Queering Wagner

In this lecture, Professor Patrick Cheng will explore the historical connections between queerness and Richard Wagner.  Topics include gay male devotees to Wagner’s operas from the 19th century to today; the homosexuality of Wagner’s son Siegfried as well as his royal patron King Ludwig II of Bavaria; Wagner’s fetishism with respect to pink satin and rose perfumes; and the unorthodox sexual relationships in Wagner’s life and in his works, including Die Walküre and Siegfried.

The Rev. Dr. Patrick S. Cheng is Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and the author of Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology.  For more information about him, please see www.patrickcheng.net.