2. Cloistered Queers

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen and Leigh continue to
examine the overlooked and underappreciated queer ladies, gents,
and gentle-enbies in the unexplored corners of history by
traveling to the cloisters of Medieval Europe. They’ll uncover
unique views of sex and sexuality that made the practice of
‘brother making’ possible both within and outside the monastic
community but also made it hard for medieval theologians to
understand sex between women. Come slake your thirst
for queer poems and love letters because guess what? There
are lots of monks and nuns with a strong desire for “special
friendship” with each other. Notables include: Alcuin, Two
Bavarian Nuns, St. Anselm of Canterbury, Sor Juana Inés de la
Cruz, Baudri of Bourgeuil, Aelred of Rievaulx, Benedetta
Carlini, and many more!


Outline
0:00 – Introduction
1:31 – Word of the Week: Adelphopoiesis and Affrerement
6:30 – What do you mean they’re not straight?
     6:40 – Social Context: Medieval
Views of Sex & Sodomy
     10:15 – Social Context: Sex Between
Women in the Middle Ages
     26:00 – Social Context: Escaping
Heteronormativity through Monastacism
     33:35 – Homoeroticism Among Female
Mystics
40:40  – The Lives and Love Letters/Poems of Gay Monks
and   Lesbian Nuns
     1:10:00-1:19:21 – CONTENT WARNING
for discussions of sexual violence
1:23:17 – How gay were they?
1:26:40 – Where to find us online


Special Links: Humon's Tumblr comic about monastic views of
sex and sexuality


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