless of the extent of their actual relationship, the beauty and ferocity with which she writes makes her desires very clear, as seen in the poem below: 

 “Don’t Go, My Darling. I Don’t Want This to End Yet” (translated by Manrique and Joan Larkin):

Don’t go, my darling. I don’t want this to end yet.
This sweet fiction is all I have. Hold me so I’ll die happy, thankful for your lies.
My breasts answer yours magnet to magnet. Why make love to me, then leave? Why mock me?
Don’t brag about your conquest— I’m not your trophy.
Go ahead: reject these arms that wrapped you in sumptuous silk.
Try to escape my arms, my breasts— I’ll keep you prisoner in my poem.

Another beautiful example is entitled “My Lady” and can be found here: My Lady

Sources: 

~Rani Indrakshi (she/her)

June 6- The Bhagavad Gita: Krishna & Arjuna

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata, dated approximately to 2nd century BCE. Considered to be one of the holy scriptures for Hinduism, the Gita documents the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna before the epic battle of Kurukshetra. The climax of the piece comes from the setting; Krishna and Arjuna are literally between the two armies as they talk, both sides waiting for Arjuna to blow his horn, which will start the battle. In the Gita, Krishna is the eighth human avatar of the god Vishnu, who only sends down an avatar when the world requires immediate divine intervention to ensure that good triumphs over evil. In this instance, Krishna teaches the great warrior Arjuna how to know what to do when faced with conflicting duties. Arjuna’s social obligation is to fight all injustices. Given this, one can argue that depriving queer people of the rights enjoyed by non-queer people is an injustice that ought to be opposed by anyone who aspires to follow in Arjuna’s footsteps. We can learn much about progressive spirituality through ascertaining the proper application of the Gita’s timeless teachings to contemporary life.

According to the Gita, every human is supposed to achieve four goals to have a complete life. They are Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Dharma does not have an exact translation in English, but its closest translation is probably that of duty. These duties differ based on a person’s status and are supposed to be followed religiously. Artha roughly translates to making wealth. This does not inherently mean material wealth but rather creating value or increasing the value of something that you have been given. Kama means enjoyment or pleasure, including physical intimacy. Most important to note is that there is never a limitation of gender provided in the scripture when discussing Kama. Even enjoying the benefits of your wealth comes under kama. Moksha means liberation from the cycle of life and death. Even though this is somewhat a rare occurrence, this is the ultimate goal to have.

While the specific issue of gay marriage and queerness never explicitly comes up in the Gita, a careful study of the text can reveal implicit principles that support an inclusive, spiritually oriented society. In the text, Krishna points out that any sexuality should not be against religious principles: “I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna]” (BG 7.11). Throughout their conversation, Krishna encourages Arjuna to act according to his nature, both spiritually and materially. Since the Gita’s teachings are universal, the same must apply for any eternal spiritual being who identifies as being gay, trans, etc., in this or any other lifetime, due to contact with the three qualities of material nature.

The Gita also tells us that the four social orders of human society are “divided according to the qualities one acquires and the actions one performs. You should know that, although I am the creator of this system, I have no position within it, for I am eternally transcendental to such qualities and actions” (BG 4.13). Everyone’s primary need is the opportunity for spiritual advancement. To focus on spiritual advancement, we need to first obtain peace within. According to renowned Yogi Hari-kirtana das, prior to that, it is reasonable that some of our material needs must be met, including basic human rights such as the right to self-determination in balance with reasonable social obligations, the right to share our lives and love those we choose to share it with, access to education that matches our potential and medical care that matches our needs, and equal opportunities to work in accordance with our natural talents (Hari-kirtana das, 2022). He goes on to say that “If the institutions of a society systematically deny any of these basic human rights to people based on race, gender, nationality, or any other temporary material designation then it fails to live up to the Bhagavad-Gita’s standard for a society that protects and supports the progressive spiritual progress of all of its citizens” (Hari-kirtana das, 2022).

The primary message of the Gita is found in the universality of its conclusion, specifically, that all relative dharmas are inferior to the one ultimate dharma, which is a complete and fearless surrender, motivated by nothing other than love. Perfectly put, “… a truly spiritual society functions like a house in which the whole world can live” (Hari-kirtana das, 2022). The Bhagavad-Gita promotes a message of transcendental inclusivity in pursuit of the spiritualization of human society.

Sources:

~Lady Aisha bint Allan (she/they)

June 5- Maddalena Campiglia

Maddalena Campiglia was a poet from the Veneto region of northern Italy. Born in 1553 to a “non-traditional” couple (her parents were both noble widowers living together out of wedlock,) Campiglia married before she reached the age of 25, at which point she would have found herself the recipient of a significant fortune from the dowry set aside for her had she not been forced into matrimony. The marriage was a “matrimonio bianco,” (translated literally, a “white marriage,” one that is not consummated and does not produce children) and functionally ended in 1580 when she returned to the home of her parents.

This is the point at which Campiglia turned her attention to writing, producing religious reflections, fables, and poetry. She wrote extensively on the theme of virginity, which she described as the “sole feminine possession which allowed her an escape of the canonical roles of wife, widow, and nun” (Aldrich & Wotherspoon). She is also credited with writing Flori, favola boscareccia, one of the earliest known female-authored pastoral plays in print (a distinction shared with Isabella Andreini’s Mirtilla, both published in 1588.) Flori tells the story of a nymph of the same name who is mourning her dead lover, another female nymph. While it is unknown if the play was ever produced for an audience, an appendix included in some of the printed editions makes note of the “unease felt by a few readers regarding its portrayal of female-female desire” (Maury Robin, Larsen & Levin.)

Campiglia’s most overt statement about her affection for women comes in the form of her poem Calisa: Egloga, written on the occasion of the marriage of Isabella Pallavincini Lupi’s son. Isabella could well be considered Campiglia’s muse, with the poet having written several sonnets praising her physical and spiritual beauty, one forming an acrostic of Isabella’s name. The Egloga provides a passionate defense of lesbian love, with the nymph Flori appearing again, this time in love with another nymph, Calisa, clearly identifiable as a stand-in for Isabella. The poetry includes the line “Donna amando pur Donna essendo,” or in English, “loving a woman while being a woman.”   

Campiglia died in 1595, and as per the request in her will, was buried alongside Giulia Cisotti, abbess of the convent of Araceli and another woman with whom Campiglia was closely linked.

Sources:

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne, OP (she/her)

June 4- King Hyegong

King Hyegong was the last king of the Royal Middle Family of Silla. He was born in 758 and took the throne at the ripe age of eight years old. Between both his age and lack of experience, his mother, the Empress Dowager Manwol, acted as his regent. Tragedy sadly struck and he was assassinated in 780, at just twenty-two years old. Depending on the source, the reasons for his assassination vary; political turmoil raised by the Empress was one potential reason the young king was assassinated. According to the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, “King Hyegong ascended the throne at a young age, and when he grew up, he was immersed in music and women, and there was not moderation in playing.”

Historical record points to much of King Hyegong’s behavior being categorized as effeminate. He’s often described in the Samguk Yusa, a companion history to the Samguk Sagi, as, “…a man by appearance but a woman by nature…”and according to Dongsa Gangmok, a Korean history book written by Ahn Jeong-bok about the Joseon dynasty, Hyegong’s reign is described as, “peculiar, for it was said that the king became a man as a woman, and for the king played with girl’s toys as a child.”

It is theorized that King Hyegong’s preferred gender identity and expression were female. Text within the Samguk Yusa roughly translates to, “The young king was originally destined to be born as a woman, but because he was born as a man, from the day he ascended the throne he always jokes around with women, and likes to kick silk bags.” Despite all existing historical text currently gendering King Hyegong as “he/him” or referring to him simply by name, there exists within the research community much speculation about his sexuality and gender identity. Despite this, it is widely agreed upon that were he alive today he would be at home within the Queer Community, and we can let the historians continue their debate over titles and semantics.

If you would like to learn more about King Heygong, or about this period in time, I recommend reading the Samguk Sagi or the Samguk Yusa (as translated by Lee Byung-do).

Sources:

~Bak Nabiya

June 3- Abu Nawas

The poet Abu Nuwas (whose full name was al-Hasan ibn Hani’ al-Hakami) was born around 757 CE/140 AH in Persia. He is still today considered one of the greatest poets in the Arabic language. He found patronage in the court of the great caliph Haroun al-Rashid (r. 786-809 CE/170-193 AH). While a large number of his poems survive, only a small fraction have been translated into English.

Abu Nawas drawn by Khalil Gibran

He was well-known as a libertine, writing many verses in praise of wine and drunkenness. His poems also celebrate the beauty of both men and women, as well as his romantic ‘conquests’ of both genders. It was common in Abu Nuwas’ time for wine to be served by good-looking young men or women (or occasionally young women dressed as boys) and there seems to be an implication that such servers would also provide sexual services to their clientele.

It can be difficult to apply modern concepts and categories of identity to historical figures. They often lived in cultures that approached sex and romance in very different ways from our own. In the world of the Abbassid caliphate (and many parts of the Muslim world today), one’s identity as a sexual being was defined less by the gender of one’s partners than by the nature of one’s actions. The act of penetration was seen as inherently masculine, no matter who one’s partner is. I choose to think of Abu Nuwas (in today’s terms) as a sort of male chauvinist pansexual – he didn’t seem to care whether he was fornicating with men or women as long as he was the one doing the penetrating, and this was probably a common attitude in his social circles. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that his erotic poems such as this one resonate for today’s queer community:

“In the Bath-House” (‘prose translation’ by Jaafar Abu Tarab)

And in the hammam, it is revealed to you, the secrets of pants
Come and see clearly – look with two eyes without restraint:
You see an ass outshining a back of the slenderest elegance
They murmur to one another ‘takbir’ and ‘tahlil’
O you beloved hammam, of places delightful
Even when the companions of the towel spoil the pleasure a little.

Sources: 

~Lord Ibrahim al-Rashid (he/him)

June 2- Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. Not only was he the ruler of a kingdom, but he was also a lover of all, quite literally.

Alexander’s sexuality has been a subject of much speculation to modern scholars. However, in the eyes of Roman-era scholars, Alexander the Great “was quite excessively keen on boys.” Indeed, Alexander had a close relationship with his childhood friend Hephaestion (who was also his General and bodyguard). Hephaestion remained by Alexander’s side throughout their youth into their adult lives. Some modern historians believe not only that Alexander’s youthful relationship with Hephaestion was sexual, but that their sexual acts may have continued into adulthood. This belief is based on the fact that, even though Hephaestion was the son of a noble, his position and close proximity to Alexander was out of the norm for Hephaestion’s station.

What we know about Alexander’s sexuality doesn’t end there, though. Alexander the Great, as per his duty, was married three times and produced heirs. His first wife, Roxana, was said to have been an instance of love at first sight (but the union may also have been a bit politically motivated). Political or not, Alexander married Roxana despite opposition from his advisors and generals. Alexander and Roxana did have a son, Alexander IV, though Alexander the Great died before the child was born. Cause of death? A broken heart when Hephaestion died is the romantic point of view. The real cause? Still undetermined, which is the source of some conspiracy theories.

Within today’s LGBTQ+ communities, Alexander the Great is often championed as a hero and an inspirational figure – loudly and unabashedly saying we have always been here.

Sources:

~Viscountess Sefa Hrafnsdóttir, OP (she/her)

June 1- We really have always been here

In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. A riot broke out, with patrons and community members fighting back against the police action. Though there had been raids and riots at queer venues before, Stonewall is considered a watershed moment, sparking increased activism in the quest for LGBTQ+ rights. It also marked a clear shift in the tone of that movement, demanding that queer folk be allowed to live their lives publicly, without shame or fear, but instead with Pride.

That shift was a long time coming, following centuries of persecution and marginalization in many cultures around the world. Whether in the form of laws against homosexual intercourse or codes defining how people of a particular gender were permitted to behave or dress, the fact that such restrictions existed in different times and places should remind us that we have, in fact, always been here.

To celebrate Pride month, and in honor of all the people in the queer community past and present, we will be posting the stories of queer figures from the SCA period and beyond every day this month. Easterners will be sharing their research on people from the queer community from a wide range of times, places, and circumstances, providing us with a daily reminder: They were here, they lived, and they deserve to be remembered.

~Maistresse Mariette de Bretagne (she/her)
Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences for Education
Chief of Staff to Their Majesties Ryouko’jin and Indrakshi

 

 

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑