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The inquisitorial trial of a cross-dressing lesbian: reactions and responses to female homosexuality in 18th-century Portugal

The inquisitorial trial of a cross-dressing lesbian: reactions and responses to female homosexuality in 18th-century Portugal
The inquisitorial trial of a cross-dressing lesbian: reactions and responses to female homosexuality in 18th-century Portugal
This article analyzes the inquisitorial trial of Maria Duran, a Catalan novice in the Dominican convent of Nossa Senhora do Paraíso in Portugal. Maria Duran was arrested by the Inquisition in 1741 and, after a lengthy trial, condemned in 1744 to a public lashing and exile. She was suspected of having made a pact with the Devil and was accused by many female witnesses of possessing a “secret penis” that she had allegedly used in her amorous relations with fellow nuns and novices. Her voluminous trial dossier offers a rare and fascinating documentary insight into the often extreme reactions that female homosexuality provoked from both men and women in early modern Portugal. Using the evidence offered by the 18th-century trial of Maria Duran, this article highlights female bewilderment when faced with female-on-female sexual violence and the difficulty that men (in this case, churchmen) had coming to terms with the existence of female homosexuality. It also discusses the case in light of the acts/identity debate among historians of the history of sexuality.
female homosexuality, lesbianism, inquisition, Portugal, early modern
0091-8369
1529-1557
Soyer, Francois
3ccef83c-fad6-46be-b6a0-300d69a30528
Soyer, Francois
3ccef83c-fad6-46be-b6a0-300d69a30528

Soyer, Francois (2014) The inquisitorial trial of a cross-dressing lesbian: reactions and responses to female homosexuality in 18th-century Portugal. Journal of Homosexuality, 61 (11), 1529-1557. (doi:10.1080/00918369.2014.944044).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This article analyzes the inquisitorial trial of Maria Duran, a Catalan novice in the Dominican convent of Nossa Senhora do Paraíso in Portugal. Maria Duran was arrested by the Inquisition in 1741 and, after a lengthy trial, condemned in 1744 to a public lashing and exile. She was suspected of having made a pact with the Devil and was accused by many female witnesses of possessing a “secret penis” that she had allegedly used in her amorous relations with fellow nuns and novices. Her voluminous trial dossier offers a rare and fascinating documentary insight into the often extreme reactions that female homosexuality provoked from both men and women in early modern Portugal. Using the evidence offered by the 18th-century trial of Maria Duran, this article highlights female bewilderment when faced with female-on-female sexual violence and the difficulty that men (in this case, churchmen) had coming to terms with the existence of female homosexuality. It also discusses the case in light of the acts/identity debate among historians of the history of sexuality.

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e-pub ahead of print date: 14 July 2014
Published date: 12 September 2014
Keywords: female homosexuality, lesbianism, inquisition, Portugal, early modern
Organisations: History

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 368813
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/368813
ISSN: 0091-8369
PURE UUID: 30e09305-8a90-4c4d-add1-348787b0a778

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Date deposited: 13 Sep 2014 10:14
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 17:54

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Author: Francois Soyer

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