The Ultimate Brokeback Forum

Poll

What period of gay history would you like to discuss first?

The fifties and sixties - before Stonewall
9 (50%)
Early Gay Liberation 1969 - 1975
2 (11.1%)
Political awakening 1975 - 1981
0 (0%)
The onset of AIDS 1981 - 1996
6 (33.3%)
Post Protease Inhibitors 1996 - Present
1 (5.6%)

Total Members Voted: 14

Voting closed: February 24, 2007, 01:59:08 AM

Author Topic: Gay History -- How We Got Here  (Read 555045 times)

Offline Lyle (Mooska)

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 26615
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2085 on: April 20, 2024, 11:18:35 AM »

The Washington Blade has a nice article about the event:
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/04/18/picket-reenactment-white-house/

Offline fritzkep

  • German Louisiana Virginia Dude
  • Global Moderator
  • Obsessed
  • ******
  • Posts: 170483
  • Wie geht's, y'all?
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2086 on: June 01, 2024, 05:24:47 PM »
An article in today's Washington Post about the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Unlimited access.

https://wapo.st/3wVjL5t

Werd ich zum Augenblicke sagen, "Verweile doch! Du bist so schön..."

Offline gattaca

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 3508
  • How do you hide when you are running from yourself
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2087 on: June 02, 2024, 06:22:15 AM »
^^^ Thanks for posting that link.  Gave me chill bumps.  I knew some of that history but no to the depth the story went.  "Excavation of a mass grave on the battlefield at Chaeronea uncovered the bodies of 254 soldiers believed to be the band’s war dead. Amid the broken bones and fractured skulls, some pairs of skeletons lay linked arm in arm, a tribute to a love that outlasted death."  V.

Offline tfferg

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 17986
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2088 on: June 02, 2024, 05:21:49 PM »
An article in today's Washington Post about the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Unlimited access.

https://wapo.st/3wVjL5t

A very readable history is The Sacred Band by James Romm published by Scribner in New York in 2021.

The mass grave also includes skeletons with their head resting on their lover's shoulder.

Offline CellarDweller115

  • Faithful Friend
  • Administrator
  • Obsessed
  • ******
  • Posts: 325225
  • Official Diner "Recapper"!
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2089 on: June 02, 2024, 07:40:31 PM »
It’s officially Pride Month: Here’s everything you should know about the global LGBTQ celebration

By Brooke Sopelsa and Isabela Espadas Barros Leal - 06/01/24


Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about LGBTQ Pride Month, annual LGBTQ Pride parades and the iconic 1969 Stonewall uprising.

What is LGBTQ Pride Month?
LGBTQ Pride Month is a commemoration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community that is part celebration and part protest. It is often associated with massive parades and parties that honor the community’s joys and accomplishments. But the rallies, marches and political actions can be just as important to draw attention to the issues still facing the community.

How did LGBTQ Pride Month start and why is it in June?
LGBTQ Pride Month traces its roots back to the 1969 Stonewall riots, which started on June 28, 1969. The first Pride marches started the following year, on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the multiday riots, and these one-day celebrations eventually evolved into a full month of LGBTQ pride.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/nbc-out-proud/lgbtq-pride-month-june-history-stonewall-what-know-rcna154940

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 8549
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2090 on: June 04, 2024, 10:28:47 AM »
An article in today's Washington Post about the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Unlimited access.

https://wapo.st/3wVjL5t

The New Yorker also ran an article about this three years ago.

Offline Vic

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2091 on: June 04, 2024, 12:09:16 PM »
Yes, they have a statue outside of Thiva (Thebes). I visited there some years ago, as we were following gay history of Ancient Greece, monuments and digs. (It was a great excuse for a road trip holiday in Greece...)  ;D

The Lion of Chaeronea



Info:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lion-of-chaeronea
https://www.worldhistory.org/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes/
The universe doesn't care. It's up to you.

Offline Vic

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2092 on: June 04, 2024, 12:27:30 PM »
There's also a porn version of those strapping boys, where they... eh... celebrate previous victories.  :o ;D

"Sacred Band of Thebes" with Diego Sans, D.O., William Seed, Ryan Bones, and J.J. Knight.

The universe doesn't care. It's up to you.

Offline gattaca

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 3508
  • How do you hide when you are running from yourself
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2093 on: June 04, 2024, 04:43:17 PM »
^^^ oh my...  :o   8)   why am I not surprised...  ;D   V.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 8549
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2094 on: June 04, 2024, 06:36:25 PM »
^^^ oh my...  :o   8)   why am I not surprised...  ;D   V.

Indeed. ...  ::)

Offline Vic

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2095 on: June 05, 2024, 01:14:54 AM »
Who wouldn't want, or need, to relax after a battle, in the company of some of your closest friends. Polish equipment, get a good back rub, bit of pampering, leisure pursuits...  ;D  :P

But seriously, there is a lot of documentation in the classic literature, and arts, of male-bonded relationships, not only on the battleground, but as tutorship. Pederasty, the patronage of an elder with a younger (teenage) male was well established and sought after by the ruling classes. The relationship was primarily focused on the educational but also often intimate. Homosexuality, as modern Western society defines it, was not an issue.

Unfortunately, because of the Judeo-Christian doctrines, this became taboo (mostly Old Testament), and we have come a long way in regaining rights and normality under the protection of Human Rights.

The premise was that when you fight alongside your lover you will do everything to protect him from harm. As such they were elite and fierce fighters and many tales of their heroism are known.

On our travels through Greece, we visited the National (Archeological) Museum in Athens. The famous pottery is well-known to depict the relationships between men and women, men and men, and women and women, as well as between humans and mythical creatures, like satyrs and nymphs. On our visit some years ago all of this was removed from the display galleries. When I asked one of the curators about it he said that, because of some parents complaining, as the museum was a regular part of school trips, all pottery and other art, depicting nudity or sexual acts was relocated to a closed to the public section for the time being. What a shame.

In the classics, like the Iliad, there are numerous mentions of male bonded relationships; Achilles and Patroclus, Hercules and Ialaus, Agamemnon and Argynnus, etc. While they are usually not mentioned as explicitly sexual in nature, many (modern) historians do use the term 'intimate companion' and 'lover' or leave that option open.



The universe doesn't care. It's up to you.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 8549
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2096 on: June 05, 2024, 12:32:46 PM »
Who wouldn't want, or need, to relax after a battle, in the company of some of your closest friends. Polish equipment, get a good back rub, bit of pampering, leisure pursuits...  ;D  :P

I can think of more than one piece of equipment that could probably stand some polishing. ...  ;D

Quote
In the classics, like the Iliad, there are numerous mentions of male bonded relationships; Achilles and Patroclus, Hercules and Ialaus, Agamemnon and Argynnus, etc. While they are usually not mentioned as explicitly sexual in nature, many (modern) historians do use the term 'intimate companion' and 'lover' or leave that option open.

Let's also not forget Alexander the Great and Hephaestion. I believe they explicitly compared themselves to Achilles and Patroclus.

(It's in fiction, I know, but Mary Renault certainly thought there was a physical aspect to their relationship.)

Offline Vic

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2097 on: June 05, 2024, 02:00:53 PM »
I can think of more than one piece of equipment that could probably stand some polishing. ...  ;D

They certainly do that in the four part series, and then some...  :-X ;D

Quote
Let's also not forget Alexander the Great and Hephaestion. I believe they explicitly compared themselves to Achilles and Patroclus.

(It's in fiction, I know, but Mary Renault certainly thought there was a physical aspect to their relationship.)

Yes, absolutely. I love her books, time to get them out of the storage box and read them again!
Besides 'The Persian Boy' trilogy I've always enjoyed 'The Mask of Apollo' in particular.
« Last Edit: June 05, 2024, 03:10:30 PM by Vic »
The universe doesn't care. It's up to you.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 8549
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2098 on: June 05, 2024, 06:55:07 PM »
Yes, absolutely. I love her books, time to get them out of the storage box and read them again!
Besides 'The Persian Boy' trilogy I've always enjoyed 'The Mask of Apollo' in particular.

Mine are The Last of the Wine and Fire From Heaven.

Offline Vic

  • Obsessed
  • *****
  • Posts: 2403
Re: Gay History -- How We Got Here
« Reply #2099 on: June 07, 2024, 03:08:53 AM »
Mine are The Last of the Wine and Fire From Heaven.

Yes, they're all good. Too bad I don't have them digitally, all my books are in boxes in storage... It would make a nice change of falling asleep with Netflix. Good old real reading!
The universe doesn't care. It's up to you.