Think queer history started with disco and drag balls? Honey, try 2500 BCE. Ancient Egypt wasn’t just the land of pyramids and pharaohs—it was a civilization dripping with eyeliner, divine drama, and, yes, same-sex love.
Despite what today’s conservative commentators in the Arab world might insist, homosexuality wasn’t a foreign concept in Egypt’s golden age. Quite the opposite. Historical records, religious texts, tombs, and mythologies reveal a surprisingly open, albeit complex, approach to queerness. Take the legendary myth of Horus and Set: Set, the god of chaos, tries to dominate Horus by bedding him. But Horus, in a move that would make any sassy bottom proud, traps the seed and flips the script. Drama, deception, and divine sexual tension—it’s the original gay soap opera.
Tombs, Texts, and Temple Gays
The tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep is perhaps the clearest gay love story carved in stone. These two high-ranking palace manicurists weren’t just coworkers—they were soulmates. Their tomb shows them locked in an intimate embrace, sharing the kind of affection reserved for married couples. Scholars have debated whether they were twins, but the emotional and symbolic depth of their burial strongly suggests they were lovers. And guess what? No one batted a kohl-lined eye.
Even lesbianism had its place—subtle, yet very much present. The Book of the Dead includes a passage where a woman proclaims she never had sex with another woman in the temple. Not in general, just not there. Meanwhile, the Book of Dreams from the Carlsberg papyrus contains scolding over a lesbian tryst—but the real issue was adultery, not same-sex relations. Respect the vows, not the gender.
Bottom Shame, Top Pride
As progressive as things seemed, ancient Egyptian society still clung to a certain patriarchy. Being the active partner in a homosexual encounter was viewed as powerful and masculine. Being the receptive partner? Not so much. Even Horus, though playing along with Set’s advances, took every measure to avoid being the “bottom”—which would have cost him divine street cred. Sound familiar?
Still, the act itself wasn’t the issue—it was about who was on top. Over time, as Egypt interacted with more rigid societies and eventually came under the sway of Abrahamic religions, the disdain for homosexuality, particularly for receptive men, took root. By then, what had once been acceptable started to get buried—both literally and figuratively.
Why This Still Matters
Let’s be clear: erasing queer lives from history isn’t new. Today, LGBTQ+ people across the Middle East are told they’re aberrations, “imported Western phenomena,” or worse. But the truth is our existence is ancient, sacred, and chiseled into the stones of humanity’s oldest civilizations.
Queer Egyptians weren’t hiding in closets—they were buried in loving pairs, mythologized as gods, and recorded in literature. As modern societies battle over queer rights, it’s crucial to remember that queerness is as old as civilization itself. Our ancestors weren’t just surviving—they were worshipped, desired, and immortalized.
So next time someone tells you homosexuality is a modern “sin,” just remind them: Horus and Set got there first—and with a lot more drama.