Sexuality and gender politics have differed from culture to culture and age to age throughout history. The concept of homosexuality as an identity only emerged in the 20th century. Prior to that gay and lesbian relationships and activities were commonplace but were thought of as something one did rather than part of one’s identity. There have been many historic figures who are noted to have preferred their own gender for romance and sex. Here are the stories of 5 rulers from ancient to modern times who are known to have had homosexual love affairs:

Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC)

Emperor Ai of Han (27 BC – 1 BC)

Caliph Al-Hakam II (915AD-976)

King Gongmin of Goryeo (1330 – 1374)

Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861 – 1948)

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Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell

Music:

Brandenburg Concerto No4-1 BWV1049 - Classical Whimsical by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100303

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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