Much of the world’s LGBTQ+ past has been lost to time as records have been rewritten or misconstrued. The truth, though, is that this past has always existed and proof of it can be found in cultures and histories across the globe. Understanding this history has allowed the LGBTQ+ movement to progress.
According to “The Advocate,” one of the earliest records of romance between men is from ancient Egypt, around 2400 BC. The bodies of Khnumhotep and Kiankhkhnum, two servants to an Egyptian king, were buried together, nose to nose, a posture traditionally reserved for married couples.
Ancient Greece and ancient Rome share a common LGBTQ+ history, as well. In both of these empires, romantic relationships between men were celebrated and often encouraged.
There are records of a Greek army composed solely of gay couples, an elite force called The Sacred Band of Thebes. “World History Encyclopedia” reports that it was believed that these soldiers would fight more aggressively in battle in order to impress their lovers, and they would fiercely avenge the fallen.
Past cultures that embraced relationships between men often didn’t extend the same privilege to women, according to “Out Adventures.” Love between women in ancient Rome was socially seen as perverse and an insult to their male counterparts.
An exception to this was Sappho, a well-known poet from ancient Greece. Her works frequently featured elements of her love and attraction to other women. Her name is also the origin of the word sapphic, an adjective used in the modern LGBTQ+ community for women who love other women.
The “Human Dignity Trust” says from the 14th century until 1962, LGBTQ+ love almost anywhere was a punishable offense. During this period, men and women often had to use clandestine symbols to communicate their interest in the same gender.
For example, women often wore violets, sometimes in their hair or embroidered on handkerchiefs, as a sign of their interest in other women.
The phrase “friend of Dorthy” was frequently used by LGBTQ+ men to identify themselves as a member of the community, according to the “Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.” This is thought to refer to Judy Garland, the actor who played Dorthy in the live-action Wizard of Oz movie, a vocal supporter of gay rights.
Despite the global disdain and frequently criminalized nature of LGBTQ+ relationships at this time, there are many historical figures now believed to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Writers Lord Alfred Douglas and Oscar Wilde had a long relationship that, when discovered, resulted in a two-year arrest for Wilde.
Progress toward acceptance was made in 1962 when gay relationships became legal in select US states for the first time. “Lambda Legal” writes that this kind of love was legalized across the nation in 2003 after the landmark case Lawrence v Texas in the US Supreme Court.
Marriage equality was first achieved in 2008 in California but was later rescinded when the Supreme Court determined marriage as only between a man and a woman, according to the “Human Rights Campaign.” Two court cases in 2013, though, changed this standing and marriage equality was achieved nationally.
Today, LGBTQ+ romance has largely lost its status as taboo. Gay characters are frequently featured in media and fiction, from TV shows to video games to music. There are also many celebrities who are out and open about their place in the LGBTQ+ community, especially in the music and entertainment industries, and a select few in professional sports.
Knowing LGBTQ+ history and learning from queer icons of the past have allowed the modern LGBTQ+ community to obtain the rights and privileges they have today.
