Andrew Lear

Andrew Lear (born December 21, 1958) is a Classicist and scholar of gender history and the history of sexuality. His research focuses on concepts of gender and sexuality in ancient Greek poetry and art. His book on male-male erotic scenes in ancient Athenian vase-painting (Images of Ancient Greek Pederasty: Boys Were Their Gods, co-authored with Eva Cantarella, Routledge 2008), was positively reviewed: it greatly expanded the number of known scenes and proposed a sophisticated framework for their interpretation. He has written articles on topics including gender ideals in the work of Greek poets Anacreon and Theognis, as well as book reviews for Classical World. Lear is seen as an expert on the comparison between ancient and modern views and practices of gender and sexuality. His poems and translations have appeared in such journals as Persephone, the Southern Humanities Review, and Literary Imagination. He has taught at Harvard, Columbia, Pomona College, and NYU.

In addition to his academic career, Lear designs and leads educational tours on topics related to his research. In 2013, he founded Oscar Wilde Tours, the first tour company focused on LGBT history. Oscar Wilde Tours gives "gay secrets" museum tours that illuminate the history of homosexuality hidden in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, and London's National Portrait Gallery. It also offers multi-day tours in Europe focused on gay history and art. Oscar Wilde Tours won the Travvy silver prize in 2016 for best LGBT tour operator. In 2016, Lear expanded this line by founding Shady Ladies Tours, a tour company focused on women’s history. Their Shady Ladies tour of the Metropolitan Museum presents depictions of royal mistresses and courtesans in the collection, and the Nasty Women tour is about pathbreaking women from Pharaoh Hatshepsut to Gertrude Stein.