actual modern historians:Ā in this letter, Margaret tells her dearest friend Adela,Ā āmy love, I long to worship at your altar of Venus once more. come to me and rain kisses upon my breasts asĀ you did in Paris last spring.ā
people on the Internet:Ā āFrIeNd???ā ERASURE. STOP TRYING TO HIDE THE GAY.Ā āOH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATESā
aforementioned historians:Ā she. she opens the letter withĀ āMy dearest friend.ā weāre literally quoting here, and we just admitted they had sex
people on the Internet:Ā āJUST GALS BEING PALSā EH? R/SAPPHOANDHERFRIEND?
historians:Ā a truly vast number of us are queer
people on the Internet:Ā LOL FELLAS IS IT GAY TO KISS YOUR BEST LADY FRIENDāS BREASTS??? NOT IN HISTORY!!
Historians: weāre very careful about applying modern labels to ancients who donāt have the same concepts of queerness.
People on the internet: SO GAYS DIDNāT EXIST IN HISTORY HUH?
Historians: no? Weāre saying ancients had different relationships and acceptances for things we now label as queer and itās not right to force modern terms-
People on the internet: WOW, SO GAYS DONāT AND HAVE NEVER EXISTED? IS THAT WHAT YOUāRE SAYING? YOUāRE TRYING TO ERASE GAYS FROM HISTORY.
Historians: ā¦ How are you getting that from what I said?
Historians: This man seems to clearly have taken this other man as a lover, based on his own comments and those of the people around him. And he did not seem to consummate either of his marriages or fathered children, so we feel comfortable saying he was likely a homosexual
Internet: Historians refuse to acknowledge that anyone in history was anything but straight!
Historians: Some people believe this man and woman had a romantic interest in each other based on their letters, but itās important to remember that this kind of language was expected and didnāt necessarily mean they were actually interested in each other.
Internet: All a woman and a man had to do was look at each other and all historians are convinced they were into each other!
Historians: This person had some contemporary sources referring to them as gay, but thatās likely people spreading rumors because we canāt find anything to back it up beyond the word of their political rivals.
Internet: So gay people just never existed??
Historians: Actually we all agree this other person from the same place and time was gay and we talk extensively about it
Internet: That person isnāt famous enough for me to care
