‘Every man loves a stud’ & more queer discoveries from the ancient world
300,000 Kisses, Tales of Queer Love From an Ancient World. The pair unearths some of the most famous stories and characters from humankind’s earliest writings, and they’re not shying away from the same-sex subtext or overtly queer narratives. “For queer people, the act of recovering history has often been one of discovering it, too,” writes Hewitt. “You will likely find yourself moved, celebrated, and troubled in equal measure.”Queerty snagged an exclusive excerpt from the recent release, which comes at a time when an increase in book bans threatens the visibility of LGBTQ+ voices.
Hewitt’s translation and Hall’s colorful illustrations make for the perfect bedside read or holiday gift. And if you’re looking for even more ancient tales of queer love, check out Dan Jones’ Queer Heroes of Myth and Legend: A celebration of gay gods, sapphic saints, and queerness through the ages.
Plato’s Symposium unearths a myth about the creation of love and sexual desire. When Zeus decides to split humans in two, making everyone a living half of themselves, he, in a sense, creates a longing for humans to be re-connected with each other through the act of sexual desire.
It is Eros who brings these two male lovers together in Hall’s illustration. On same-sex attraction, Hewitt writes, “These are by nature the most masculine and the most noble people.
