It’s no secret that history is straightwashed, a term used to describe when something queer has been made to appear straight. With this comes the erasure of many historical figure’s sexuality, where history remembers them as straight, and speaks nothing of their queerness. For example, historians and scholars believed that Leonardo Da Vinci and Florence Nightingale were both gay, but you won’t find that in your average history book. This happens in all walks of life, and literature is no exception.
So, let’s look at some of the most famous queer authors throughout history, many of whom had their
queerness erased. We’ll end up with contemporary queer authors, who are paving the way for today’s queer readers to comfortably accept and express their sexuality.
Sappho (630-570BC)
Ancient Greek poet Sappho came from the island of Lesbos (queue the puns). She
is widely considered as one of the greatest poets of her era, known through
antiquity for her beautiful way with words. She produced many recognisable
works such as the Hymn to Aphrodite and A Hymn to Venus. Throughout history
Sappho has been seen as a symbol of love and desire between women, leading
many modern scholars to assert that her poetry undoubtedly portrays her
homoerotic feelings. It is clear from her writing though, that she loved people of all
genders.
Of course, the term and concept of homosexuality didn’t exist in ancient Greece,
and wouldn’t do for a long, long time. To the Greeks, love was love no matter what
the gender. In fact, same-sex attraction was an integral part of social life. It was
deemed simply as a sexual act and was not frowned upon or used to define a type
of person.
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Now let’s fast forward over two thousand years, where heterosexuality is the only
accepted – and legal – sexuality. Although the concept of ‘lesbianism’ was not
common in her time, it is widely accepted that Emily Dickinson was a lesbian. She
authored almost 2000 poems, many of which dealt with death and immortality. A
lot of them also dealt with matters of the heart and were dedicated to her one
true love, her sister-in-law Sue Dickinson (drama!).
When Emily’s poems, along with personal letters, were discovered after her death,
they were edited and published. Many references to Susan were taken out to try
and ensure that Emily’s love of her sister-in-law was not common knowledge. Any
remaining references to love and romance were said to be for male suitors in her
life. Thankfully, original versions of Emily’s writings do exist, and modern scholars
have been able to study them in their original form.
One letter to Sue reads, "I tore open your letter and licked the envelope's seal for
any lingering taste of you.” Are you really telling me they were just friends?
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and novelist. He is often remembered for his novel
The Picture of Dorian Grey, and the drama that surrounded its publication. In the
original version of the novel published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, a
character expresses a romantic attraction to another male character. People
widely deemed the story as immoral and when Wilde later republished the novel
as a book, he was forced to tone down the story’s homoerotic subtext. In 1895,
Wilde was arrested and convicted on charges of sodomy and gross indecency.
During the trial, he made his famous “the love that dare not speak its name”
speech, during which Wilde said [of same-sex love], “it is beautiful, it is fine, it is the
noblest form of affection. There is nothing unnatural about it... The world mocks
at it, and sometimes puts one in the pillory for it.” If you want to read more about queer authors through history, including fantastic writers such as Virginia Wolf, Jaqueline Wilson and Adam Silvera, head over to our February magazine. While you're there, why not take a look at some of our other amazing magazine articles? Click here to read!
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