Queer Ancestor Spotlight: William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne
William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne were charged by the U.S. government in December 1970 for harboring a fugitive - a Jesuit priest named Daniel Berrigan. Father Berrigan was part of a group known as the ‘Catonsville Nine’ who had been charged with destroying federal property for burning hundreds of draft cards during a protest against the Vietnam War. After evading federal authorities for months he was eventually found at Stringfellow and Towne’s home on Block Island, Rhode Island.
New York Times clipping, December 22 1970
William Stringfellow was a Christian theologian who’s relationship to his faith brought him to social justice advocacy. Anthony Towne was a satirical poet also motivated by his faith, and he is best known for his obituary of God written in response to the “Death of God” movement by contemporary liberal Christians. They met at a party in Manhattan in 1962, and only a few month later were living together in Stringfellow’s New York apartment. They would remain together, eventually moving to Rhode Island, until Towne’s death in 1980.
Their relationship is an interesting one to parse out. The public face of their relationship did not give many, if any, indications of a homosexual relationship. In fact, the concept of “Christian brotherhood” was often a way for homosexual men to cohabitate and have emotionally intimate relationships in a socially acceptable manner. The writings of of both Stringfellow and Towne also make frequent reference to a faith-centered life and they referred to their Rhode Island home as a “monastery.” They even named their home “Eschaton”, a reference to the end of the world and the beginning of the Kingdom of God.
Close friends, however, assert the two men were homosexual and say that Stringfellow was “almost but not quite out.” It is important to remember the recent historical and political context of “coming out” as an act of self-advocacy and community activism that was just beginning to be publicly championed by the time these two men were together. Prior to this many queer identified folks would opt to navigate the nuanced or ill-defined spaces - such as bachelorhood, religious calling, etc. - for safety, financial security, and social acceptance. The personal letters between the two men are more explicit about the nature of their relationship, however. One letter from Towne to Stringfellow, while the latter had been traveling, expresses his desire to have his partner return and states “[W]e have all sorts of things to do - in bed (especially) - but also out, I guess.”
Learn more about William Stringfellow and Anthony Towne:
A Step Off America - Sojourners
William Stringfellow Profile - LGBT Religious Archives Network
Impeach Nixon Now by William Stringfellow (copy of May 16, 1972 article) - Commonweal
The Life and Death of the Death of God - Nathan Schneider
