#lgbbi

[lgbhistory]

Morocco - a hub for homosexuals?

Did you know that the country with strict islamic laws where homosexuality is punished, was once a place where homosexual men from America could take a break from their home country’s oppressive atmosphere.?

For decades Tangier and other Moroccan cities were magnets for gay tourists. It’s because for so many years prior to 1956 Tangier was a territory without an “owner” ,an international zone with no defined laws. It attracted a lot of american toutists who loved to indulge in discreet homosexuals behaviors and smoke local cannabis.

A writer William Burroughs published a book about his experiences in Morocco that was banned in US.

In fact, Tangier has a huge literary legacy and it always attracted mostly male homosexual writers like Jean Genet, Andre Gide, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Gore Vidal and Joe Orton, also Mark Twain and Samuel Pepys ( who were both straight). Another Writer and English aristocrat, David Herbert ,wrote about “queer reputation” of Tangier in his autobiography.

And while it’s shocking how such a religious country with anti-lgbt laws could attract so many homosexuals back in the days, it might have been one of those society’s paradoxes.

You can read more about Tangier’s fascinating gay history here:

A British man has flown home from Morocco after being jailed for "homosexual acts" - there was a time though when Morocco was a haven for ga

[peachwo]

Me and my bff got perverd on so much at the club tonight

[lgbhistory]

Frédéric François Chopin

Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for solo piano.

A child prodigy, he completed his musical education and composed his earlier works in Warsaw before leaving Poland at the age of 20.

He settled in Paris and he didnt give many public performances there, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon. He supported himself by selling his compositions and by giving piano lessons, for which he was in high demand. 

After a failed engagement to Maria Wodzińska, he maintained an often troubled relationship with the French writer Amantine Dupin (known by her pen name, George Sand). In his final years, he was supported financially by his admirer Jane Stirling. For most of his life, Chopin was in poor health. He died in Paris in 1849 at the age of 39.

While many sources deny it, there is no doubt that Chopin was attracted to his own sex. He used to write a lot of letters to his male lovers. These letters contained erotic and passionate messages.

He had feelings for Tytus Woyciechowski, who may have been the love of his life. It is to him that he dedicated his Variations op. 2 and the composition of the Waltz op 70 no. 3. He also was involved with J. Matuszyński, A. Wodziński und J. Fontana. In Paris he lived together with Matuszyński and Fontana for several years.

Because Frédéric Chopin is an idolized national hero in Poland,the current government try hard to prevent any official recognition of Chopin's love for men.

[lgbhistory]

Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum

Were ancient Egyptian royal servants.

They were buried together at Saqqara and are listed as "royal confidants" in their joint tomb.

They are notable for their unusual depiction in Egyptian records, often interpreted as the first recorded same-sex couple in ancient history, according to some scholars.

The assumed romantic relationship between Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum is based on depictions of the two men standing nose to nose and embracing.

The tomb of Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum was discovered by Egyptologist Ahmed Moussa in the necropolis at Saqqara, Egypt in 1964 .

It is the only tomb in the necropolis where men are displayed embracing and holding hands. In addition, the men's chosen names form a linguistic reference to their closeness: Niankhkhnum means "life belongs to Khnum" and Khnumhotep means "Khnum is satisfied."

No human remains were discovered inside.

The two aree portrayed in the most intimate pose allowed by canonical Egyptian art, surrounded by what would appear to be their heirs. The nose-on-nose touching in ancient Egypt normally was an equivalent of a kiss.

Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep each had families of their own with children and wives, but when they died their families apparently decided to bury them together in one and the same mastaba tomb.

Some other scholars disagree and interpret the scenes as an evidence that Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep were twins, or even possibly conjoined twins. No matter what interpretation is correct, the paintings show at the very least that Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep must have been very close to each other in life as in death.

[lgbhistory]

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer, poet and playwright. He wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the plays Salomé, The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, and Lady Windermere's Fan. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant clothes, and glittering conversation, Wilde was one of the best known personalities of the day.

He was born in Ireland in 1854. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford University. 

It was his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which brought him full recognition. Then he turned to writing drama. He wrote Salomé in French in Paris in 1891, but it was refused a licence.

Despite this, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London.

In 1884, Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd. They were both writers with very strong opinions about aesthetics and design. They had two sons together and seemed to have had a happy marriage for a time. Early in their marriage, he spoke about how much he loved Constance. His downfall came as a result of his affair with a younger man, Lord Alfred Douglas.

Wilde's lover was the son of the Marquess of Queensbury, who was known for his outspoken atheism, brutish manner and creation of the modern rules of boxing. Queensberry, who argued a lot with his son, confronted Wilde and Lord Alfred about the nature of their relationship.

After a series of trials, Wilde was convicted of "gross indecency"with other men and sentenced to two years of hard labour in jail.

Upon his release he left immediately for France, never to return to the British Isles.Living in a Paris hotel, he was destitute, with little money and few friends. He died of cerebral meningitis in Paris at the age of forty-six. Wilde's wife, Constance Lloyd, changed the family name to Holland after his conviction, and took the children to Switzerland.

His novels and plays remain enormously popular to this day and are often being reimagined or adapted. 

[lgbhistory]

Yekaterininskiy Garden (Екатерининский сад) also known as Kat'kin Garden (Катькин сад)

Is a picturesque park in Saint Petersburg, Russia, featuring a landmark monument erected in 1873 honoring Catherine the Great.

There is something special about this place. It's not just a regular tourist attraction. Kat'kin Garden in the 70's used to be a secret meeting point of "sexual minorities" and chess players. (Both groups separately from each other, of course).

The former usually would gather right next to the monument, while the latter would seat at the benches around it.

Some people would offensively call it a breeding ground for AIDS.

Unlike in America for example, in USSR there were no places for homosexuals to meet, no bars or pubs. An alternative would be outdoor places like this garden. Another common thing was to form a group together and hang out at someone's house.

Nowadays, it is still a rendezvous point for homosexuals.

[lgbhistory]

Pussy riot

Pussy riot is a Russian feminist protest punk rock group based in Moscow. Founded in August 2011, it has had a variable membership of approximately 11 women.

The group staged unauthorized provocative performances in public places, performances that were filmed as music videos and posted on the Internet. The themes included feminism, LGBT rights, and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the group considered to be a dictator.

The group gained global notoriety when five members of the group staged a performance inside Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior on February 21, 2012. The group's actions were condemned as sacrilegious by the Orthodox clergy and eventually stopped by church security officials.

On March 3, 2012, two of the group members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, were arrested and charged with hooliganism. A third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was arrested on March 16. Denied bail, they were held in custody until their trial began in late July. On October 10, following an appeal, Samutsevich was freed on probation and her sentence suspended. The sentences of the other two women were upheld.

The members prefer anonymity, known for wearing brightly coloured balaclavas when performing and using aliases when giving interviews.

Nadezhda Andreyevna Tolokonnikova (Наде́жда Андре́евна Толоко́нникова; born November 7, 1989) nicknamed "Nadya Tolokno" (Надя Толокно) is a Russian conceptual artist and polittical activist, one of the members of the group "pussy riot". She was previously married to a man and they have a daughter named Gera. Nadezhda is a self-identified bisexual and doesn't hide her attraction to women.

Links of interest:

Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial in a ca

The documentary about Pussy Riot

Official trailer

Probably one of their most "scandalous" music videos - Straight Outta Vagina

BBC Four - Storyville, Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer - Upon reflection

A look at Pussy Riot before, during and after their performance in Red Square

BBC article about Pussy Riot

[lgbhistory]

Some facts about Frida Khalo

• She was an extremely talented Mexican artist.

• Kahlo was born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico.

• She was bedridden for nine months because of polio at the age of six. Her father encouraged her to do a lot of unusual activities for a girl at the time, like playing soccer and wrestle, in order to help aid in her recovery.

• In 1922, Kahlo enrolled at the National Preparatory School. She was one of the few female students to attend the school, and she became known for her jovial spirit and her love of colorful, traditional clothes and jewelry.

• At school Kahlo became more politically active and joined the Young communist league and the Mexican communist party.

• On September 17, 1925, Kahlo was traveling on a bus when the vehicle collided with a streetcar. She suffered several serious injuries as a result. After staying at the hospital for several weeks, Kahlo returned home to recuperate further. She began painting mostly self-portraits during her recovery.

• Kahlo divorced Rivera in 1939. They did not stay divorced for long, remarrying in 1940. The couple continued to lead largely separate lives, both being involeved with other people.

• Frida was married to a famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

• During her marriage to Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo had several extramarital affairs with both men and women. Frida was openly bisexual and would occasionally dress in men's clothing.

• Some of the women Frida is said to have made love to include: painter Georgia O'Keeffe, Mexican film actress Dolores del Río, American actress Paulette Goddard, French painter Jacqueline Lamba and a world-famous entertainer Josephine Baker.

• Kahlo was hospitalized again in April 1954 because of poor health. She returned to the hospital two months later with bronchial pneumonia. No matter her physical condition, Kahlo did not let that stand in the way of her political activism. Her final public appearance was a demonstration against the U.S.-backed overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala on July 2nd.

• After Kahlo’s death, the feminist movement of the 1970s led to renewed interest in her life and work, as Kahlo was viewed by many as an icon of female creativity.

• Many of Kahlo’s works were self-portraits. A few of her most notable paintings include: "Henry Ford Hospital", "The two Fridas", "The broken column".

• Another artwork of interest is Frida's self-portrait with cropped hair. It was Frida's first self-portrait after divorce from the artist Diego Rivera. Here, she depicted herself wearing an oversized men's suit and crimson shirt—possibly Rivera's—instead of one of the traditional Mexican Tehuana dresses that she is often shown wearing.

• Besides, she completed an oil painting Two Nudes in a Forest. It is also referred to as The Earth, Two Nudes in the Wood, or My Nanny and I. The painting was given to a close woman companion of Kahlo's, who some believe to be actress Dolores del Río.