Bi Bedivere!
or should I say… Bidievere
Tag: lgbtq
LGBTQ characters in arthurian tv/movies/webseries
As you all know, there is a list of lgbtq characters in novels (HERE), but till now I didn’t think it would make sense to make a list of lgbtq characters in movie/tv/visual media. Thanks to a couple of webseries, maybe it does make sense. Feel free to add characters and shows!
Campaign for Camelot (ongoing webseries): Mordred, Izzy (not sure if he is an OC or an arthurian character).
Legend (webseries): Morgana, Merlin (a female character in the show), other OCs.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail / Spamalot: Lancelot, Herbert (OC).
also, I think “Legend” is the second arthurian visual media ever (show/tv show/movie) with an lgbtq character?
(the first would be Lancelot from Monty Python and Spamalot)
LGBTQ characters in arthurian books
The (?) means that I really think the character is written as a lgbt character but it’s not explicitly said. I added some new characters from the last time and added the suggestions by storytellerknight so I am reposting it again.
Thanks to queeringcamelot and gawaincomic for more suggestions!THE LIST CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Here is the list:
- Arthur, the king (Alan Massie): Merlin, Arthur, Geraint, Nestor and four OCs (male).
- Arthur Rex (Thomas Berger): Arthur (?).
- Attanasio’s Series: Bedivere.
- Avalon (Mary J. Jones): Argante (Guinevere’s daughter) and her lover, Nimue and her lover Morgant (a female character mixed between Morgana and Merlin), Pellas’ sister.
- Bedivere Book One: The king’s right hand (Wayne Wise): Lucan
- Camelot (3000): Tristan*
- Camelot Connection, The (E. A. Scarborough), short story of “Invitations to Camelot” : Arthur (who briefly says he has been with men too).
- Children of the May (S. J. Moore): Palomides, Iseult, Bragwaine, Gawain and other OCs/non arthurian characters.
- Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court, A (Marianne Mancusi): Mordred.
- Fall of Camelot, The (Time-Life): Merlin, Mordred(?)
The Forgotten Sister (Kieran Higgins): Lot.
- Gay Knights and horny heroes (Michael Gouda): Arthur, Lancelot, OCs.
- Here Lies Arthur (Philip Reeves): Nimue and Percival**
- Knight of the Breton Court (Maurice Broaddus): Tristan*
- Knights of Pleasure (Erin Caine): Lyzian (a woman who dresses as a knight), Arthur.
- If This Grail Be Holy (P. Andrew Miller) short story of “King of Ages”: Arthur and Lancelot.
- Laid to Ruin (Isabelle Arden): Claudas, Lancelot.
- Lancelot and the Wolf series (Sarah Luddington): Lancelot and Arthur.
- Merlin Trilogy (Mary Stewart): Merlin (asexual).
- Lancelot: Her Story and Lancelot and Guinevere (Carol Anne Douglas): Lancelot (a lesbian woman), Galahad (a lesbian woman), Guinevere, Kay, Dinadan and three other women (original characters).
- Lavinia Collins’ ladies trilogy (Guinevere, Morgawse): Kay, Agravaine, Lancelot.
- Mists of Avalon, The (Marion Zimmer Bradley): Lancelot, Arthur (?), Morgaine, an OC.
Mordred and the King
(John Michael Curlovich): Mordred, Arthur.- Mordred, bastard son (Douglad Clegg): Lancelot and Mordred.
- Morgana (Michel Rio): Morgana and Vivian.
- Nimue’s Tale (M. E. Robins), short story of “Invitations to Camelot”: Nimue.
- Once and Future King, The (T. H. White): Lancelot (?) and Mordred (?).
- A short story (I can’t remember which one!) of Mike Ashley’s collection: Kay.
- Port Eternity (C. J. Cherryh): Mordred (asexual), Lancelot (pansexual), Vivian (asexual). Warnings: the characters are not really arthurian (explanations with spoilers here).
- Pretender, The (Stephen Dedman) short story published in “The Mammoth book of arthurian legends” (Ashley): Arthur, Dinadan (the are lovers), Galahad, Kay (bisexual), Mordred.
- Prince and the Program, The (Aldous Mercer): Mordred.
- Prince in Camelot (Courtway Jones): Lancelot and Lavaine.
- Queen’s Knight (Marvin Borowsky): Mordred, Colgrevance (?), an OC in a flashback.
- Quest of the Fair Unknown, The (Gerald Morris): two female OCs
- Road to Avalon, The (Joan Wolf): Agravaine.
- Silurian, The (L. A. Wilson): Bedivere (bisexual), Mordred (gay).
- Song of Sir Rod the Long: A Gay Romance of the Round Table, The (Howard Larry): I have no idea! Probably an OC.
- Sword at Sunset (Rosemary Sutcliff): two male OCs, Arthur.
- The Table of Less Valued Knights
(Marie Phillips): two OCs are gay, one OC is pansexual (or bisexual,
but I think he’s pansexual) and one very very secondary character (only
mentioned) transwoman.*Tristan is reincarneted as a woman and loves Iseult but I don’t know if Tristan identifies as male or female.
** It’s not clear how Nimue and Percival consider their own gender. I think they both seem bigender or demi.
Updates! I added Kay (bisexual), Lancelot (bisexual) and Agravaine (gay) from Lavinia Collins books (Morgawse trilogy has hints of Kay sexuality and it is pretty clear in defining Agravaine sexuality, plus a bisexual OC; Guinevere trilogy shows Kay and Lancelot as ex lovers)
lgbtq characters in arthurian books
I finished reading the sequel of “Lancelot Her Story”: “Lancelot and Guinevere” and I added more lgbtq characters (from that book) IN THE LIST:
Galahad (a lesbian woman), Dinadan, Kay has been confirmed, two female OCs.
I am not sure if I should add Loki in “Traitor’s Triogy”. The book is about Loki, Mordred and Judas but their stories are almost separated and Loki is the only genderqueer and pansexual character in there.
Happy Pride Month!
A bit late, but happy pride month!
What is your favorite lgbtqai arthurian novel? 😀
The Gay Arthurian Tradition
“Even as far back as Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, there are homoerotic hints in cross-dressing scenes and a scene where two knights accidentally end up in bed together. Dorsey Armstrong’s Gender and the Chivalric Community in Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur has explored this topic and how the knights of Camelot themselves are aware of the possibility of homosexual rumors surrounding a group of men in an organization like the Round Table.”
Pardon my bias for badass ladies slaying with swords.
Arthurian Legends 