, ▁which ▁is ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁explicitly ▁gay ▁cult ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁ ▁century . ▁These ▁er otic ized ▁in nu end os ▁are ▁what ▁intr ig ues ▁and ▁draw s ▁this ▁er otic ▁interest ▁to ▁Saint ▁Sebastian , ▁not ▁his ▁legacy ▁of ▁p iety ▁and ▁ ▁historical ▁sain th ood . ▁ ▁American ▁author ▁Richard ▁A . ▁K aye ▁claims ▁the ▁following ▁opinion : ▁▁ ▁Some ▁famous ▁paint ings ▁dep ict ing ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ▁interest ▁sch ol ars ▁studying ▁hom o er otic ism ▁in ▁bib lic al ▁art . ▁However , ▁unlike ▁other ▁Christian ▁sain ts ▁who ▁are ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁popular ▁within ▁the ▁gay ▁community , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁historical ▁record ▁of ▁any ▁of ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ' s ▁relationships , ▁hom osex ual ▁or ▁otherwise . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁The ▁three ▁paint ings ▁by ▁M ante g na ▁ ▁Le ▁mart y re ▁de ▁Saint ▁S éb ast ien , ▁Claude ▁Deb uss y ▁ ▁Saint ▁Sebastian ▁at ▁the ▁Column ▁ ▁Santa ▁M uerte , ▁from ▁Mexican ▁folk ▁Catholic ism , ▁who ▁is ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Santa ▁Sebast iana ▁ ▁Sebast iane , ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁gay ▁them ed ▁film ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁S ources ▁B ark er , ▁She ila , ▁The ▁M aking ▁of ▁a ▁Pl ague ▁Saint , ▁ch . ▁ 4 ▁in ▁Piet y ▁and ▁Pl ague : ▁from ▁By z ant ium ▁to ▁the ▁Bar o que , ▁Ed . ▁Franco ▁M orm ando