LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
PAST Out: Were there any queer saints? |
by Liz Highleyman |
St. Sebastian has come to be regarded as a patron saint of gay men. During a time when Christianity was outlawed by the Roman Empire, Sebastianwho was secretly a Christianrose to the ranks of officer in the elite Praetorian Guard, a position that allowed him to give aid and comfort to Christian prisoners. His religion was eventually discovered, and the enraged Emperor Diocletian ordered that he be tied to a tree and shot by archers. Sebastian survived, but the emperor had him beaten to death in about 287. St. Sebastian became a popular subject of Renaissance painters, who typically portrayed him as an androgynous, nearly naked youth pierced by arrows. A cult of St. Sebastian developed among homosexuals beginning in the 19th century, and gay writers and artists have depicted him in their work ever since. Although a 1976 film by Derek Jarman fancifully suggested that Sebastian was Diocletian's spurned lover, there is no evidence that he ever had a homosexual relationship. During the 14th century people prayed to this saint to spare them from the plague, which has given him added relevance in the era of AIDS. Several early saints had devoted same-sex friendships, some of which may have included an erotic element, according to the late gay Catholic historian John Boswell. Among these intimate pairs were Sts. Perpetua (a noblewoman) and Felicity (a slave), two Christian martyrs who embraced and kissed each other as they were thrown to wild animals in the amphitheater at Carthage about 203. Another such couple was Sts. Serge and Bacchus, Roman officers who served under Emperor Maximian in the late 3rd century until they were revealed by jealous rivals to be Christians. Because they refused to sacrifice to Jupiter, the two men were paraded through the streets in women's clothing and imprisoned; Bacchus was then whipped to death and Serge was beheaded. St. Joan of Arc has been adopted as a patron by some lesbians and transgender people. Born in the French village of Domremy in 1412, Joan was a pious child, preferring domestic labor and attending church to dancing and other amusements. At age 13, she began to hear voices telling her that she would lead France in war and help restore the rightful heir to the throne. After convincing the dauphin, Charles VII, and his advisors that she was sincere, Joan led troops to victory in many battles against the English and a rival French faction. She gained the love of the people and the admiration of the soldiers, even as she drove prostitutes from the army camp and insisted that the men attend church. In May 1430, she was left behind when the drawbridge to a besieged town was hastily raised, and she was captured by the enemy. In a politically motivated trial marred by irregularities, bribery, and threats, Joan was condemned to death. Finding no basis for charges of witchcraft and heresy, her accusers eventually convicted her of wearing men's clothing. She wore this attire for the sake of practicality in battle and to protect her modestyso that "the men may not feel carnal desire for me when I live amongst them and that I may guard my virginity by word and deed." At her trial she testified that in prison she kept her pants and tunic "firmly laced and tied" to ward off attempts at rape. But she did not try to pass as a man, always referring to herself as "the Maiden." Joan was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. A quarter-century after her death, the church retroactively declared her innocent of all charges. Joan of Arc was not the only cross-dressing saint. Several other female saints wore men's clothes in an attempt to evade marriage or live religious lives as monks. Legend has it that St. Wilgefortis, the Christian daughter of a pagan Portuguese king, asked God to give her a beard to render her unattractive to her intended husband, so that she could maintain her vow of chastity; her father then had her crucified. Although little is known about the lives of many early saints, modern GLBT Christians continue to admire religious figures whose same-sex relationships or gender-bending behavior place them on the queer spectrum. Liz Highleyman, a freelance writer and editor, can be reached at PastOut@black-rose.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 13, No. 5, May 16, 2003 |