Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep nose-kissing – a romantic display of affection popular among Egyptians
While we may not have all the answers, it seems logical to believe that people of all sorts of sexualities and gender identities have existed in every era of history. From the discovery of two ancient Egyptian men buried together in the style of a married couple, to early religious texts that speak of three genders, we have plenty of evidence that LGBTQ+ identities have always existed even if their lives looked completely different to ours. They may not have used our modern labels, but a closer look at history reveals records of real and fictional men who have loved men, women who have loved women, and people of all genders living in their truest expression without fear.
THE FIRST CIVILISATION
Mesopotamia, situated in the region that today is, roughly, eastern Syria, south-eastern Turkey and Iraq, is known to be one of the world’s first civilisations. Its history is said to be the first chapter in the history of the Western world – and of course, it wasn’t all cis, straight folk.
One of the biggest clues for this can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is an ancient poem and the first written story in known existence (the oldest version of the poem discovered has been dated to 2000 BCE).
The first part of the story follows Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, who historians agree was likely a real-life monarch, and Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods in order to keep Gilgamesh from wreaking havoc. Gradually the two go from fierce rivals to close companions – and, some say, lovers. They’re depicted sharing a bed, and when Enkidu eventually dies (spoiler!), Gilgamesh confesses his love for his “dear friend”. Historians have argued, and will continue toromantic in nature.