Throughout history, numerous members of royal and noble houses have engaged in same-sex relationships. However, even in jurisdictions where homosexuality was not prohibited or proscribed by law or religious edicts, titles of aristocracy were almost always directly transferred through married spouses of the opposite sex and their offspring (except when certain titles could be inherited by relatives upon a childless death). Nevertheless, queer relationships occurred before, during, and outside such arrangements, as romance and marriage have widely historically been seen as two very different things.[1]

It is important to note that the terms 'homosexuality' and 'heterosexuality' did not exist until the late 19th century.[2] For much of human history, most societies around the world did not view sexuality in modern binary terms. Indeed, many of these cultures had variously tolerated, acknowledged, accepted, or celebrated diverse sexualities and genders, before encountering Western colonial powers, Christian influence, and anti-gay mindsets.[3][4] In any case, widespread historical acceptance of queerness is reflected in LGBT history around the world, including that of heads of state.

Needless to say, this list, due to incomplete records and bias, is incomplete.

History

Ancient and medieval times

Imperial China

Several Chinese emperors had openly homosexual relationships. A famous example is that of Emperor Ai of Han and his lover, Dong Xian, whom Ai promoted quickly through government ranks and ennobled as a marquess (this despite the fact that both men were legally married to women).

Throughout written Chinese history, the role of women is given little positive emphasis, with relationships between women being especially rare. One mention by Ying Shao, who lived about 140 to 206, does relate palace women attaching themselves as husband and wife, a relationship called dui shi. He noted, "They are intensely jealous of each other."[5]

Ancient Rome

A number of Roman rulers had homosexual relationships, including the Emperor Trajan, the Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous, and the Emperor Elagabalus and his lovers Aurelius Zoticus and Hierocles.

Europe

In many European countries, same-sex relations have historically been stigmatized, illegal, or considered sinful by Christians. Sometimes charges of homosexual relations were propagated by enemies, often rumors of such activities were denied, and sometimes same-sex lovers were acknowledged openly.

Since the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted a series of reforms (from the 1960s onward) to the honours system, few hereditary titles have been created (the last being created in 1990), while life peerages have proliferated, allowing for more openly LGBT persons to be appointed to the House of Lords. However, despite the legalization of civil partnerships for same-sex couples in 2004 and marriage for same-sex couples in 2013, spouses of ennobled civil partners have not been allowed the extension of title and privilege from their spouses' ennoblements as those accorded to married opposite-sex spouses of ennobled persons. In July 2012, Conservative MP Oliver Colvile announced a private member's bill, titled "Honours (Equality of Titles for Partners) Bill 2012-13", to amend the honours system to both allow husbands of those made dames and for civil partners of recipients to receive honours by their relationship statuses.[6] Another bill, the Equality (Titles) Bill, which would allow for both female first-born descendants to inherit hereditary titles as well as for "husbands and civil partners" of honours recipients "to use equivalent honorary titles to those available to wives", was introduced by Lord Lucas in the House of Lords on 13 May 2013, but did not progress past Committee stage.[7]

On 7 March 2008 Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, a Spanish aristocrat, married Liliana Maria Dahlmann in a civil ceremony on her deathbed.[8] Today, the Dowager Duchess is Liliana Maria.[9][10]

In 2016, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of the then-reigning Queen Elizabeth II, became the first member of the British aristocracy to come out as gay. He married his partner in 2018.[11]

South and Southeast Asia

A significant event in LGBT aristocracy occurred in 2006, when Manvendra Singh Gohil, a prince of the former princely state of Rajpipla in Gujarat, India, came out as gay to Indian media; the event caused controversy both in India and abroad, and his family unsuccessfully attempted to disinherit him.

Prince Azim of Brunei was outed in 2019, the year before his death.[12][13]

List

Ancient Egypt

Greece

China

Romania

India

Hungary

Ottoman Empire

Iran

Vietnam

Brunei

Arabia

Austria

Japan

Bulgaria

France

Germany

Aztec Empire

Great Britain

Korea

Denmark

Italy

Netherlands

Poland

Russia

Spain

Portugal

Sweden

Uganda

See also

References

  1. ↑ Prager, Sarah (2020-06-10). "In Han Dynasty China, Bisexuality Was the Norm". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  2. ↑ "glbtq >> social sciences >> Kertbeny, Károly Mária". 2012-09-27. Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  3. ↑ Myers-Shirk, Susan E. (January 2004). "Homosexuality and Civilization". History: Reviews of New Books. 32 (3): 121. doi:10.1080/03612759.2004.10528712. ISSN 0361-2759. S2CID 142924762.
  4. ↑ "New York Times New York State Poll, March 1999". ICPSR Data Holdings. 1999-06-16. doi:10.3886/icpsr02725. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  5. ↑ Hinsch, Bret. (1990). Passions of the Cut Sleeve. University of California Press. p. 174.
  6. ↑ Gray, Stephen (2 July 2012). "Tory MP's bill calls for partners of gay knights to receive honorary titles". PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  7. ↑ "Equality (Titles) Bill [HL] 2013-14". Parliament of the United Kingdom.
  8. ↑ Keeley, Graham. "Red Duchess wed lesbian lover to snub children", "The Daily Telegraph", 2008-03-16. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  9. ↑ Algorri, Luis (2008-03-28). "Liliana, el poder de la nueva duquesa" (in Spanish). Tiempo. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
  10. ↑ From Tiempo: Spanish: Le pese a quien le pese, Liliana Dahlmann es la duquesa viuda de Medina Sidonia, English: Liliana Dahlmann is the Dowager Duchess of Medina Sidona no matter who likes it.
  11. ↑ Ritschel, Chelsea (2018-09-25). "The first-ever royal same-sex wedding, in pictures". The Independent. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  12. ↑ "Perez Hilton slammed for outing Sultan of Brunei's son as gay after country announces death penalty for homosexuality".
  13. ↑ "Perez Hilton outs Sultan of Brunei's son". 8 April 2019.
  14. ↑ Rogers, Guy MacLean (2005). Alexander : the ambiguity of greatness. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-8129-7271-6. OCLC 63292547.
  15. 1 2 Bertin, Celia (1982). Marie Bonaparte. Paris: Perrin. ISBN 226201602X.
  16. ↑ Leddick, David. Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kirstein, and Their Circle. Pages 206–207. St. Martin's Press, 2000.
  17. ↑ Dynes, Wayne, ed. (2015-07-29). Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. doi:10.4324/9781315670195. ISBN 9781315670195.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 B.C., Sima, Qian, approximately 145 B.C.-approximately 86 (1993). Records of the grand historian. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-08164-2. OCLC 904733341.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Hinsch, Bret (1990). Passions of the cut sleeve : the male homosexual tradition in China. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06720-7. OCLC 802724436.
  20. ↑ Babur, Emperor of Hindustan (2002). The Baburnama : memoirs of Babur, prince and emperor. W. M. Thackston (Modern Library pbk. ed.). New York: Modern Library. ISBN 0-375-76137-3. OCLC 50646241.
  21. ↑ Babur, Emperor of Hindustan (3 November 2020). The Babur Nama. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 978-1-101-90823-5. OCLC 1240733563.
  22. 1 2 3 Sebag Montefiore, Simon (2023). The world: a family history of humanity. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-525-65953-2.
  23. ↑ "The Secret History of the Gay Kings and Queens of England". Archived from the original on 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
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