homosexuals and others who do not obey the laws of Nature and God should be "deprived of the sign of love." While opposition and persecution where the principle themes of the treatment of homosexuality during the Middle Ages, the scholarly rationale for this opposition was widely varied.
In his eleventh-century book Liber Gomorrhianus, or the Book of Gommorah, Benedictine monk and Cardinal Peter Damian presents perhaps one of the severe persecutions of homosexuality. While Aquinas' acknowledges that, while still sinful, homosexuality is not the worst sin of lust, Damian presents such acts as the epitome of wickedness. In his piece, Damian outlines four instances of criminal wickedness: masturbation, mutual masturbation, interfemoral intercourse …show more content…
The man in question is named John Rykener, who styled himself Eleanor. According to the transcription, Rykener was often caught wearing women's clothing and engaging as a prostitute for both men and women. After having sexual intercourse with a man who allegedly believed Rykener to be a woman, the pair was arrested and taken to prison. Rykener, dressed as a woman at the time, was then questioned. While the outcome of Rykener's trial remains unknown, what is interesting about this account is his revelation that an extensive homosexual subculture has developed right beneath the noses of the authorities. Rykener begins by accusing several woman of encouraging young men to engage in cross-dressing and homosexual prostitution. Thus, despite opposition from authority figures, individuals continued to promote the development of homosexual tendencies during the Middle Ages. Moreover, Rykener even suggests that numerous religious figures knowingly engaged his services, which was undoubtedly a shocking revelation at the time, He suggests that a rector, four Franciscans brothers, three chaplains, a Carmelite friar and an unknown number of priest all engaged in homosexual practises with him while he was dressed as woman. He also suggests that he had sexual intercourse with several …show more content…
Although homosexuality was often harshly persecuted in the writings of academics and theologians alike, such as those of Thomas Aquinas, Alain de Lille, and Peter Damian, homosexual subcultures readily developed throughout the Middle Ages, such as may be witnessed in homoerotic literature steaming from this period, in the veneration of allegedly homosexual women, and in the transcript of John Rykener's case. Thus, in opposition to what Aquinas, de Lille and Damian argued, homosexuality was not, and is not, unnatural to any degree, but as natural and historical as any other human
In his eleventh-century book Liber Gomorrhianus, or the Book of Gommorah, Benedictine monk and Cardinal Peter Damian presents perhaps one of the severe persecutions of homosexuality. While Aquinas' acknowledges that, while still sinful, homosexuality is not the worst sin of lust, Damian presents such acts as the epitome of wickedness. In his piece, Damian outlines four instances of criminal wickedness: masturbation, mutual masturbation, interfemoral intercourse …show more content…
The man in question is named John Rykener, who styled himself Eleanor. According to the transcription, Rykener was often caught wearing women's clothing and engaging as a prostitute for both men and women. After having sexual intercourse with a man who allegedly believed Rykener to be a woman, the pair was arrested and taken to prison. Rykener, dressed as a woman at the time, was then questioned. While the outcome of Rykener's trial remains unknown, what is interesting about this account is his revelation that an extensive homosexual subculture has developed right beneath the noses of the authorities. Rykener begins by accusing several woman of encouraging young men to engage in cross-dressing and homosexual prostitution. Thus, despite opposition from authority figures, individuals continued to promote the development of homosexual tendencies during the Middle Ages. Moreover, Rykener even suggests that numerous religious figures knowingly engaged his services, which was undoubtedly a shocking revelation at the time, He suggests that a rector, four Franciscans brothers, three chaplains, a Carmelite friar and an unknown number of priest all engaged in homosexual practises with him while he was dressed as woman. He also suggests that he had sexual intercourse with several …show more content…
Although homosexuality was often harshly persecuted in the writings of academics and theologians alike, such as those of Thomas Aquinas, Alain de Lille, and Peter Damian, homosexual subcultures readily developed throughout the Middle Ages, such as may be witnessed in homoerotic literature steaming from this period, in the veneration of allegedly homosexual women, and in the transcript of John Rykener's case. Thus, in opposition to what Aquinas, de Lille and Damian argued, homosexuality was not, and is not, unnatural to any degree, but as natural and historical as any other human