Queer Pioneers of History: Historical Gender Benders and Their Secret Lives

We look far and wide to uncover stories of people whose gender or sexuality didn’t fit into their society. How do humans cope with gender? In many, many ways. We’ll dig into the long and proud history of queerness before the 20th century.

Political Bodies - Rulers expressed power through masculinity, femininity, and androgyny. Learn how political leaders used their physical representation to project authority and navigate gender expectations. We’ll explore how Louis XIV, Akhenaten, Elizabeth I, and Victoria used different expressions of gender to solidify their authority.

Eunuchs and Third Genders - Eunuchs, once prevalent in Eastern societies, defied Western gender norms. Learn how eunuchs and other “third genders” created unique positions for queer and intersex people in societies across time and around the world.

Female Men and Social Climbers - AFAB (assigned female at birth) figures lived as men to access societal privileges and power denied to women.…