The Bottom of ‘Gay’ St. Sebastian
Why does St. Sebastian remain a gay icon? We’re not exactly sure – and neither is Charles Darwent: “Not only was St Sebastian middle-aged and butch, he wasn’t killed with arrows. Punctured, yes, but not killed. The perforated martyr was rescued from the stake and nursed back to health by St Irene of Rome – a woman, boys – before unwisely haranguing Diocletian for his paganism as he passed by on a litter. Unmoved by his tenacity, the emperor had Sebastian clubbed to death; his body was then dumped in Rome’s sewers. Had history been less kind, he might have ended up as patron saint of poo.” [Independent via GNW]
Sterculus already has the fabulous honor of presiding over, you guessed it, poo.
What a turn on: the arrows of desire?
I never thought of it as being gay as such but as a horny little catholic boy: he always stood out in our families’ Lives (or deaths or something) of the Martyrs” I think it was supposed to inspire us to what I can only guess by my exemlary life! There is a lot of St. Sebastien art and he’s never wearing much and is always very pretty.
wouldn’t turn the purest thoughts to S&M ? or is it just me. He’s just so passionate.
Yeah, my understanding was that it was the penetrative receiving of the arrows that was so homo-tinged. I don’t think the revelation that he didn’t die at the hands of the archers negates the vaguely erotic imagery of his “perforation.”
Irene was just a fag hag.
Kid A; for sure, then it would go into a pretty nasty snuff icon. Sebastian’s expression, as above is so impassioned that he looks like he’s orgasmic.