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Wednesday 5 December 2012

December 5th in Queer History

Born this day




Pope Julius II
(1443 – 1513)
Julius 11 (1443-1513) positioned himself for high office during the reign of his uncle Sixtus IV. A lover of art, he patronized both Michelangelo and Raphael, and in 1506 he laid the foundation stone for the magnificent church of New St. Peters. However, Julius' military conquests caused friction with the king of France and the German emperor. At their behest a council met in Pisa in 151 1 to consider his deposition. Arraigned as "this sodomite, covered with shameful ulcers, who has infected the church with his corruption," Julius nonetheless managed to prevail by calling his own council, which was still in session when he died in May 1513.


Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), UK
Poet. Her sexuality repressed by religion, Christina Rosetti wrote poetry that included highly-charged erotic female-to-female affection. Many people consider that her best work is Goblin Market (1862), the longest of her poems. Because goblins sound as if they belong in a fairy story, it is often put in collections for young children. However, it is really a short epic poem for adults. The most obvious quality of the writing is the exactness and sensuousness of her descriptions of the fruit sold by the goblins.


Larry Kert (1930 – ) US
Actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for creating the role of Tony in the original Broadway version of West Side Story.

Little Richard (1932 – ) US
Singer

Marianne Weber (1955 – ) Dutch
Singer

Laura Flanders (1961 - US)
Journalist / Presenter / Author

Jason Branch (1963 – ) US
Porn

Amanda Lepore 1967 –  US
Model

Margaret Cho (1968 –  ), US.
Comedian / Actress / Fashion Designer / Author / Presenter


Died this day

JW King  (1955 - 1986 ) US.
Porn

Robert Chesley  (1943 - 1990 ) US.
Playwright / Composer / Theatre Critic / Teacher

Sodomy in history, December 5th


1640 — In England, John Atherton, an Anglican bishop, is hanged for sodomy. A woodcut of the hanging is distributed to the public. In prison, he prepares a defense of sodomy.

1642 — Servant Elizabeth Johnson is the first woman in the New World to be prosecuted for sexual relations with another woman. Massachusetts Bay Colony sentences her to be fined and flogged for the sexual relations, as well as being rude to her mistress and refusing to listen to the Bible when it is read.

1927 — The Colorado Supreme Court is the first court in 14 years to rule that fellatio does not constitute the "crime against nature."

1951 — New Jersey reduces the maximum penalty for sodomy from 21 years at hard labor to 20 years without hard labor.

1962 — The Ohio Supreme Court upholds a sodomy conviction, rejecting all constitutional questions without addressing them.

1963 — A New York appellate court overturns a sodomy conviction because of unspecified "inflammatory remarks" by the prosecutor.

1967 — A Michigan appellate court upholds the consensual sodomy conviction of two women who were making love inside a tent at a campsite. They had been caressing each other outside the tent before and a neighbor complained, who then notified police.

Sources:

Wikipedia
On this gay day

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