If you\u2019re in a relationship of some kind, Valentine\u2019s Day generally brings with it a bit of pressure to make some sort of romantic gesture or at least spend a bit of quality time together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, Valentine\u2019s Day \u2013 14 February \u2013 falls on a Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might be struggling to think of options for getting romantic on a Tuesday night \u2013 romance isn\u2019t easy at the best of times \u2013 but we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Valentine\u2019s Day isn\u2019t a new thing. It began as a feast day for a martyred saint \u2013 the Feast of Saint Valentine was formally adopted into the calendar of the Christian church in AD 496, about 200 years after Saint Valentine of Rome had met his untimely end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While there are references to romance and relationships in connection with Saint Valentine in the years that followed, it was the men and women of 18th-century England that most clearly articulated the romantic aspects of the Feast of Saint Valentine. Wealthy people with time on their hands sent flowers and gifts to the objects of their affections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the mid-19th century, Valentine\u2019s Day cards were being mass produced. Capitalism kicked in, and here we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no official queer rule-book or survival guide on how to navigate Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we look to LGBTQ history, the Mattachine Society of the 50s and 60s favoured assimilation \u2013 queer people should be able to celebrate their love just like everyone else. However the counter-cultural movements of the 70s were a bit more radical in their approach to challenging the status quo \u2013 the early leaders of the gay liberation movement would likely have viewed Valentine\u2019s Day as a heteronormative construct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in a world that has embraced Marriage Equality, it\u2019s fairly clear that queer people aren\u2019t immune from the appeal of declarations and demonstrations of love in all its forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re opting in to Valentine\u2019s Day, we\u2019ve done a quick brainstorm of potential options to help you show the world how you celebrate love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re in a relationship of some kind, Valentine\u2019s Day generally brings with it a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-45804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"yoast_head":"\n