Skip to main content

The Gay Icon in St. Agnes' Church


In the Church of St. Agnes is a gay icon; do they know?

Just inside the main doors on the altar to the left is a statue of St. Sebastian. Posed with a hand behind his head and the other on his thigh, the sculpture accentuates his youthful buff-good-looks but also emphasizes the arrows which pierce his taut body. His facial expression seems slightly odd however. With eyes looking upward to the sky questioningly his slightly open mouth seems to be saying: "who, me?"

Perhaps that is the nature of martyrdom: "who, me?"

St. Sebastian is a gay icon. Dating back to at least the 19th century his image has taken on a cult like status within the gay community. The homoerotic quality of the composition coupled with his tortured predicament has resonated deeply within gay culture and identity: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/lgbt-artwork-marks-saint-sebastian-feast-day

On the same altar and just to the left of St. Sebastian's sculpture is the figure of the broken body of Jesus, surmounted by the cross draped with white cloth (representing his resurrection?). His body echoes the masculinity of St. Sebastian, with muscles this time pierced by cuts representing his brutal treatment and crucifixion. The facial expression of Jesus appears to be one of peace.

Both sculptures' meanings ricochet off each other, and their close proximity implies an intentionality. These works were place together because of an intertwined meaning or shared purpose.

Being Jewish I would never feel comfortable trying to expound on the Christian meaning or interplay of both, but being gay I would like to give it a go and suggest there is queer subtext happening here. I situate this queer subtext in an issue I raised during Prof. Hollander's lecture on Interreligious Dialogue, specifically when 'the Other' returns the gaze and begins asking questions of those seeking dialogue.

As 'secular Jewish gay other', I read this composition in a different way than many of the Christian faithful, but a reading I feel warrants investigation. I respectfully suggest the interplay of St. Sebastian and Jesus points to contemporary notions of bodily autonomy, where we are all freely empowered to make decisions about our own body. 

So just as Jesus made a decision which the Christian tradition teaches leads to salvation, so too (in the form of a homoerotic St. Sebastian gay icon) do I claim the same right of ownership of my body and right to make choices for myself. In terms of dialogue this could raise interesting opportunities to talk about common suffering and shared stories of survival. It could provide a foundation of trust where deep bonds of friendship could be formed.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Parting ways

Our last dinner with the University of Toronto group was truly memorable. Overall, the Rome trip wa a great experience and I learned a lot about ecumenism, something I had no experience with before. The concept of ecumenism as a dialogue, where one can be "strong in their identity yet open to dialogue", really resonated with  It's inspiring to see how such an approach can foster understanding and unity, even with our own "small group" from Toronto, there was so much diversity (again, it included an Anglican priest, a secular Jew, and 3 Catholics). Yet, despite our differences, there will always be a way to talk and talk to each other, if they share space with each other. I will truly miss this group , and the larger group at the Centro Pro Unione. I am looking forward to more enlightening conversations and shared ecumenical experiences in the future!  Very grateful again to Dr. Attridge, Dr. Skira and the RSM management for this wonderful opportunity! Until next...
Post a Comment
Read more

Welcome! Rome Ecumenism Course - 2024

Welcome to our journey of studying ecumenism and interfaith relations in Rome in the summer of 2024. Please visit often as we share insights, new learnings, adventures, pictures, etc., from our three weeks in the eternal city. We’re glad to have you along!
Post a Comment
Read more

18 Synagogues, all Orthodox, is Unsettling

Visiting the Great Synagogue of Rome was unsettling.  It's a beautiful building with a fascinating history, which amazingly survived both Fascist Mussolini and Nazi occupation remaining intact for 120 years. The building's interior is unlike any other synagogue I've seen before, with its fantastic museum and centuries old collection of Judaica (including textiles) only contributing to its beauty and spiritual significance. There's also a small Sephardic Synagogue located in the basement, roped off, where only Jews are permitted access (according to another group's guide). I was unsettled. During the building tour our group was brought up to men's section of the main synagogue, where Maureen asked a wonderful question about tradition practiced in the synagogue and was told they were Orthodox, and neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardic (even though there was a Sephardic Temple in the basement) but practice their own historic rite. A further question followed about other ...
Post a Comment
Read more