Heavenly Homos, Etc: Queer Icons from LGBTQ Life, Religion and History

Saints and heroes of the LGBTQ community come alive through bold artwork in “Heavenly Homos, Etc” by Dutch priest Jan Haen. He paints diverse people of faith, courage, and love who can inspire readers with new models of queer holiness. The clear, concise style packs a whole pantheon of saints into a single user-friendly volume.

Dozens of saints and historical figures from all over the world are presented, including popular favorites such as Sebastian, David and Jonathan, Joan of Arc, Sergius and Bacchus, Harvey Milk, and Matthew Shepard. Less famous but richly deserving people are also canonized by Haen’s paintbrush.

Short, accessible text lets the pictures tell their stories. The book’s deceptively simple style conveys sophisticated understandings of sexual orientation and queer Biblical scholarship. Large, colorful illustrations on every page present a fresh, unsentimental perspective on saints and other uplifting people. Intended for adults, the book naturally includes the occasional nudity that is needed to tell the history.

“Queer saints danced in my soul when I read ‘Heavenly Homos, Etc.’ Let the heavenly homos encourage you by revealing their place in human history and in God’s creation.”

-Kittredge Cherry, publisher of Qspirit.net, author of Art That Dares and The Passion of Christ: A Gay Vision

Jan Haen is a Dutch visual artist and Redemptorist priest who has ministered in the Netherlands and South Africa. He painted murals in schools, churches, and public places in Africa and across Europe. Haen is an active member of the Werkverband van Katholieke Homo-Pastores, an association of gay Catholic pastoral leaders.