Moving to a new home sparks a personal journey of change for anyone. But for many of us in the LGBTQ+ community, immigration involves the deeply meaningful process of embracing our identities in unfamiliar cultural landscapes. Too often, our community has faced stigma, shame and secrecy in home countries that view LGBTQ+ identities as wrong or taboo. Living in hiding, unable to openly love who we love, is a painful reality many of us know all too well. Arriving in more progressive places brings new hope. We feel the simple joys of public affection with a partner or attending our first Pride parade surrounded by rainbow flags and others like us. At the same time, shedding walls of secrecy so suddenly is an adjustment. Local dating norms, nightlife scenes and LGBTQ+ expression can seem foreign. Unlearning the need to hide requires courage we sometimes didn't know we had. But we must believe in ourselves. For those who blend sexuality and heritage, connecting with others who share cultural roots and LGBTQ+ pride is so affirming. We needn't abandon our origins to blossom into our truest selves. There is room to honour where we came from and celebrate who we are. While all of our tales are unique, our community shares common threads of resilience and faith. Leaving behind the familiar to live openly requires believing in futures where every rainbow shade is celebrated. This daily journey of LGBTQ+ people worldwide speaks to the human capacity for hope. Even in darkness, we can renew. By opening our hearts to diverse stories, we cultivate spaces where all can flourish. Finding a home is about fully accepting and expressing ourselves, wherever we may be. For those of us immigrants embracing LGBTQ+ identities in new cultures, our journeys represent the spirit's profound power to heal, dream and write beautiful new chapters together.

The haunting glow of the full moon Illuminates a dim lit room And a dance not a moment too soon Costumed bodies embrace Two hearts begin to race Attracting face to face The pages turn to be read Feelings that long to be said From lips to which love has led @just_another_wolf It's great to see local artists getting the spotlight they deserve, especially when they're bringing attention to underrepresented themes in the art world. The artwork "Halloween Ball" sounds intriguing and appears to be raising awareness for LGBTQ+ characters in the horror genre, which is an important and often overlooked aspect of storytelling. If you're interested in exploring more of this artist's work, you can follow their Instagram account @just_another_wolf. It seems like they specialise in Gay Male themed digital art, so you can expect a diverse and unique range of creations that highlight different aspects of LGBTQ+ representation in their artwork. It's always wonderful to support and celebrate artists who bring new perspectives and voices to the art world.

We all know that the LGBTQ+ community is very diverse. There are many people that make up this community each with their own identities. There has been a lot more LGBTQ representation of the past few years in both film and media. That being said it's pretty clear that some members of our community are better represented than others. This is definitely true of the asexual community – although Alice Oseman’s work with Loveless and Heartstopper have definitely been noted! What are Aces? Asexuality is a term used to describe people who do not experience sexual attraction towards anyone of any gender. Asexuality is not to be confused with celibacy, as asexuality is a sexual orientation and not a personal choice. Asexual people are referred to as Aces. There are many different types of Aces and I don't mean an ace of hearts, spades or clubs! Asexuality covers a wide spectrum. In a world that is obsessed with sex and reproduction, other forms of attraction are overlooked or are simply not spoken about as often. There are many different types of attraction such as: Romantic Attraction Attraction that makes people desire romantic contact or interaction with another person or persons. This might seem fairly obvious but sexual attraction and romantic attraction don't necessarily have to go hand-in-hand with one another. Aesthetic Attraction When a person appreciates the appearance or beauty of another person in a way that is disconnected from sexual and romantic desire. Sensual Attraction The desire to physically interact with someone in a nonsexual way, such as holding hands or cuddling. Emotional Attraction The desire to get to know another person, usually as a result of their personality as opposed to them physically. This is present in most relationships from romantic and sexual relationships to platonic friendships. Intellectual Attraction The desire to engage someone in comversation to ‘pick their brain’, sharing thoughts and ideas with others and get to know their point of view. Asexual people just like us are capable of experiencing all these other forms of attraction. Just because they don't have sex doesn't mean they don't have other intimate relationships, which is why Asexuality covers such a wide spectrum. We are all attracted to different things and open up to others at different times, and it's important to remember that regardless of sexuality, we all have limits and boundries when it comes to human interaction physical or emotional. With this in mind here are some terms used to describe people on the Ace spectrum: Demisexual: people that only form a sexual attraction once they form a strong emotional connection with another person. Grey-A: People who identify as being somewhere inbetween sexual and asexual. Queerplatonic: People who experience a type of non-romantic relationship where there is an intense emotional connection that goes beyond a traditional friendship. It's important to address the myths that exist about asexuality. . Being ace isn't abstinence after a failed relationship . Being ace isn't abstinence for religious reasons . Being ace isn't celibacy . Being ace isn't sexual repression, dysfunction or aversion . Being ace isn't caused by a loss of libido due to age or circumstance . Being ace isn't a person failing to find a partner . Being ace isn't a fear of intimacy Despite everything some aces may choose to do the following: . Want understanding, friendship and empathy . Experience orgasm or arousal . Have a spouse or children . Fall in love . Choose not to engage in sexual activity . Masturbate Conclusion So to conclude today's lesson! Asexuals like all other members of the LGBTQ community are not broken and in need of fixing-they are perfect just the way they are. That being said, living as an asexual person in a world obsessed with sex and reproduction isn't easy, and it's important to remember that sex isn't everything. To quote the hit show Sex Education, "sex doesn't make us whole, and so how could you ever be broken?" What being a part of the LGBTQ community clearly demonstrates is that people are attracted to different things and have different types of relationships and there's nothing wrong with that. Variety is definitely the spice of life and the world would taste bland without our Ace buddies. Love is love, platonic or otherwise! If you have anymore questions to ask about Asexuality please ask in the comments section or email us at gibraltarlgbtcommittee@gmail.com for more asexual content 😁. references Understanding Asexuality By The Trevor Project Year: 2021 Container: The Trevor Project URL: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/understanding-asexuality/ 'As an asexual person, Isaac's Heartstopper storyline felt like a warm hug' By Anon Year: 2023 Container: GAY TIMES URL: https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/heartstopper-season-2-isaac-asexual/# Asexuality, Attraction, and Romantic Orientation By Anon Container: LGBTQ Center URL: https://lgbtq.unc.edu/resources/exploring-identities/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation/ Asexuality. Sex Education clip By Anon Container: www.youtube.com URL: https://youtu.be/UOxOiC1fT_8?si=M-B-abqGefwJhNWt

Once again, my darlings, it is storytime! In this series, we are looking at the activists who came before Stonewall because LGBTQ rights did not just happen overnight! Today, we celebrate the lives, the work and the love of activists Del Martin (1921-2008) and Phyllis Lyon (1924-2022). If you had told Del and Phyllis that they could spend their lives together when they met in 1950, they probably would not have believed you. It is unbelievable that they would be married 58 years later, Del at 87 and Phyllis at 84. They were the first same-sex couple to be married in San Francisco when same-sex marriage was finally legalised in California in 2008. How it started Their love story began when Del started her first day at Pacific Builder and Engineer in Seattle in 1950. Phyllis immediately noticed Del. She looked dapper in her green gabardine suit, open-toed pumps and a briefcase (gotta love a woman in a suit). After being friends for a while, they eventually got together in 1952 and moved into an apartment in the Castro district in San Francisco in 1953. The Daughters of Brilitis Meeting other lesbians in the 1950s was challenging and very risky. The only option was the bar scene, where bars were regularly raided and arrests were made. Del and Phyllis felt isolated and wanted to meet other lesbians to make friends with. In 1955, a lesbian friend, Rose Bamberger, invited them to a secret social club with five others. Those eight women formed the first lesbian organisation in the United States: The Daughters of Brilitis (DOB). The group named themselves after a nineteenth-century erotic lesbian poem called 'The Songs of Bilitis' (Written by Pierre Louÿs). This was done so that they could claim that they were running a poetry group if any of their meetings were raided. The original members were Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Rosalie Bamberger, Rosemary Sliepen, Noni Frey, Marcia Foster and Mary (surname could not be found). What began as a secret social club as an alternative to a frequently raided bar scene grew to become a lesbian rights organisation, with localised groups across the country. Members of the DOB aimed to recruit members into their ranks while keeping their mission a secret. The group used pins to identify fellow members. Let's go, journalists! The group began publishing a magazine called 'The Ladder' in 1956, the first nationally distributed lesbian periodical in the United States. The Ladder addressed the lack of information and understanding of female homosexuality. They conducted surveys, and the DOB were among the first groups to gather statistics on LGBTQ people. They did this when the government was actively hunting down homosexuals for their 'crimes'. At one point, the DOB was being investigated by both the FBI and the CIA. They took significant risks in publishing their work, and they worked tremendously hard to ensure the safety of their readers. Phyllis Lyon and the other writers in the group all had pen names to shield their identities. Lyon first wrote under the name Anne Ferguson. However, by the time the fourth issue was published, Phyllis boldly chose 'coming out' to her readers and announced her true identity! She believed in a world where homosexuals could walk around freely, and she came out to prove it (and we love her for it). Out and Proud In 1962, the DOB held its second national convention in Los Angeles. This convention is notable for being broadcast on television, among the first broadcasts to cover LGBTQ civil rights (they came a long way over a short period). Despite having a distinct identity as an advocacy group, the DOB co-hosted events with other LGBTQ groups. On the 1st of January 1965, the DOB held a mutual aid fundraising ball at California Hall. When over 600 people attended, they were confronted with officers from the San Francisco police department. Four lawyers representing the DOB and other advocates were arrested for supporting the participant's rights to attend the ball. When news of the story broke, there was a public condemnation of the arrests, leading 25 of the most prominent lawyers in San Francisco to join the defence team of the four lawyers! This marked a huge turning point for Gay rights on the West Coast. While the DOB played a significant role in the LGBTQ movement, they also made waves in the mid-1960s fighting for women's rights. As the DOB was a woman's organisation at its heart, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon joined the National Organisation for Women and urged readers of The Ladder to join. Conclusion It is incredible to see how much things have changed for Del and Phyllis throughout their life together, from meeting in secrecy to finally having their relationship acknowledged in full public view. It just goes to show how the ideas and actions of a small group of people can grow and inspire significant changes for many. This is why we write, this is why we meet because this is how things change for the better. We ultimately have the power to be the change in the world we want to see. What things would you like to change? Comment down below, and who knows, you might start something new! references Bullough, V.L. (2002). Before Stonewall: activists for gay and lesbian rights in historical context . New York: Harrington Park Press. The Incredible Story of Lesbian Activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon By Smithsonian Magazine, Gracie Anderson Container: Smithsonian Magazine URL: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/incredible-story-lesbian-activists-del-martin-and-phyllis-lyon-180978309/ Primary Source Set: Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin By Anon Container: GLBT Historical Society URL: https://www.glbthistory.org/primary-source-set-lyon-and-martin Panel | "First Time in Print," featuring lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin (2002) By Anon Container: www.youtube.com URL: https://youtu.be/0hXxxea1d4E?si=4UOKqwQ61gOggnEm Phyllis Lyon, Lesbian Activist and Gay Marriage Trailblazer, Dies at 95 By Julia Carmel Year: 2020 Container: The New York Times URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/obituaries/phyllis-lyon-dead.html Lesbian pioneers paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights years before the Stonewall Riots. By Ken Miguel, Julian Glover Year: 2021 Container: ABC7 San Francisco URL: https://abc7news.com/phyllis-lyon-del-martin-and-daughters-of-bilitis/11085742/ No Secret Anymore (2003), Directed by Joan E Biren [documentary LGBTQ >> social sciences >> Lyon, Phyllis, and Del Martin By Anon Container: web.archive.org URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20070216142327/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/lyon_p.html Lesbian pioneer Phyllis Lyon dies. By Anon Container: Bay Area Reporter URL: https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=news&sc=latest_news&sc2=&id=290632 Research Guides: LGBTQ+ Studies: A Resource Guide: The Daughters of Bilitis By Meg Metcalf Container: guides.loc.gov Publisher: Library of Congress URL: https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/before-stonewall/daughters-of-bilitis Mattachine Society & Daughters of Bilitis Offices By Anon Container: NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project URL: https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/mattachine-society-daughters-of-bilitis-offices/ The Daughters Of Bilitis Explained By Anon URL: https://youtu.be/uXetiApv9Qk?si=CvVJeOqb_YbbB-6e The Ladder (1956-1972) Lesbian Periodical [Mostly Complete]: Daughters of Bilitis : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive By Anon Year: 2022 Container: Internet Archive URL: https://archive.org/details/the-ladder-1956-1972-lesbian-periodical/The%20Ladder%20Vol.%2001%2C%20No.%2001%2C%201956%20Oct/

Finding love in a modern world can be pretty challenging for anyone. For members of the LGBTQ, it is difficult to find other queer people in general. In Gibraltar, this appears to be accurate, with a shortage of safe spaces for all of us rainbow sheep to meet (however, we are working to change this). Online dating provides a simple solution to this problem. Therefore, it is no surprise that we use online dating twice as much as our heterosexual cisgender friends! There are many things I wish I had known before starting to use dating apps, things I wish I had been more aware of and how best to protect myself from danger. So, with that in mind, here are some things I wish I had been more aware of before creating a profile. Fake accounts There are a lot of dangerous online beliefs, the most obvious being fake accounts. Like with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, it's better to say that online dating platforms have their fair share of fake accounts. If you suspect an account to be fake, the obvious thing to do is to report it. Most of these accounts are pretty easy to spot as they typically do not have many photos or social media attached. However, if you have been talking to somebody for a while and plan to meet them,  always let a friend or family member know where you are going! This should be the case for all dates regardless of whether they are who they say they are. It is always good to have a friend nearby and on hand in case you need to make a swift exit. Update them on your date and whereabouts, and let them know when you got home safely. Just because a person's face matches the proper picture doesn't always mean they are not dangerous to you. But other than that, try your best to enjoy your dates when they are good ones! Underaged users In the same way that there are fake accounts, there are also people who lie about their age. Apps like Tinder use Facebook verification to confirm users' ages. However, nothing prevents a person from creating a new email with a new Facebook and online dating account. As a teenager, my gay friends had Grindr accounts to meet people in an attempt to connect with other gay people. They saw many people their age having relationships, and they wanted that too and made accounts because they had known loneliness. We have a responsibility to keep younger members of our community safe. If you see a young person that you know online, there are a few courses of action you can aka: 1. If you know this young person is out to their parents, you could call them and tell them that you found their child on an online dating site. These conversations can be tricky, and it's safe to say that parents know their children best and would probably like to be aware of what is going on to protect their children and provide them with the support they need. It is not always our place to educate people; a parent might not want you to educate their children. 2. If you don't know whether or not this person is out to their family, there is another course of action you can take. The easiest way to keep these people safe is to report their accounts like a Facebook account. Once you put them as underage, they will be blocked from using the app to access their account for a few months or years. It is quick and easy to do, and it's the best course of action if you're uncomfortable talking to someone. However, if you are a young person looking to socialise in an LGBTQ-friendly space, I highly recommend joining one of the local youth clubs. Many community members have found a safe space, particularly in the Laguna youth club. The youth workers do an incredible job of creating a safe space for young people. For more information, please visit www. youth.gi Location tracking It's not a secret that dating apps keep track of your location. This feature is essential as it shows users profiles of people who are geographically close to them. While swiping through other people's profiles, we tend to give very little thought to the fact that other people can see and find us, too. Although essential for dating apps to run, this feature can also put us at significant risk. Just as apps can help people find dates, they can also help crazy ex's and homophobes find you! In 2016, a New Yorker named Matthew Herrick was stalked and harassed by his ex-boyfriend. His ex-partner impersonated Herrick online to arrange sex dates with over a thousand men! These men were sent to Herrick's home and workplace expecting sex and or drugs. This was all made possible due to Grindr's Geolocating tech. Herrick reported this issue to Grindr over 100 times with little help. Grindr later faced a court order to exclude Matthew's ex from using their product. Grindr said they did not have the technology to be able to do this despite them owning the patent for geolocating technology! Be mindful of what you share online. Don't send or take provocative photos of yourself. Not everyone will go to the extreme of Matthew's ex. However, there are dangerous people in the world, and we do not want to give any of them easy access to our private domain. We need to protect ourselves and our image. If a person you are dating\ talking to really likes you and respects you, they shouldn't mind you wanting until you are comfortable being intimate in person. Using dating apps while travelling If you are planning to go on holiday this year or travel a lot for work, there is one extra thing you have to check. What are the laws of the country or countries you plan to visit ? Homosexuality is outlawed in 64 countries worldwide, where you can face jail time or, in some places, the death penalty! About half of these countries are in Africa, so you shouldn't worry as much while travelling through Western Europe, but it is still good to check. For example, if you are going to or passing through a country like Egypt, I highly recommend deleting the app from your phone! Whether you plan to meet anyone or not doesn't matter. Police make online dating accounts to make arrests. If you have been active on your account at some point (even if just a couple of days before), your profile will still show up, and they can find you and arrest you. This is why if you go on Tinder, you will find that many LGBT Moroccan accounts do not show their face. In the Western world, people usually do this because they are cheating on someone, in an open relationship (and are afraid of judgement) or closeted and don't want to run into someone they know. Regardless, I advise you to avoid these accounts. Choosing a venue Finally, it has come to his! You have bagged yourself a date and are looking for somewhere to meet, and you are excited. However, even in this situation, you must still look out for yourself and the other person. Choose to meet in a cafe or restaurant: The benefit of meeting someone for the first time in this space is safe. There are plenty of people and servers around to help you if something doesn't seem quite right or if you feel you are in immediate danger. Meet in a space you both know and recognise: Just as you want to be safe, you also have a responsibility to ensure the other person feels comfortable. Choose a venue familiar to both of you and that you like; remember, the other person's opinion matters too. The ultimate goal of a date is to have fun and get to know someone, which can still happen despite everything that has been said. As long as you are aware and take suitable precautions, there is no reason not to go out and enjoy yourself. We must remember not to let loneliness or desperation cloud our judgment. We must remember that our values aren't determined by whether we are in a relationship. There are people all around us who love us as we are; a relationship is just extra, and we have to be patient. Suppose you ultimately decide that online dating is not for you. In that case, I recommend participating in some of our local clubs and events, like XKIKI, LGBTQ Bookclub or for our underaged friends, going to one of our local youth clubs youth.gi . You can also share your idea for a club or event with us by contacting us at gibraltarlgbtcommittee@gmail.com References LGBTQ adults are using dating apps nearly twice as much as straight adults, Pew study finds By Paige Leskin Year: 2020 Container: Business Insider URL: https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-use-lgbtq-community-twice-as-much-straight-adults-2020-2 Opinion | Queer Dating Apps Are Unsafe by Design By Ari Ezra Waldman Year: 2019 Container: The New York Times URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/20/opinion/queer-dating-apps.html How Egyptian police hunt LGBT people on dating apps By Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Year: 2023 Container: BBC News URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64390817 Matthew Herrick v Grindr LLC By Carrie Goldberg Year: 2018 Container: Sexual Assault, Stalking, Blackmail, Online Harassment Lawyers | C.A.Goldberg | Carrie Goldberg URL: https://www.cagoldberglaw.com/matthew-herrick-v-grindr-llc/ Herrick Vs. Grindr Is A Section 230 Case That Could Change The Internet As We Know It By Tyler Kingkade Year: 2019 Container: BuzzFeed News Publisher: BuzzFeed News URL: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tylerkingkade/grindr-herrick-lawsuit-230-online-stalking Commonwealth Summit: The Countries Where It is Illegal to be Gay By Reality Check Team Year: 2021 Container: BBC News URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43822234 Where is homosexuality illegal and punishable by death? By Gerardo Bandera Container: FairPlanet URL: https://www.fairplanet.org/story/death-penalty-homosexualty-illegal/ Tinder, Bumble Under Investigation for Allowing Underage Users and Sex Offenders By Anon Container: InsideHook URL: https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/internet/dating-apps-like-tinder-and-bumble-are-under-investigation-for-allowing-underage-users-and-sex-offenders Online Dating Apps Face Scrutiny About Underage Users, Sex Offenders By Kenneth Corbin Container: Forbes URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kennethcorbin/2020/01/31/online-dating-apps-face-scrutiny-about-underage-users-sex-offenders/?sh=3a47d3852f9d

My name is Joelle Morillo, and I am a homosexual! I am the L in LGBTQ and am not ashamed of it. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, but that took a while for me to figure out. I think I best start at the beginning, but before that, I've been asked to make an additional introduction. I'm also the latest addition to the blog writers squad, and should you be interested in writing about anything, please feel free to email us at info@GibraltarLGBTQ.com Back to it, I remember when I first realised that I might be a little different (for lack of a better word) than the rest of my peers (as far as I knew) when I was about 12 or 13. It happened late at night on a school trip, with everyone staying up past curfew and chatting. All the girls sat around talking about all the boys they liked the look of and who they wished would invite them to the prom. Eventually, someone turned to me and asked, "So Joelle, who do you like the look of?" I had never been asked this question, and up until that point, I never really thought about it. As I sat there mulling it over it, I realised I didn't find any of the boys I knew attractive. Looking around at the other girls, I did know which of them I did find attractive. This sudden realisation filled me with so much fear and dread. At this point in my life, I didn't know what a lesbian or a homosexual was! I just knew that at that moment, I immediately felt like ET -sorry if you are too young to know who that is. While listening to the others, it became clear that I was alone in feeling the way I did and didn't know what to make of it. At this point, all I feared was exclusion. I didn't overthink it one way or the other. I convinced myself that I was just a 'late bloomer' and that these things would happen to me eventually, and that my 'like' wasn't any different to anyone else's 'like'. As time passed, it became clear that this was not the case. I am not a stranger to LGBTQ people. My Auntie Nadine, by this time, had been with a woman for years, but I never thought of her as a woman that loved other women, just as Auntie Nadine. I had little doubt of being loved, at least in my family. The issues came when I began to think of the following: 1. What could my future look like? - This may sound very stupid, but I worried about what growing up would be like. As far as I was concerned (remember, I was in my early teens), people are born. They go to school, get a job, find a partner, get married, have children, grow old and then die (more or less). At this time, gay marriage was illegal, so I didn't have the option of getting married, and for similar reasons, I believed I couldn't have children either. I didn't know what my life would look like or could be like, and that's quite scary for a young person. 2. Would I be accepted as part of the community? – Being a child born in the late 90s meant that if you didn't know the answer to a question, you asked Google! Unfortunately, google was not a very good help in this scenario. From the internet, people flat out deny the existence of homosexual people or believe that we are mentally ill, that we could be imprisoned and or killed in some countries, and that we seek to convert others to our ways when no one ever converted me. It's important to remember that just as there are people that support LGBTQ rights, people that hate us still exist. Some of these people may present themselves as the type of people we would look to for help and guidance, like clergypersons, educators, and politicians, and some refer to themselves as doctors despite not having studied medicine! It is straightforward for a young person to see this and internalise all the negativity because it appears to come from the person they know and trust. For a long time, I felt that something was wrong with me, that I needed fixing and that I was not worthy of love just because I was different. I had suicidal thoughts and regular anxiety and panic attacks. But the worst part was that I couldn't talk to anyone for the longest time, almost killing me. The important thing is that I am alive, and I am alive because of all of the love and support that came from my family and friends. I love you, and thank you all for standing by me and for showering me with unconditional love. But for those whose family or friends may not be supportive, I want to let you know that you aren't alone. You are beautiful and brilliant, and the world is full of people who will love you for who you are. There is just as much love in the world. And for all the parents being LGBTQ doesn't make your child a completely different person. They are still the children you know and raised, so continue to love them as you always have. When they come home, be ready to greet them with your arms wide open because it's what every child wants. If you are feeling depressed and or suicidal and don't feel that you have a safe person to talk to, please call Gibsams on 116123 or Childline at 58008288.

Story Time!! Once upon a 203-222 AD, there lived a Trans queen called Elagabalus! The most scandalous Roman emperor you've ever heard of. At just 14 years of age, a young Elagabalus stunned the Romans when she arrived from Syria with an army to take the throne. Elagabalus' mother claimed her daughter had the right to rule as the illegitimate child of the previous emperor. The teenage conqueror was intent on ruling, but just like trans people today, she was intent on living her truth as the woman she was on the inside – even after being raised as a boy. The people of Elagabalus's time did not accept her identity and didn't refer to her using female pronouns. The public viewed Elagabalus as an eccentric young man wearing women's clothes and didn't respect her for it. On top of Elagabalus being a transwoman, she was also a foreigner that believed in different gods and traditions. She did not conform to Roman traditions and beliefs. She ignored advisors' pleas to dress in typical male attire. Alternatively, she had a portrait sent over of her dressed in ostentatious robes to allow people to grow accustomed to her style of dress- I guess that's one way to clap back at haters! She was known to be quite the diva and a lavish spender, held massive banquets serving peacock tongues, flamingo brains, goose livers and camel heels! She dressed in the finest materials, had a golden statue of her likeness erected in her honour, and had canals filled with wine – anyone for a beverage! Elagabalus, Lover Of Rome Elagabalus had a voracious sexual appetite. She married two men and five women in her four years as emperor. This excludes her hook-ups and extramarital affairs. Although, really, for Roman emperors, this doesn't exactly deviate from the norm. Not to mention she was the teenage ruler of one of the most powerful nations on earth. Try grounding that! Although Elagabalus identified as female, her marriages to men were considered same-sex. The concept of homosexuality and bisexuality was not new to the Romans, as same-sex marriages had taken place with other emperors and men having relationships with men was widely accepted. However, by Elagabalus' time, support for same-sex relationships was waning, and Christian ideology would soon wipe out Rome's tolerant stance on same-sex relationships. All Things Come To An End Even with all the money and power, Elagabalus never got the one thing she desired above all else. Which was to transition into the woman she knew she was on the inside. She offered an enormous reward to any doctor that could surgically alter her genitalia. She never found a doctor able to perform this surgery. After Three years and nine months of Elagabalus' reign, her guards could no longer take the shame and scandal. They killed Elagabalus and those closest to her. The bodies of Elagabalus and her mother were dumped in a sewer that led to the Tiber River. Historians barely mention Elagabalus' story as she barely spent any time actually doing work as a politician and did not leave behind a long list of reforms. She was far from the greatest ruler on earth, but she will go down in history as someone who lived her truth, regardless of anyone else's thoughts. Even if her light was snuffed out, it is clear that this queen shone brightly! References : Darling, H.-H. (2023) Elagabalus , Making Queer History . Available at: https://www.makingqueerhistory.com/articles/2017/9/24/elagabalus-the-empress (Accessed: 12 June 2023). Herodian 5.5 (no date) Livius . Available at: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/herodian-s-roman-history/herodian-5.5/ (Accessed: 12 June 2023). Herodian 5.8 (no date) Livius . Available at: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/herodian-s-roman-history/herodian-5.8/ (Accessed: 12 June 2023). Hersch, K.K. (2010) The Roman Wedding: Ritual and Meaning in Antiquity . Cambriage : Cambridge University Press . Icks, M. (2011) The Crimes of Elagabalus: The life and Legacy of Rome’s Decadent Boy Emperor . 1st edn. I.B Tauris. (No date) Elagabalus: The genderqueer ruler of rome - classical association . Available at: https://classicalassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Queering-the-Pasts-Chapter-2-Elagabalus-.pdf (Accessed: 14 June 2023).