"the love that dare not speak there names"

Persecuter; What is "the love that dare not speak there names"?

Oscer Wilde; "the love that dare not speak there names" in this
century is such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as
there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made the very
basis of his philosophy, and such as you find in the sonnets of
Michelangelo and Shakespeare. It is that deep, spiritual affection
that is as pure as it is perfect. It dictates and pervades great works
of art like those of Shakespeare and Michelangelo, and those two
letters of mine, such as they are. It is in this century
misunderstood, so much misunderstood that it may be described as the
"Love that dare not speak its name," and on account of it I am placed
where I am now. It is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of
affection. There is nothing unnatural about it. It is intellectual,
and it repeatedly exists between an elder and a younger man, when the
elder man has intellect, and the younger man has all the joy, hope and
glamour of life before him. That it should be so, the world does not
understand. The world mocks at it and sometimes puts one in the
pillory for it."

[The speech caused a loud burst of applause to erupt from the
gallery of the courtroom.]

~ Oscer Wilde, playwright

The story of Oscer Wilde can be found in an excellent small book, The
Early Homosexual Rights Movement (1864-1935), by John Lauritsen and
David Thorstad, published by Times Change Press, New York.

Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

I support the Greens, and I hope you do too:
http://greens.org.au
www.qld.greens.org.au
www.greenpeace.org.au

 

<snipitidoo>


=====
It sounds much better in French, but then, everything does.

 

Except that it was spoken in English, in a London courtroom.

And the correct quote is "the love that dare not speak ITS name."

 

Apart from which, either of the original titles would have needed to read
"the loves" <pedant hat off>

I'm still puzzled though. In what *car* did either Wilde or the Magistrate
journey to the courtroom?