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To Queer Lovers from Your Aromantic Valentine
I may not feel romantic attraction, but I have a special place in my heart for this saint.
Some people might expect me to hate Valentine’s Day because I’m aromantic, but it’s actually one of my favorite days. I even jokingly call it my day. However, despite being fairly ubiquitous in its nature and the ways in which we observe this day, the history of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery.
Saint Valentine, the patron saint of lovers and beekeepers, helped Christian couples marry despite the laws of the time. After hearing about this, Emperor Claudius II imprisoned him. During his time in prison, Valentine befriended his jailer and formed a close relationship with his daughter, Julia. Shortly before he was sentenced to death, he wrote Julia a note of encouragement signed “From Your Valentine”.
This lent itself to the Valentine’s Day traditions we have today. Depending on your cultural background, you may observe this day on either February 14 or July 6. Alternatively, you may not observe it at all. While Saint Valentine was a real person, some details of the story may have been altered over time to portray him as heroic, sympathetic, and romantic.
Though Saint Valentine is mostly seen as a romantic figure, it is entirely possible…
