In today’s toxic political climate, intersex and non-binary people have been weaponised in a cynical so-called “culture war” over gender. Non-binary is dismissed as a new-fangled concept dreamed up in university ivory towers. But browse through 18th century newspapers and court records, and stories about “hermaphrodites” leap off the pages. Complex sexual identities are as…
For centuries, the inquisition struck terror into the hearts of those deemed to be heretics by the church. Intertwined with charges of heresy and sorcery were often complex issues around sexuality that were reduced in the pre-modern mind to sinfulness and a disordering of divine creation. Pity the nun questioning her own identity or a…
More Roman emperors than you might imagine were LGBT even if sexuality was defined differently two thousand years ago
Muslim LGBT visibility has been increasing in recent years. Groups have been forming around the world to give voice to those within Islam keen to celebrate both the present day reality of their lives but also highlighting a rich history of gay, lesbian, and transgender contributions to art, culture, and politics in the Muslim world….