This episode explores the Intersex condition in Antiquity. Whether human or divine, intersex conditions reflected a fundamental challenge to the established social order. Everything social role from the business deal called marriage to the citizen roles were challenged by the mere existence of Intersex conditions. 

The story of the Agdistis is a divine archetype for how humans publicly exposed and addressed such conditions. 

They are constantly shown moving between gendered expressions, never really settling on any one for long. This creates a being able to manifest the raw creative power of the primordial cosmos into the most powerful Olympian deity. 

Dionysos is also shown in long lasting relationships with men and women in different stories. But where many Gods viewed their human loves as conquests, Dionysos shows far more respect and long-lasting affection than most. 

In all, neither Dionysos' gender nor sexuality conform to societal expectations.

Dionysos is an archetypal Queer!

Rather than interpreting the story as a tragedy, the story of Attis can be read as one of a successful transition!

Today we have a very special episode covering  stories of Lesbian desire. There is a spell found in the Greek Magical Papyri which was intended to bind Serapias to Herais, two women whose desire to be together transcended even death. The other stories of Lesbian desire are drawn from the incomparable poetry of Sappho. Sappho calls upon Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, to aid in her courting. Later she describes Anactoria  as the best sight in the world, and describes the visceral full-body reaction to seeing her girlfriend. 

Wherever you are and whatever is going on in your life, take a few minutes to think about the Lesbians. Think about what it means to be a Lesbian, or else what it means to support Lesbians. Rejoice that we do still live in a world where Lesbian voices are visible and can help us shape our concepts of love and how love can be represented. 

Have a good Lesbian Visibility Day!

Rather than interpreting the anxiety through the lens of a hero acting shamefully and later regretting their acts, we will read the story through the lens of a woman lamenting a social death in the hours immediately after the change in social status. 

Part 3 will focus on Attis' life after transition through other appearances in ancient media. 

The story of this transformation and the first few hours after is found in Catullus 63. Though he reflects the general Roman attitude that Attis has become a counterfeit woman, everything about Attis is expressed with feminine terms in the poem. Interpreting this story through a Trans lens allows us to better interpret the emotional period immediately after the sexual reassignment. 

This is Part 1 covering the transition itself, Part 2 will focus on those swirling emotions which express grief for a changing status. 

Apollo was a deity whose amorous escapades are split between men and women. 

Some of the most widely known stories of love between Gods and Mortals involve Apollo in some way. 

Apollo was involved with many of the Muses, often bequeathing remarkable artists and bards in the process. He was involved with many men, including Admetos of Thessaly whom he tried to save from death. His romance with Hyacinthos is among the most iconic stories from Antiquity. 

Yet Apollo never married anyone, instead choosing to follow his desires for both men and women throughout his entire life. 

Taken together, Apollo becomes an archetype for Bisexuality in the ancient world. 

Today we have a very special episode covering the stories of Dionysos and Caeneus, two narratives from the ancient world where transgender characters transcend visibility and are able to thrive by their gender transitions. 

Whatever is going on in your life, pause for a moment and think about what it means to be Trans, or else what it means to support Trans people, or else what it means to live in a world where Trans people are visible. 

Though the story is among the oldest pieces of Greek Mythology which comes down to us, many scholars have questioned when the narrative became homoerotic. It was a long time before any author explicitly stated that Zeus and Ganymedes were lovers, though it may well have been coyly presented from the beginning. 

Once it was established, gay men used the image of Ganymedes to represent their lovers in a wide variety of situations. Ganymede was an immortal archetype for all mortal homosexual men. 

Her world is a world of women, and none of them are terribly heteronormative.

From her birth, Artemis desired to live a life surrounded by women, shunning city life for the wild lands of the mountains and forests. Ancient sources are generally coy about female homoeroticism, however when we read the texts' silences and contradictions a picture of female intimacy is clear. 

We will discuss the story of Artemis and Kallisto. Though at first the story appears as a male figure invading a female space, this disguises an image of feminine sensual intimacy. 

What emerges is an image of homoeroticism in the divine sphere.