While we now have the privilege of being able to proudly preach that love is love without facing serious repercussion (in North America, at least), society hasn’t always been so accepting.
At various times throughout history, there was only severe sexual repression and hostility towards homosexual relationships. But during these periods when such romances were “the love that dare not speak its name,” as Oscar Wilde once wrote, radical romantics still found ways to express their love for one another.
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It’s 2020 now and love has never been louder, but society wasn’t always this way.
As both a celebration of the pride we’re able to express in 2020 and a reminder of the trailblazing lovers who came before us, one former priest took to Facebook to share photos of vintage same-sex couples who didn’t let their time periods stop them from being exactly who they were with who they wanted to be with.
Several years ago, Father Nathan Monk gave up his priesthood after coming out in favor of gay marriage.
In a blog post , he revealed that his decision to leave the church came from a desire to “step away from something that was condemning others, rather than building them up.”
“The truth is that marriage ‘between one man, one woman’ is not in the scriptures,” Monk wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post . “Our hearts are capable of more love than our ancient religions can comprehend.”
Since leaving the church, Monk has gone on to become an author and human rights activist.
He has continued to speak out on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in the face of condemning religion. Most recently, he took to Facebook to share photos of vintage same-sex couples, proving to others that “people have always been gay.”
“Being LGBTQ+ isn’t something millennials invented,” he wrote in the post. “You aren’t seeing an increase, you’re seeing how many people were once silenced.”
The post currently has nearly 20,000 reactions and almost 40,000 shares. Here are some of the best pictures from the collection.
Stolen kisses in wintertime.
“I have no pictures of my partners during those days,” one user commented on this photograph. “DADT (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) and prior meant the pictures were used against us so we did not take them. Until the Polaroid. Then we hid them away.”
A dance between two gentlemen.
This particular photograph comes from the album of celebrated photo artist Brassai and was taken in 1932 at a dance hall in Paris. The two gentlemen were photographed not to make a statement on homosexuals in general, but on the homosexual subculture of the 1930s in France.
Tender embrace.
This photograph was taken circa 1900 and shows two women posing for a portrait together, one smirking shyly at the camera while the other only has eyes for her lover.
Day at the beach.
In this photograph, two men appear to have been caught in a candid embrace while enjoying all the sun and fun a beach day has to offer. Judging from the quality of the shot and the pair’s attire, I’d estimate this pic to have been taken sometime during the 1950s.
Putting a ring on it.
This same-sex couple appears to have been photographed in the middle of a wedding ceremony with a woman officiating the happy couple and another acting as a witness to their holy matrimony.
Smiles for miles.
If you listen closely, you can hear this pair giggling as they pose for this sweet snap. And if you look at it super quickly, it looks like one man’s hat flew right off with the power of that adorable peck.
Alas, it’s just a vent.
All casual.
The entire tone of this photo is so relaxed, with both women dressed in casual garb (typically men’s attire) while they share a smile and a cigarette on bar stools.
“Say cheese!”
These two have nothing but the biggest smiles for their picture together, and their comfortable pose is just too adorable to ignore.
A sweet smooch for the camera.
The best part about this picture is the delightful smiles the two give as they share a kiss in the second photo, turning this shoot into a portrait of lovers rather than two female pals simply posing together.
Precious perch.
The tender look these two are exchanging here is really quite sweet. There’s nothing but love here, and it’s awesome.
Summer lovin’.
The helpful writing on this photo lets us know that these two ladies were pictured during the summer of 1942, sharing a sweet kiss in the great outdoors as they enjoy all that the sunshine season has to offer.
