Europe Archives - Page 2 of 4

Maurice and Theofredus: Same-sex paired saints and martyrs of Thebes

by Kittredge Cherry | | Saints, Sept 1-15

Maurice and Theofredus are third-century martyr-saints and soldiers of Thebes with a homosocial bond. They are shown as a same-sex pair in Renaissance art. Maurice’s feast day is Sept. 22 in the Catholic tradition and Dec. 27 in the Orthodox tradition. Theofredus is...

Black Madonna of Czestochowa becomes lesbian defender Erzuli Dantor

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 15-31, Saints

The Black Madonna of Czestochowa, one of the most famous Catholic icons, is the model for a Haitian Vodou goddess who protects lesbians. Traditional images of Erzulie Dantor, the Vodou defender of lesbians, are based on the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, whose feast...

Bernard of Clairvaux and Malachy: Abbot and the archbishop he loved

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 15-31, Saints

Bernard of Clairvaux was a medieval French abbot who wrote homoerotic poetry about Jesus and had a passionate same-sex friendship with Irish archbishop Malachy of Armagh. Bernard is best known for founding 70 monasteries around Europe and for his mystical writings....

Radclyffe Hall: Queer Christian themes mark banned book “Well of Loneliness”

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 1-15, Saints

A queer Christ figure is the main character in the classic lesbian novel, “The Well of Loneliness” by Radclyffe Hall. She was born on Aug. 12, 1880 in Bournemouth, England. The book was banned for obscenity in England in 1928, not just because it portrayed lesbian...

Blessed John of La Verna: Kissed by Jesus

by Kittredge Cherry | | Aug 1-15, Saints

Blessed John of La Verna is a medieval Italian friar known for his visions of kissing and being kissed by Jesus. His feast day is Aug. 9. John also had an intense relationship with fellow friar and poet Jacopone da Todi. Traditional writers have done “gender...

Saint Wilgefortis: Holy bearded woman fascinates for centuries

by Kittredge Cherry | | July 16-31, Saints

Saint Wilgefortis prayed to avoid marriage to a pagan king — and her prayers were answered when she grew a beard! This “virgin martyr” virgin martyr has natural appeal for LGBTQ people. Her feast day is July 20. She was removed from the official Vatican calendar...

Artemisia Gentileschi paints strong Biblical women

by Kittredge Cherry | | Artists, July 1-15, Saints

Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi inspires many with her paintings of strong Biblical women — created despite the discrimination and sexual violence that she faced as a woman in 17th-century Italy. She was born on July 8, 1593. Although Gentileschi was...

Codebreaker Alan Turing honored in queer spiritual art

by Kittredge Cherry | | June 1-15, Saints

Alan Turing is a gay icon, pioneering computer scientist and British codebreaker. He is sometimes called a gay saint because his wartime codebreaking saved millions of lives, and a gay martyr because he was probably driven to suicide by court-ordered “chemical...

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...

Saint Francis rejoiced when all-female Trinity called him “Lady Poverty”

by Kittredge Cherry | | May 15-31, Saints

Francis of Assisi, one of the world’s best loved saints, rejoiced when an all-female Trinity greeted him as “Lady Poverty” in a queer experience that has been buried. The subversive vision has been ignored, sanitized and perhaps suppressed for centuries, even though...