Queer History – Queer Destiny

When we look at the past it is always through a coloured lens.

Historians have always tended to reflect the values of the ruling elite of the time and record history from that viewpoint.

Translators of ancient texts have always hidden things in order to not offend the currently dominating, acceptable morality of the time.

Anthropologists to be judgmental of the people they study and dismissive of their culture in ways that serve the myth put out by the hierarchy they serve.

That’s why the history of the queer peoples of the planet has yet to be properly told. Many versions of queer history are possible, focussing on legal, social, literary aspects, but queer history can not be told fully without understanding the spiritual qualities of gay and lesbian love, of trans and bi-sexuality, nor without understanding that it was the suppression of those qualities by a totalitarian, patriarchal, war-mongering union of religion and government that produced the evils of homophobia still causing so much harm in the world today. The history of queer people and the history of faith on planet Earth are utterly intertwined.

In fact this suppression is not causing harm only to queer people, who in many places have to live in fear, secrecy and with their creative, loving nature seriously suppressed, but to all people, for by enforcing conformity of belief and expression – about how we see the divine, about how and with whom we express love and explore the erotic aspects of life, about how we celebrate and revel in being alive – the dominant forces in the world limit the growth of individuality, self-awareness, creativity and divinity in the world.

Queer people see that it matters not who loves who,

it matters not how an individual wishes to define and explore their gender identity,

it matters not how we dress to self-express,

nor how we choose to experience the sacredness of existence –

nor does it matter if a person wishes to explore substances that alter the way they experience the mysteries of being.

And it harm none, do what thou wilt – the witches creed should be adopted by the global LGBT community.

But these things have seemed to matter the dominant hetero-patriarchal culture for a long time, to the authoritarian system which until recently in the West was still executing or locking up queers – an evil terror of course that still happens in parts of the world.

The military-industrial system still criminalises and attempts to control people’s use of drugs, unlike any other civilisation in the history of the world.

Most of the conflict of the last millennium has had religious belief at its root, and even today not all religious people have found a way to live and let live.

The scientific paradigm and dominant materialist outlook keeps most people’s attention away from the greatest adventure there is to have while alive – the spiritual quest to self-realisation: to reach for higher love, holy light and mystical understanding in these times is still to be a rebel outside the acceptable, majority-led agreed reality.

And yet queers, judged so often for our partying, fashion obsessions, for our love of drugs and sex, are pre-programmed to be part of the urgently needed dimension-busting exploration of consciousness and the ultimate collective species wide shift to a new, compassionate and life-affirming paradigm. Most queers already care, about other people and about the planet and her creatures.. Most of us already consciously or not exist to live and let live, love and be loved, create and enjoy. Though sometimes criticised for shallowness and bitchiness, kindness is the more commonly expressed quality amongst us. Those of us who lived through the AIDS years saw the love of queer people close up. When the governments and churches were ignoring our plight, it was the LGBT community that stood up and took action, caring for the sick, building community and becoming much more politically motivated than previous to the epidemic.

Nobody would have believed in the 1990s that many countries of the world would have legalised same sex marriage within twenty years. This is a sign of the power in our queer hearts and minds. The old stories about us need to go, it is time that the Queers of the world were truly recognised for the good spirit, love, joy, healing, creativity, passion, colour, compassion and intelligence we bring to the human family.

The visible, collective presence of queer people, united in the cause of the human right to love, has already changed the world fundamentally. We are pioneers and freedom fighters. We know that nobody is free until everybody is free. There is much more for us to do.

History is not over yet and ours is still being written.