As part of my research for "Book II - MIRIAM," I discovered many medieval Christian clerics who loved each other passionately and weren't ashamed to write about their feelings. Now, as I'm learning about the First Crusade as I write "Book III - RACHEL," I found a pair of young Jewish men, both sons of rabbis, from Cologne who could give those Christian fellows a lesson about love. Here's from a 12th century Jewish medieval account of their martyrdom in 1096:
Two young men, R. Samuel the bridegroom ben R. Gedaliah and Yehiel ben R. Samuel, were cherished in life - for they loved each other exceedingly and were not parted in death. When they decided to throw themselves into the water, they kissed each other, and held one another, and embraced one another by the shoulders, and wept for one another and said, "Woe for our youth ... Better to die here for the Holy One's great Name than the uncircumcised seize us and sully us with their evil waters. Yet I cannot bear to see the death of my friend." The pious ones ascended the tower, clasped one another by the hand, and threw themselves into the Rhine, and died together in the river. Thus they fulfilled the verse: "They were never parted in death." (sorry - I can't find what verse this is)