Holding it Straight: Sexual Orientation in the Middle Ages

[39:37]

Dr Bob Mills, UCL History of Art

Historians tend to be reticent about applying the phrase ‘sexual orientation’ to periods before the nineteenth century, but should we be so quick to dismiss the concept? Focusing on depictions of virgins and sodomites — two seemingly opposing categories — this talk explores how medieval encounters with sex were shaped by concepts of space and orientation.

[Source: UCL Lunch Hour Lectures Challenged YouTube link]