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You will however, understand exactly what they’re saying from the context of the video

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Though she became famous for her fairy tales, Henriette-Julie de Castelnau de Murat (1668–1715) was no fairy tale herself. She lived boldly and defiantly, undeterred by scandal or imprisonment.

The prison of marriage

Raised in one of the most prestigious circles of Parisian society, Henriette-Julie was married against her will in 1691 to Nicolas de Murat, a military officer who proved to be a violent and alcoholic husband.

In her Memoirs, she recalls her despair at this fate. On one occasion, she escaped by disguising herself and her daughters as peasant women, slipping away with the workers who had come to the castle. Eventually, she sought refuge in an abbey—but her family, far from supporting her, tried to force her back into her husband’s hands.

This episode left a lasting mark on her. Her writings reveal a fierce determination to defend and uplift women.

The sorority of fairy tales

Thanks to her wit and beauty, Henriette-Julie soon became a fixture of the literary salons of her time. She was especially close to fellow women writers such as Marie-Jeanne L’Héritier and Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, who, like her, cultivated the art of the fairy tale. That era saw the rise of a female-driven literary culture, where women resisted their detractors and carved out their place. Recognition came when Henriette-Julie and her peers were admitted to Padua’s Accademia Galileiana.

Fairy tales opened a door to utopia—a way to reimagine power and gender dynamics. She embraced this possibility to the fullest, drawing inspiration from diverse sources and weaving vibrant, sensual worlds. Her heroines were daring figures: one princess disguises herself as a soldier and earns glory through her valor in battle.

A perfume of scandal

By 1694, rumors circulated that Henriette-Julie had penned a biting satire of the court. In the years that followed, her behavior drew ever more scrutiny. Police reports multiplied, denouncing the “disorders” of her conduct and her “domestic impieties.” Behind these phrases lay the real accusation: her lesbian relationships.

By 1700, she had separated from her husband. Hounded by rumors and accusations, and disinherited by her mother, she went to live with Madame de Nantiat, herself exiled from Paris under similar suspicions.

A difficult prisoner

Because of her liaisons, Henriette-Julie was imprisoned and exiled to the Château de Loches in 1702. Four years later, she attempted a daring escape, slipping into the night dressed as a man and armed with a sword. Despite her resistance, she was captured and brought back.

Yet even in captivity, Henriette-Julie never ceased to write. She completed novels and kept a journal. In 1709, she was granted partial freedom and withdrew to the Limousin. It was only in 1715 that the Duke of Orléans restored her full liberty.

But years of confinement had taken their toll. Weakened by her ordeals, Henriette-Julie died the following year in her family’s château at Le Mans.

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Further reading: 

Mothu Alain, “Les « impiétés domestiques » de Mme de Murat”

Murat, madame de, Contes de fées queer

Murat, madame de, Mémoires de Madame la comtesse de M*** 

Robinson David Michael, “The Abominable Madame de Murat”

The mother of the last two Byzantine emperors, Helena Dragaš (c. 1372–1450) was a driving political force during the empire’s final years.

The Serbian bride

Helena was the daughter of the Serbian ruler Constantine Dragaš. In 1391, she married Emperor Manuel II, who had remained a bachelor until then. Helena was therefore much younger than him. Manuel II had long opposed marriage, fearing that having a wife and family would make him vulnerable in those troubled times. However, his influential mother, Helena Kantakouzene, convinced him to marry.

The union was celebrated in Constantinople with a splendid ceremony. In addition to sealing a strategic alliance, Manuel II gained a wife he could rely on. Helena indeed possessed great spiritual strength, and there are no negative comments about her in sources from the period.

Their relationship appears to have been harmonious. Manuel II had fathered illegitimate children before his marriage, but none are recorded afterward. Helena became the mother of a large family: six of her sons survived into adulthood. Four other children died in infancy, including two daughters whose names were never recorded.

A long wait

The empire was facing a difficult situation, particularly because of the threat posed by Bayezid I. By 1399, the imperial family had endured five years under siege in Constantinople. Manuel II therefore decided to seek help from European rulers. Before leaving, he sent his family to the Peloponnese.

Manuel II’s journey failed to secure the support he hoped for. However, the arrival of Timur and the crushing defeat he inflicted upon the sultan temporarily relieved the empire of that danger.

In the decades that followed, Helena remained a discreet presence. She was likely occupied with managing the large imperial household. Nevertheless, she became an influential figure during the final years of Manuel II’s reign, particularly in diplomacy.

How do you know the history of slavery and colonization and then conclude this. How does this happen, why did this spread and being parroted unquestioningly.

how do you find it perfectly okay to say that you can't tell the difference between a whole entire male and a female just because the female is black

They knew exactly who to rape to make them have their children, they knew exactly who to force to breastfeed their babies, they knew exactly who to torture and experiment on the reproductive system of.

We were viewed as subhuman cattle.

Ask yourself why a woman with breasts, who dresses in a way her culture says she shouldn't dress, makes you uncomfortable.