06/05/2026
Happy Pride Month from RBML! Q***r figures aren’t just found in our modern publications. Much of our collections span the medieval and renaissance periods, and while media often portray these periods as having regimented imaginings of gender and sexual desire, many works exist that recount stories and argue ideas counter to the heteronormative view of these times.
St Aelred of Rievaulx was a 12th century English Cistercian monk who is most known for his work "De spirituali amicitia," or "On spiritual friendship." Aelred wrote it as a Christian counterpart to Cicero’s "De amicitia" and argued that a profound connection between monks was essential to monastic life and finding Christ’s divinity within it.
Many scholars argue that Aelred was fueled by his deep spiritual, but also romantic, love for his fellow brothers. In his prologue (picture two) he writes, “the charm of my companions gave me the greatest pleasure. Among the usual faults that often endanger youth, my mind surrendered wholly to affection and became devoted to love. Nothing seemed sweeter to me, nothing more pleasant, nothing more valuable than to be loved and to love…when I read the many passages on friendship in the writings of the holy fathers, wishing to love spiritually but not able to, I decided to write on spiritual friendship and to set down for myself rules for a pure and holy love.”
St Aelred of Rievaulx continues to be a source of inspiration for q***r Christians today, as depicted in a stained-glass triptych in our last picture. The Order of St. Aelred was established in 1995 to serve the LGBTQ+ communities in the Philippines, and he served as the patron saint of Episcopalian non-profit organizations aimed at promoting social justice to the LGBTQ+ community.
🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🖤🩶🤍🤎
Shelfmark:
“Opera divi Aelredi Rhievallensis” - IUA04637
