Many people—when they think about LGBTQIA+ people in the Middle Ages—imagine the period was uniformly cruel, and that Christian institutions in Western Europe were particularly intolerant. But three lesbian love letters, carefully preserved by monks in a twelfth-century cathedral school textbook, show something more interesting and complex. Binghamton University Assistant Professor Bridget Whearty will explore how and why Benedictine monks in 1100s Bavaria found them worthy of preservation and study, and how a mid-1900s Nazi-academic succeeded for 40 years in convincing the world that the letters were straight.

The story of these letters' movement through history is so good it almost feels like fiction. Learn more about this lecture by viewing the response form: click on 'Get Tickets' below and fill out the form if you plan to attend.
We hope you will join us for this fascinating event!