Gay Greek Love Myths: the  Good, the Bad, and the Utterly Toxic

Professor Andrew Lear is a world-renowned expert on sexuality in art and the author of the best-known book on sexuality in Greek vase-painting.  He is the founder of Oscar Wilde Tours, the gay history tour company, and Shady Ladies Tours, the woman's history tour company.

Andrew Lear

Join us on a romp through the gay myths of Greek mythology, featuring every hunky hero and greedy god who ever made you wonder: “Are they…?”

<p><em><strong>Can&#x27;t make the live event?  No problem!  You can watch the video recording at your convenience for 2 weeks.</strong></em></p><p>Zeus and Ganymede. Apollo and Hyacinth. Achilles and Patroclus. Herakles and Iolaus. The list of gay couples in Greek mythology goes (deliciously) on and on. Just as their history is full of lovers and beloveds who influence everything from battles to the foundation of cities, so too are the Greek myths replete with gorgeous youths and their divine admirers, invariably in hot (and often catastrophic) pursuit.</p><p></p><p>But these are not just stories designed to titillate or entertain. The myths kept the Greeks’ gods and heroes alive. They were vehicles by which the divine could be accessed and manifested in the here and now, through visual arts, oral poetry, theater and cult practice. We’ll tell some of the most famous and interesting stories, but also ask what they tell us about ancient Greek homosexuality and culture.</p><p></p><p>What they lack in romance, the myths more than make up for in drama and hilarity. That’s why these stories have continued to fascinate people for centuries. We’ll also look at some of the eras in which mythological “Greek love” has proven rich reference material for cultures reckoning with their own gay subcultures, such as Renaissance Italy and Victorian/Edwardian England. (They even have a cameo in the Harlem Renaissance!)</p><p></p><p>Finally we’ll glance at where the gay myths are today and why they continue to hold such sway over the popular imagination, including the abysmal, hunk-riddled epic Troy (2004) and Madeline Miller’s bestselling Song of Achilles (2011).</p>

<p>Sebastian is a writer and amateur historian born and raised in NYC. He studied Classics and Ancient History as an undergraduate at Columbia, and completed his Master’s in Classics at the University of Cambridge. Since then he has been working on bringing queer history to the masses through Historical Homos, the world’s first and only no-f*cks-given guide to LGBTQ+ history. Originally an Instagram launched with his sister (and genius graphic designer) Lucy Hendra, Historical Homos has evolved into a book, an event series and (coming soon in 2022) a podcast. Sebastian is passionate about re-writing the heteronormative narrative of history to include the many queer voices that have influenced it since the dawn of time.</p>

<h2>FAQs</h2><h3>When will the Zoom invite come?</h3><p>The Zoom invite will be in the CONFIRMATION EMAIL from your order—IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE IT IN YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL PLEASE MESSAGE US IMMEDIATELY. Subsequent to this, the Zoom invite will be sent to your email address at 48hrs, 2hrs, and 10mins before the event. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM AND SOCIAL FOLDERS IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE ZOOM INVITE IN YOUR INBOX.</p><h3>If I can&#x27;t make the live recording, can I watch the event at another time?</h3><p>The event will be recorded, and all ticket holders will receive a link to the recording by email the evening after the presentation, with a password to access it.  It will be available to view for 2 weeks after the live event. If you do not receive the link to the recording a couple of hours after the live event please email us—sometimes Eventbrite emails can get lost in spam/social folders.</p><h3>What time zone is the event scheduled in?</h3><p>The event is scheduled for 2pm EST (i.e. New York time). You can watch it in any time zone but please adjust to the time zone you are in.</p><h3>Refund policy?</h3><p>Refunds are available up to the start time of the event. After the start time, refunds are only available if you have been unable to access the event.</p>

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Gay Greek Love Myths: the Good, the Bad, and the Utterly Toxic

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Gay Greek Love Myths: the Good, the Bad, and the Utterly Toxic

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