Greek god of gayness
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He married two of his sisters, and is said to have only not married his third and last sister due to the fact that she could not marry whatsoever. In Delphi, for instance, one of the main sights in the museum is a beautiful statue of the divine Antinous—the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s Greek lover, who was declared a god after he died. There are about 150 statues and busts of Antinous in the world’s museums, but I think this is the most beautiful one (and he was a good-looking guy!).
The result of their affair was the Minotaur – a half human, half bull creature that the king then imprisoned in the labyrinth beneath the island of Crete itself as a form of punishment to both his wife and the poor hybrid creature itself
#10) Hermaphroditus
In science a Hermaphrodite refers to an animal or plant that possesses both the characteristics of a male and a female within its species, but the name itself doesn’t come from anything scientific.
Remarkably, Dionysus experienced birth twice—transitioning from his mother’s womb to the thigh of his father, Zeus, mid-pregnancy. He was also famously involved in many love affairs, labelled as a womaniser, even transforming into a cuckoo to rape his wife. These myths continue to inspire and empower, reminding us of the beauty and diversity of human connections.
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Greece, The Land Of LGBTQ+ Gods, Heroes, Poets, Philosophers, And More
LGBTQ+ relationships and/or people have been accepted in many cultures through history—different parts of the spectrum in different times and places—but only one culture I know of has considered some LGBTQ+ relationships *better* than heterosexual ones. And that is ancient Greece, where relationships between older and younger men that combined mentoring with romance were widely considered the very best kind of romantic relationship—and the basis for the education of young men in virtue and excellence, particularly (so different from the modern world!) courage in battle.
However, the ancient world, including its narratives of gay Greek gods, presents a significantly different reality than many might expect. In response, Dionysus honored him by transforming him into the first-ever hyacinth flower. The matter is a thing of great debate between historians, but a number of classical authors have agreed that the pair shared a romantic partnership.
In discussions of gay Greek gods and their narratives, it’s interesting to note how these stories have influenced literature and culture throughout history.
In our culture, we have traditionally hidden the LGBTQ+ side of stories. Many people are nervous about Lesbos, because waves of refugees from Syria have arrived there, but that situation is largely under control now (for better or worse). Like Zeus, most of his lovers were female, meaning the one documented homoerotic affair is often disregarded.
However, before their homosexual love story can blossom fully, the goddess Isis intervenes and turns Iphis into a young man, and the marriage continues. The best remaining copy of these statues is in the Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy, but you can see a part of the base of the original statue in the Agora Museum—an amazing survival.
The notion of Achilles and Patroclus as lovers has persisted into contemporary times, though modern adaptations, like the film “Troy,” often omit this aspect, reflecting varying degrees of acknowledgment and representation of their relationship through the ages.
Achilles is said to have mourned Patroclus’ death as though he were mourning the loss of a wife, using language and remaining in a state that mirrored the throes of widowers and widows at the time.
In fact, many societal issues that we have today were not present in old times, especially when it came to gender and gay relationships.
While the wear of time has naturally eroded away most of what was back then, a thousand or even many thousands of years ago, our modern technology and dedicated research has allowed us to form well-educated opinions and theories about what life was like, and what the people who came before us achieved.
Status and sexuality were therefore intertwined, a higher status allowing one to indulge in homoerotic acts, coinciding with the stories of Zeus and Poseidon.
One striking example, which is void of exploitation and power play, is the tragic love story between Achilles and Patroclus. And it is possible that similar relationships between women were viewed positively as well, though there is less evidence for that.
Featured Image Credit: LCS – Cosmorama Panagiotis Iliadis
People (and gods) who had these relationships are everywhere in Greek history and mythology, from Zeus, king of the gods, to Herakles, the greatest hero, to Sappho, the greatest lyric poet, to Sophocles, one of the three great writers of tragedy, to Socrates, the founder of philosophy, and Alexander the Great—possibly the greatest general ever! And these relationships are frequent themes in ancient Greek literature and art.
As a result, there are sites and artworks on LGBTQ+ themes all over Greece. In Athens you can follow the story of Harmodios and Aristogeiton. Forgotten today, they could not have been more famous in antiquity: together they were the Uncle Sam of the Athenian democracy. That is, they were a couple who assassinated the younger brother of a dictator who was ruling Athens in 514 BC, and when the democracy was founded four years later, the Athenians saw them as the founders.
You can find a nice, relaxed, mixed LGBTQ+ crowd at the Rooster café in Athens’ historic Plaka, not far from the Acropolis.
Achilles and Patroclus therefore defy stereotypical ancient Greek labels of dominant and submissive male lovers, going against contemporary societal norms and standing as anomalies in the chronicles of ancient Greek mythology.
As well as the abundance of same sex male relations evident in Greek mythology, there are also Gods who are presented as genderfluid, intersex and/or androgynous.