400s Archives - Q Spirit

Queer saint Matrona / Babylas of Perge founded 5th-century convent of nuns who dressed as men

by Kittredge Cherry | | Nov. 1-15, Saints

Saint Matrona of Perge, who lived as a eunuch named Babylas, founded a convent where nuns dressed as men in 5th-century Constantinople. The feast day of Matrona / Babylas is Nov. 9. Nuns under the leadership of Matrona / Babylas were granted a unique privilege by the...

Euphrosyne / Smaragdus of Alexandria: Queer saint crossed gender divide in 5th-century Egypt

by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints, Sept 15-30

Euphrosyne / Smaragdus (Emerald) of Alexandria is a 5th-century saint who left life as a woman to become a monk in an Egyptian monastery. Raised as the daughter of a wealthy couple, the future saint ran away from home at age 18 to avoid heterosexual marriage....

Augustine of Hippo: Saint who rejected his bisexual past, defended intersex people

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 15-31, Saints

After a sexually active and probably bisexual youth, Augustine of Hippo became an influential early Christian theologian who was sex-negative but argued that God created intersex people. This contradictory queer saint’s feast day is Aug. 28 in western Christianity....

Marinos / Marina the Monk: Transgender parenting role model and patron saint

by Kittredge Cherry | | June 16-30, Saints

Marinos or Marina the Monk has been called a patron saint of transgender parenting or a cross-dressing saint. Assigned female at birth, Marina adopted the name Marinos and entered a monastery as a man in fifth-century Lebanon. Marinos embraced a male identity from...

Saints Basil and Gregory Nazianzus: “Two bodies with a single spirit”

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 1-15, Saints

Influential fourth-century saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzus were so close that Gregory said they were like “two bodies with a single spirit.” Their example of love between men can be an inspiration for LGBTQ people and allies today. The pair is...

Brigid and Darlughdach: Celtic saint loved her female soulmate

by Kittredge Cherry | | Feb 1-15, Saints

Brigid of Kildare and her soulmate Darlughdach were sixth-century Irish nuns who brought art, education and spirituality to early medieval Ireland. They each served as abbess in Kildare with authority over several monasteries. Brigid (c. 451-525) shares her name and...

Apollinaria / Dorotheos: Queer saint crossed gender line to become a monk in 5th-century Egypt

by Kittredge Cherry | | Jan 1-15, Saints

Apollinaria of Egypt or Dorotheos has been called a transgender icon or a cross-dressing saint. Assigned female at birth, Apollinaria adopted the name Dorotheos and entered a monastery as a man in fifth-century Egypt. This saint is honored by churches on Jan. 4-5 and...