1700s Archives - Q Spirit

Publick Universal Friend: Queer preacher reborn in 1776

by Kittredge Cherry | | July 1-15, Saints

A queer American preacher woke from a near-death experience in 1776 with the sense of being neither male nor female. Adopting the name Publick Universal Friend instead of Jemima Wilkinson, this fascinating nonbinary American fought for gender equality and founded an...

Homosexuality of Jesus explored by 18th-century philosopher Jeremy Bentham

by Kittredge Cherry | | June 1-15, Saints

Biblical arguments for LGBTQ rights and a queer Jesus may seem like new ideas, but they were pioneered about 200 years ago by an influential British philosopher — in writings that were never published until the 21st century. Philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748...

Xenia / Andrei of St. Petersburg: Widow adopted husband’s identity and became a queer saint

by Kittredge Cherry | | Feb 1-15, Saints

Xenia of Saint Petersburg is a 18th-century saint who married a soldier and assumed his identity after he died, becoming a “holy fool” who was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. This queer saint’s feast days are Jan. 24 and Feb. 6. Xenia (c. 1719-1730 –...

Blessed Bernardo de Hoyos: Mystical same-sex marriage with Jesus

by Kittredge Cherry | | Nov 16-30, Saints

Blessed Bernardo Francisco de Hoyos y de Seña is an 18th-century Spanish priest who wrote vividly of his mystical gay marriage to Jesus. This queer saint was beatified in 2010 and his feast day is Nov. 29. On Nov. 28, 2020, Q Spirit presented a new,...