The icon you see resides in St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mt. Sinai in Israel. The two men pictured lived around 303 CE, and are robed Christian Saints and martyrs, St. Sergius and St. Bacchus. They are also Roman soldiers. Between them, in the
small circle is a traditional Roman "pronubus" – or in other words, a best man, overseeing the wedding. In this case, he is Christ. With two saints, you do have to climb the ladder a bit for a "best man."
They were not made martyred for their marriage, or "opposite marriage" relationship – which as we see here, and by Vatican archives was common and blessed no differently than a heterosexual marriage, something the church has not been forthcoming about, just as they have not revealed that early priests were
allowed to marry. As an aside, I know the macho will have trouble accepting the
warrior couple idea, but it’s history lads. In many parts of the world, male bonding on the battlefield went beyond sharing ancient c-rations. The two pictured were killed because they were ordered to enter a pagan temple and refused, thus exposing their Christian faith. Being a Christian in the Roman
Army was definitely a "don’t tell" unless you wished to be flogged to death or beheaded as was the fate of these two saints.
Late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, Prof. John Boswell, discovered church liturgical documents showing ceremonies for heterosexual marriages, and ceremonies called "Office of Same-Sex Union" from the 10th and 12th century which were conducted and accepted exactly as were heterosexual marriages. This is the very tip of what is in the Vatican archives. It seems a sin and obscenity that to serve their own purposes, the church has suppressed history, and their original laws and ideals. It is this very suppression which
unintentionally has had a part in the marginalizing of gay people in our world today.
Boswell has much more to say, but in summation for now I leave you with this quote.
"It proves that for the last two millennia, in parish churches and cathedrals throughout Christendom, from Ireland to Istanbul and even in the heart of Rome itself, homosexual relationships were accepted as valid expressions of a
God-given love and committment to another person, a love that could be celebrated, honored and blessed, through the Eucharist in the name of, and in the presence of, Jesus Christ.
Icon and Vatican Archives Proof That Same Sex Marriage Was Blessed By Early Christians