For centuries, scholars have ignored the ancient world’s evidence of queer love, specifically between men. Long before terms like “gay” were coined, same-sex relationships were a part of Greek culture through pederasty (meaning mentor-and-mentee relations) in art, philosophical texts, and myths. Some of these tales of same-sex love in ancient Greek times can still be found; in fact, Seán Hewitt and Luke Edward Hall have published a collection of poetry and short stories of queer love from ancient times, titled 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World. Female same-sex relationships aren’t as well documented; however, the well-known poet Sappho (from whom the word “sapphic” originates) has erupted controversy in this department. Scholars suggest she is the first female poet to write about same-sex attraction between women, while others argue against this theory.
Another tale, Alcibiades the Schoolboy, an Italian story published anonymously in 1652, sparked a conversation in defense of sodomy. The story follows a pederastic relationship, where the older male is modeled by Socrates and desires to consummate with his student. He argues that nature gifted them sexual organs that are meant to be used and explored, compares his suffering and desire to Roman mythology including that of Diana and Endymion, and provides counterarguments about Sodom and Gomorrah. The two characters exchange homoerotic dialogue, and the mentee expresses his desire to be lovers.
As the eighteenth century approached, publishing queer literature became much more dangerous, forcing authors to write coded literature. These homoerotic themes were frequently found in gothic novels, including The Monk (1796) by Matthew Lewis. The story follows a Catholic monk who gives into his lustful urges, ending in consequences. The monk, Ambrosio, faces an intimate relationship with his close friend, Rosario, who confesses to him he is a woman named Matilda, disguised to be close to him. The novel inspired much controversy due to its violence, sexually explicit content, themes of rape and incest, homoerotic undertones, and gender-bending themes.
This continued into the nineteenth century, with texts like Carmilla (1872), Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic novella, published as a cautionary tale where the protagonist, Laura, becomes the prey of Carmilla, a vampire posing as a woman. The two ladies share an intimate attachment that slowly leads to Carmilla biting Laura. Religion is a key theme in the novel, which is appropriate to the Victorian era given the Christian values and societal expectations of that time. Le Fanu depicts lesbian relationships and sexual desires for women as a demonic and unholy experience that leads to danger, though the novella has been reclaimed as a sapphic classic by some readers. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) by Oscar Wilde sparked major controversy, especially during his indecency trials in 1895, where several passages were used against him as evidence to prove him guilty of the crime of sodomy. Though Wilde claimed the same-sex admiration in the novel is simply aestheticism in the way an artist views a muse, the novel’s themes of homoeroticism between the two main characters, Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray, are difficult to argue against. The confessions Basil makes to Dorian place him in a submissive role that contradicts the typical values of Christian masculinity in the eighteenth century.
As time progressed, very little change was made towards helping the queer community. Some authors were still hiding, one being E.M. Forster, who wrote Maurice in 1913-1914, which he did not release due to its homosexual content. The novel was only released after his death in 1971. This story follows a young man who confronts his sexuality after experiencing a forbidden romance with another man at Cambridge University. It provided a queer perspective in the 20th century, and inspired the film adaptation released in 1987. This romantic novel provides a beautiful depiction of same-sex love, and a happy ending which was not common in queer literature.
Stories like these are what inspire change for the queer community and give strength through their representation. Though Carmilla is originally a homophobic novel, many resonate with the romantic intimacy between the two women and have been able to reclaim it, and though Wilde was imprisoned with his passages as part of the evidence in his trials, the novel was still what inspired others to write their own queer stories. And while E.M. Forster was unable to see the success of his novel, we are inspired to do better by him and those that are a part of the queer community. It is fascinating to learn about the novels that came before the rom-coms of today. I hope that this brief history of queer literature has been insightful.
Anasofia Alejandro, Pine Reads Review Writer