“There is more to our past than cis/heteronormative narratives would have us believe.” It adds: “It is important for us to show that diverse genders and sexualities have been present throughout history. “We look at the evidence of people’s past words and actions from first-hand perspectives and offer a space to examine them in a way that challenges the dominant interpretation of assumed cis/heterosexuality.” The Out On An Island project, set up by the local StoneCrabs theatre company, has also included Tennyson on a list of “notable LGBT people” whose biographies have undergone “queering”.Īn introduction to the list states: “What ‘queering’ means is to embrace historical figures in their entirety, including the parts of their lives which are not so clear-cut or easy to interpret from a modern standpoint. “There is this impulse to read history backwards. This is just a kind of anachronistic projection.” ‘Queering’ “So Joan of Arc becomes trans, and all these historical figures are now ascribed the label of LGBTQ. Prof Frank Furedi, an author and educational expert, said: “There is a way in which historical figures are seen as reflections of our contemporary society and its social groups. He said that if poet’s identity is “not clear” it should not be attributed to a specific group, adding that in the 19th century “close, even romantic friendships with one’s own sex could be entirely platonic”. “These unexpected and unpredictable stories are a great tool to enhance a school’s inclusive curriculum.”ĭr Zareer Masani, a historian who has written of his own experiences growing up homosexual in India, has called the addition of Tennyson to the LGBTQ+ community “absurd”. The married couple lived at Farringford House on the Isle of Wight, which has been included on the trail alongside sites linked to more conclusively LGBT figures such as fellow 19th century poet Algernon Charles Swinburne.Ī trail guide states: “To acknowledge LGBTQ+ stories from the past builds a fuller, more fascinating picture of how our society and historical places have been used and shaped by their owners and occupants. He had two children with his wife Emily, to whom he was married for four decades. The nature of Tennyson’s love for Hallam has been debated, but there is no definitive evidence that the writer had any homosexual relationships.
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