During the 19th century European ‘scramble’ for Africa, the Zanzibar archipelago, off the African east coast, was a British Protectorate from 1890 until it became part of Tanzania through it’s union with Tanganyika. In the 16-17th centuries the region had been under Portuguese control, before coming under the influence of Arabic cultures under the SultanContinue reading “Gay African History: Zanzibar”
Category Archives: HerStory-History
Uganda’s Gay Issue
April 26th, 2023: President Museveni of Uganda sends the Anti-Gay Bill back to the Parliament, requesting various amendments: “According to the legislative processes, legislators could pass or reject the President’s proposals. Technicality if President Museveni fails to assent to the Bill on second enactment, it will regardless gain the force of law. In the eventContinue reading “Uganda’s Gay Issue”
Homophobia: History Repeating
In 18th century England a growing “hatred of sodomites, generated by disgust and fear, was justified, even encouraged, as a defence of society, love and of women. This virulent hatred, and the spontaneous acts of violence it inspired, were enough to stop those people who objected, such as philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1738-1832), from making theirContinue reading “Homophobia: History Repeating”
Gay Priests of the Goddess
“Our beautiful lovely sexuality is the gateway to spirit. Under all organised religions of the past, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, there has been a separation of carnality, or shall we say of flesh or earth or sex, and spirituality. As far as I am concerned they are all the same thing, and what we need toContinue reading “Gay Priests of the Goddess”
Harry Hay’s Queer Spiritual Vision
Harry Hay (1912-2002) was founder of the first national organisation campaigning for gay rights in the 1950s, the Mattachine Society, and one of the founding father-mothers of the, now global, tribe of Radical Faeries. His life-long passion to liberate gay people from religious, legal and conformist pressures was motivated, he said, by a “vision I’veContinue reading “Harry Hay’s Queer Spiritual Vision”
Pluto is in Aquarius
Pluto is in Aquarius from March 23, 2023, to June 11, 2023, later from January 20, 2024, until September 1, 2024, again from November 19, 2024, to March 8, 2043, at which point it will weave in and out of Aquarius and Pisces. “Pluto in Aquarius is the beginning of a new era. Just likeContinue reading “Pluto is in Aquarius”
Bloch on Sex and Religion
Ivan Bloch (1872-1922) worked with Magnus Hirschfeld in Germany’s Scientific Humanitarian Committee, the first institution advocating for homosexual and transgender rights. In his book The sexual life of our time : a complete encyclopaedia of the sexual sciences in their relation to modern civilisation, published in 1907 Bloch declared: “Homosexuality – love between man andContinue reading “Bloch on Sex and Religion”
Galli: ‘sacred as they are’
In the 2nd century CE Lucian of Samosata wrote a description of a Goddess temple in Syria and the activities of the sacred, gender-bending priests that worked there. ‘De Dea Syria’ (of the Syrian Goddess) describes the temple as dedicated to Atargatis, a local name for Ishar/Astarte, whom Lucien synchronises with the Greek goddess Hera:Continue reading “Galli: ‘sacred as they are’”
Third Sex in Hinduism
“What does Hinduism teach about homosexuality? Ancient Hindu teachings describe homosexuality as a “third sex” (tritiya-prakriti), an inborn nature combining both male and female properties. Homosexuals and transgenders were recognized for their unique nature and incorporated into Vedic society accordingly. They were not punished or persecuted under ancient Hindu law and elaborate descriptions of homosexualityContinue reading “Third Sex in Hinduism”
Queer History of Africa
the rich queer history of Africa emerges…. “African history is replete with examples of both erotic and nonerotic same-sex relationships. For example, the ancient cave paintings of the San people near Guruve in Zimbabwe depict two men engaged in some form of ritual sex. During precolonial times, the “mudoko dako,” or effeminate males among theContinue reading “Queer History of Africa”
Same Sex Marriage
The Church of England has been divided on the issue of SAME SEX MARRIAGE for a long time, with the issue threatening to split the global Anglican community. This week the Church’s General Synod has voted to allow blessings of same sex relationships but retains its ban on marriage services. There is a glaring, unacknowledgedContinue reading “Same Sex Marriage”
Amma’s Urgent Message
BOTTOMS, JEWELS & TWO SPIRITS
At the third annual intertribal Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference in Winnipeg in 1990 the identity ‘Two-spirit’ became popular as a term chosen to replace the imposed, non-native words ‘berdache’ and ‘gay’, as a way to express the Native/First Nations’ distinct approach to gender identity, sexual identity and and gender-variance. “Two-spirited” or “two-spirit”Continue reading “BOTTOMS, JEWELS & TWO SPIRITS”
The Affectionate Shepherd
English poet Richard Barnfield (1574-1620), a contemporary of William Shakespeare and possibly the ‘rival poet’ Shakespeare referred to in sonnets addressed to a young man. Barnfield wrote such sonnets too and, in 1594, aged 21, published ‘The Affectionate Shepherd’ – telling the story of Daphnis’ love for Ganymede, which sold well but drew censure becauseContinue reading “The Affectionate Shepherd”
William Drummond Mystic Poet
“Whom grace made children, sin hath now made slaves” William Drummond (13 December 1585 – 4 December 1649) was a Scottish poet, son of the first laird of Hawthornden in Midlothian, John Drummond and Susannah Fowler, sister of a poet and courtier to James VI of Scotland (who became James I of England), William Fowler. William Drummond studied lawContinue reading “William Drummond Mystic Poet”
The Anal Chakra
Anal sex became the great taboo, the worst sin, the unmentionable sin in the Western world under the influence of Christianity, but in the more mystical lands of the East, where the spiritual potential of bodily pleasure retained the high, sacred status it had once held in pagan times in the Middle East and Europe,Continue reading “The Anal Chakra”
Gloria Anzaldua: Half and Half
GLORIA ANZALDUA: From Borderlands (1987) Half and Half There was a muchacha who lived near my house, La gente del pueblo talked about her being una de las otras, “of the Others”. They said that for six months she was a woman who had a vagina that bled once a month, and that for theContinue reading “Gloria Anzaldua: Half and Half”
THE GODDESS ENERGY IS TRYING TO SAVE US
MARION WOODMAN (1928-2018), Canadian mythopoetic author, poet, analytical psychologist and women’s movement figure, from her work Conscious Femininity, published 1993: “… the goddess energy is trying to save us. If we go on with our power tactics, we’re going to destroy the earth. That’s why we haven’t got a long time to evolve. We’re eitherContinue reading “THE GODDESS ENERGY IS TRYING TO SAVE US”
A 1906 Book about Gay Sexuality
Edward Westermarck’s 1906 book The Origin and Development of Moral Ideas included a chapter presenting the world with an overview of the occurrence of homosexuality and gender fluidity around the world, showing their frequent association with the spiritual aspects of communal life, and their widespread acceptance in pre-Christian cultures as natural parts of God’s creation.Continue reading “A 1906 Book about Gay Sexuality”
The Third Gender
The division of gender and sexuality into neatly defined and labelled boxes by the new scientific kids on the block, psychology and sociology, from the late 19th century onwards has never sat well with some gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. There have always been queer voices in the west who objected to the limitationsContinue reading “The Third Gender”
Holy Groves and Cruising Grounds
“One of the sacred functions of the tribe of men who love men is that we are Guardians of the Trees. There is something in our nature that is like the nature of the trees themselves, for the pattern of our love creates a ladder of energy, vertical, heaven and earth connecting, just as theContinue reading “Holy Groves and Cruising Grounds”
“The Priests in some Societies, the Pariahs in Others”
The homosexual in America; a subjective approach by Donald Webster Cory (the pen name of Edward Sagarin) published 1957, recorded the development of queer culture during the early to mid twentieth century. To set the scene he offered this historical overview of homosexuality around the world, which shows that some gays in that time ofContinue reading ““The Priests in some Societies, the Pariahs in Others””
Carpenter’s Wisdom: Gays and God
In his 1914 book, INTERMEDIATE TYPES among PRIMITIVE FOLK: A Study in Social Evolution, English gay philosopher-poet EDWARD CARPENTER studied the connection of homosexuality with divination and religion, commenting in that “it certainly is remarkable to find – even from this slight study – how widespread the connection has been among the primitive peoples andContinue reading “Carpenter’s Wisdom: Gays and God”
THE FIRST FRENCH CANNABIS CAFE
When Napoleon Bonaparte’s French troops were occupying Egypt at the end of the 18th century they discovered cannabis, liked it and brought it back to France with them, where it’s use and effects excited both psychiatrists and artists. The war to conquer Algeria from 1830-47 brought more hashish into France. Psychiatrist Jacques-Joseph Moreau studied useContinue reading “THE FIRST FRENCH CANNABIS CAFE”
The Queer Spiritual Inheritance
When I write and speak about the commonalities between the spiritual roles often taken by same-sex loving and gender-fluid people in traditional cultures around the world and also in pre-Christian Europe I tend to feel like I am delivering ‘news’, releasing a perspective little known in the world. However it is no new discovery IContinue reading “The Queer Spiritual Inheritance”
Shokti on Shakti, the Holy Spirit
“The influence of the Holy Spirit, exquisitely called the Comforter, is a matter of actual experience, as solid a reality as that of electro-magnetism” W. C. Brownell, American art and literary critic (1851-1928) “We All Come From the Goddess” Pagan Chant The Divine Feminine – known as shakti – shekinah – holy spirit– is theContinue reading “Shokti on Shakti, the Holy Spirit”
THE TRANS GOD
“…the mother of the gods … commanding him to restrain his infinity, converted him to herself.” Emperor Julian on Attis in the Discourse on the Mother of the Gods C4 The ancient Great ‘Mother of the Gods’, Cybele, was worshipped in Phrygia in the Anatolian region of modern Turkey since way back in pre-history –Continue reading “THE TRANS GOD”
1600 Years of Christian Persecution of Queers
Scotland’s government marked International Women’s Day 2022 by issuing a formal apology to the 2000 women and 500 men who were executed between the 16th and 18th centuries in a mania against witchcraft. “Addressing Scottish lawmakers, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was “injustice on a colossal scale” that was “driven at least in partContinue reading “1600 Years of Christian Persecution of Queers”
When Bacchus Came to Jerusalem
Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) was a Greek king of the Seleucid Empire (Syria), who reigned 175-164 BCE. He captured Jerusalem in 167 BC and desecrated the Temple by offering the sacrifice of a pig on an altar to Zeus (an act known as the Abomination of Desolation). At that time of history there were two factionsContinue reading “When Bacchus Came to Jerusalem”
Carpenter’s Wisdom: Sex
In his 1902 book Love’s Coming of Age, Edward Carpenter described his vision of how a shift in attitudes towards sex, sexuality and love would push forward human evolution. Carpenter described his belief in a letter to Richard Bucke, author of 1905 book Cosmic Consciousness: “…that there is in man a divine consciousness as wellContinue reading “Carpenter’s Wisdom: Sex”
A Gay Bar in 1810
A description of the White Swan in Vere Street, London by Robert Holloway can be found in ‘The Phoenix of Sodom or the Vere Street Coterie’, published 1813, which relates the story of the conviction of James Cook for permitting his pub to become a queer rendezvous, of the Molly House kind documented since theContinue reading “A Gay Bar in 1810”
IT NEVER MEANT ABOMINATION
‘TOEVAH’, the word from the ancient old testament that gets translated as ‘abomination’ and that has been used to condemn (sometimes to death) gay men around the world for centuries, actually refers to the PAGAN PRACTICES of the many tribal peoples that surrounded the Hebrews 3000 years ago. This is explained very clearly on theContinue reading “IT NEVER MEANT ABOMINATION”
Desmond Tutu & Malidoma Some
The world lost two great African men in December, both spiritual leaders but from different traditions – one a Christian, the other an elder teaching traditional African wisdom – and both vocal supporters of LGBTQ people. Homosexual activity remains illegal in more than 30 of Africa’s 54 countries; in a few, it is punishable byContinue reading “Desmond Tutu & Malidoma Some”
Orgy!
“‘The old religion was polytheistic. Its most important deity was a goddess who was worshipped as the great mother. Its second major deity was the horned god, associated with animals and sexuality, including homosexuality. These and other deities were worshipped in the countryside at night with feasting, dancing, animal masquerades, transvestism, sex orgies, and theContinue reading “Orgy!”
Female Mystics of Albion
The British Isles have given birth to female mystical voices for at least 1400 years… here are some i have come to love and respect so far… starting with THREE from the seventh century AD through to Doreen Valiente and Kate Bush in the 20th. Their stories and voices deserve to be heard, their messagesContinue reading “Female Mystics of Albion”
rainbow messenger 