Queering Wagner with Dr. Patrick S. Cheng

Unfortunately the Zoom broadcast wasn’t recorded. We have obtained a video of a very similar talk given by Reverend Cheng for the Wagner Society of New York. We thank The Wagner Society of New York for providing this video file. https://youtu.be/Dd4GGdXpdm8

In honor of Pride Month, Dr. Patrick S. Cheng will give a Zoom talk about the life and works of Richard Wagner from a queer perspective. Topics will include LGBTQ+ Wagnerites from the 19th century to today, the homosexuality of key people in Wagner’s life (including his patron King Ludwig II as well as his son Siegfried), Wagner’s fetishes with respect to satin and perfume, and the transgressive sexual relationships in Wagner’s operas.

Dr. Patrick S. Cheng is the Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. A Wagnerite as well as an Episcopal priest, Dr. Cheng has published three books on queer theology, including Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology. Dr. Cheng holds a B.A. from Yale College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.