An After Pride Party: The British Museum Brings Awareness to LGBTQ+

While Pride month may have come to a close, The British Museum is ready to carry on celebrations of the legacy and history of the LGBTQ+ community. Blatant denial of the significant existence and role of gender fluidity and non-binary systems in history will now be challenged with a tour of artifacts that showcase or represent the LGBTQ+ community. 

Visitors will be guided by approximately a dozen volunteers to see the objects on display, including busts of Roman Emperor Hadrian alongside his beau Antinous, an 1800 BC non-binary depiction of a Babylonian deity,  Athenian wine amphora portraying love making of men and an 11,000 year old structure of a couple being intimate. 

In addition to these exhibits, viewers have the opportunity to the prestigious Warren Cup, a silver ancient Roman drinking cup adorned with the images of men engaged in same sex acts. The Ain Sakhri Lovers is the world’s oldest known portrayal of a couple fornicating (the gender is open to interpretation) and is a prized view at this tour. It is an 11,000 years old pebble known to be created by a tribe of hunter-gatherers called Natufians. 

 

 

 

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ðŸÂÂÂŒˆðŸ³ï¸Â‍ðŸÂÂÂŒˆ A Roman drinking cup depicting two sexual scenes between male lovers has been reimagined in rainbow colours to coincide with #Pride2019 The Warren Cup was made in the 1st century AD and found in the early 20th century. However, as homosexuality was illegal in England and Wales until 1967, it couldn’t be displayed publicly. In collaboration with the Museum and @stonewalluk Hal Messel has recast the cup to create eight new dazzling objects, each representing a colour of the rainbow flag. Donations from the sale of the cups will go to Stonewall and to the British Museum’s continued work with the LGBTQ community. #WarrenCup #PrideCups #ðŸÂÂÂŒˆ #LGBTQ #Pride2019 #PrideinLondon #LGBTHistory #Stonewall #AncientRome #BritishMuseum #London #UK

A post shared by British Museum (@britishmuseum) on Jul 7, 2019 at 4:18am PDT

The museum is not only evidently elevating awareness of the history of the queer community but also actively contributing to charities through the sale of “The Pride Cups”. These eight cups are moulded into the shape of the Warren cup in the colours of the original LGBTQ+ flag. The funds raised will be issued to charity Stonewall and maximise the museum’s effort towards LGBTQ+ communities.