Historical research suggests that, in the male-dominated environment of piracy, same-sex relationships were common.
Exploring Relationships Among Pirates
Life aboard a pirate ship was often harsh and exclusively male. Away from conventional society for extended periods, pirates formed their own social structures and relationships.
The Argument for Common Homosexuality
Historian B. R. Burg argued in Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition that within this world, homosexuality was common. This perspective challenges traditional portrayals and suggests that same-sex relationships were a significant aspect of pirate life.
- Context: The absence of women on long voyages meant that male pirates often formed close bonds.
- Social Norms: Contemporary societal norms on land strictly condemned homosexual acts. However, pirate communities existed largely outside these norms, creating a space where different behaviors could emerge or be tolerated.
Matelotage: A Form of Union
A notable practice among pirates was matelotage. This was a formal agreement between two male pirates, often involving shared property, mutual support, and inheritance rights.
- Validation: As Burg suggested, a union such as matelotage may have acted as a manner of validating relationships that would otherwise have been considered against contemporary societal norms. While not explicitly defined solely as sexual unions, matelotage could have provided a framework or recognition for committed same-sex partnerships among pirates, potentially including shared living arrangements, i.e., sleeping together.
- Practical Benefits: Beyond potential romantic or sexual ties, matelotage also offered practical benefits like ensuring one's possessions would go to a trusted comrade if they died.
Based on historical interpretations like Burg's, it is argued that same-sex relationships were indeed common among pirates, and practices like matelotage may have formalized these unions, implying that partners in these relationships would have slept with each other.
