King Tut Wore Fancy Headdresses...Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

On my way to the Dallas Museum of Art I was offered a free queer hug. I accepted of course, primarily because I never turn down anything free.

I immediately wanted to know why I was getting a free queer hug, but the hug providers had just gotten there and were very busy, so I didn't get much information beyond the obvious.

Further research indicates that this was part of a "Queer Kiss-in" event created by Queer Liberaction, a Dallas based organization steered towards protecting the civil rights of homosexuals.

I happen to run into the event thanks to the generous hospitality of local family members. My second cousin Beverly and her husband Greg had welcomed me into their home with open arms earlier in the week , and now Greg has invited me to see the famous King Tut exhibit in downtown Dallas. One queer hug later, we are heading past a giant Egyptian guard and into the Dallas Museum of Art.

I owe Greg and Beverly a debt of gratitude because the King Tut exhibit is nothing short of remarkable. It contains room after room of ancient Egyptian artifacts and interesting information on Egyptian history.

The last five rooms hold various treasures excavated straight from Tut's tomb, which is quite the sacrifice if you believe in the curse of King Tut's tomb. Incidentally, if you do believe in the curse, contact me at Logan@projectmeaning.com. I have a financial opportunity for you that coincidentally involves pyramids.

The amazing thing about the artifacts, aside from the pristine condition they remain in after well over three thousand years, is the intricate detail and craftsmanship used. It really drove home the point that entire advanced civilizations existed well before our own and that these civilizations were in many ways just as advanced if not more so than 21st century America.

And yet, they were still prone to fantastic superstitions and steadfast faiths. I have to view their beliefs as such because, frankly, were I to take them at face value, I would be committing an unpardonable sin walking through a museum of a dead pharaoh's treasures. Not only would I be disrespecting the wishes of the dead, but I would be financially contributing to the degradation of Tutankhamun's afterlife.

It seems the Ancient Egyptians also put a lot of thought into the meaning of life. They even devoted a symbol in their alphabet to "life." This symbol is found on many of the artifacts displayed in the museum.


Tutankhamun's life on earth was spectacular but short-lived. Becoming King of Egypt at the impressionable age of nine, he died before reaching his twentieth birthday. And yet his legacy is not limited to the discovery of his burial.

Tut's reign directly followed the rule of Akhenaten, a pharaoh most historians believe to be Tut's father. Akhenaten is best known for changing many of Egypt's deeply seeded and long held beliefs. The most radical change, perhaps, was the shift from a polytheistic society to the worship of a single God, Aten, a disk in the sun.

Tut quickly changed this, restoring most of the society's traditional customs and beliefs, including the worship of many Gods. After all, worshiping one God was an absolutely ridiculous notion.

Which brings me back to free queer hugs.

If one of the great civilizations of all time can radically change the foundation of their religion on the whims of a twelve-year-old rebelling against his father, I think it's only fair that we make an exception for gay people in 2009.

Even if you do believe that the bible directly forbids homosexuality (and if so, you should see that entire list before you make your reservations for heaven), it is presumptive and arrogant to discriminate against a large group of people over something as inconsequential as sexual orientation.

So next time you see a gay person, transgendered individual, or straight guy who just happens to really like musicals holding up a sign, don't be afraid. Give them a hug.

And tell them Akhenaten sent you.