Homosexuality

Since its coining, the term homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. In the original sense, it refers to a sexual orientation characterized by aesthetic attraction, romantic love, and sexual desire exclusively for members of the same sex or gender identity. It can also refer to the manifestation of that orientation in the identity of an individual, which may or may not be at odds with that person's sexual behavior. Finally, it can refer to sexual relations with another of the same sex regardless of one's sexual orientation, self-identification or gender identity.

Social attitudes

Societal attitudes towards same-sex relationships, reflected in the attitude of the state and the church, have varied over the centuries, and from place to place, from requiring all males to engage in relationships, to casual integration, through acceptance, to seeing the practice as a minor sin, repressing it through law enforcement and judicial mechanisms, to proscribing it under penalty of death. See Violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgendered

Related Topics:
Societal attitudes towards same-sex relationships - Violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgendered

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Modern law

Main articles: Homosexuality laws of the world & Same-sex Marriage

Related Topics:
Homosexuality laws of the world - Same-sex Marriage

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The relationship between the moral condemnation of the non-heterosexual community and its legal status is complicated. For instance, in England buggery was a crime under medieval canon law (Christian law) because it was banned by the Church. However, prosecutions for this offense died out. Sexual activity between men was formally banned by the Labouchere Amendment of 1885 as one of a range of sexual offenses, alongside sex with girls aged under 16, as part of an expression of a general moral outrage directed against events of that time.

Related Topics:
Moral - Buggery - Canon law - Labouchere Amendment

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An example of genocide rationalized by a genetically based (rather than religiously-based) doctrine, was the attempted extermination of gays during the Holocaust. The Nazis viewed same-sex attraction as a sign of eugenic weakness (gay gene) rather than as a sin. The situation is further complicated by the homo-erotic sensibility of much Nazi mass-media and propaganda art. According to the theories of depth psychology, when a forbidden impulse becomes strong enough to force its way into consciousness the impulse is frequently made non-threatening by projecting it on other people and attacking its "presence" in them.

Related Topics:
Gays during the Holocaust - Eugenic - Sin

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By the 19th Century most areas adopting the Code Napoleon (French-based civil law) had no specific ban on same-sex intercourse or pre-coital behavior, while many areas with British-based Common Law systems had anti-sodomy statutes and executed gay men and lesbians even as late as the end of the 1800's. One modern example is the oppression of Alan Turing, an English war hero who is credited with cracking the German's Enigma code during World War 2. After the war ended, he was caught in his private home having sex and was forced to undergo 'chemical castration' via hormone treatment under court order.

Related Topics:
Code Napoleon - Alan Turing - Chemical castration

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In the U.S., many states had laws targeting homosexuals until 2003. Some laws outlawed the sale of liquor to three or more gay men, while others legally mandated that homosexuals refrain from same-sex carnal relations or face penalties including chemical 'castration' via hormone treatment. Police raids on places frequented by those who were not heterosexual was common, the most infamous being the police actions that led to the Stonewall riots. In this instance gay men resisted and fought back. Even at the present time, many states allow employers to fire employees because of their sexual orientations or allow landlords to refuse service to non-heterosexuals.

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Beginning in the 20th century, gay rights movements, as part of the broader civil rights movements, and in concert with the development of academic treatments of sexuality in queer studies, have led to changes in social acceptance and in the media portrayal of those who are not heterosexual.

Related Topics:
20th century - Gay rights - Civil rights movement - Queer studies - Media portrayal of those who are not heterosexual

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The legalization and legal equality of same-gender sex, together with legal status for same-sex marriage and non-gender-specific civil unions are major goals of the gay rights movement in its attempts to protect the families of gay people.

Related Topics:
Same-sex marriage - Civil union

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In recent years, a number of jurisdictions have relaxed or eliminated laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity, including sodomy laws and laws preventing gay citizens from serving in their country's armed forces.

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In Bulgaria gay sex between adults (over 18) was legalized in 1951, in Hungary and Czechoslovakia - in 1961. In England and Wales, gay sex was legalized in 1967, for consenting males aged over 21. Scotland followed in 1980, and Northern Ireland in 1982. The age of consent was lowered in 1994 from 21 to 18, and again in 2000 to 16 in mainland Britain and 17 in Northern Ireland. This last change gave it equal treatment with the heterosexual age of consent. However, not until 2003 were the earlier offenses of buggery and gross indecency abolished so that gay sex was treated in the same way as heterosexual sex (previously it was illegal for gay sex to involve more than two people, or for anyone to watch).

Related Topics:
Bulgaria - 1951 - Hungary - Czechoslovakia - 1961 - 1967 - Age of consent - 2003 - Buggery - Gross indecency

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The European Parliament of the European Union, which must approve applications for membership, stated in 1998 that it would not allow countries that violated the rights of lesbians and gay men to enter.

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In the United States, on June 26, 2003 the landmark U.S. Supreme Court verdict Lawrence v. Texas overturned all remaining sodomy laws in the United States. The court reasoned:

Related Topics:
June 26 - 2003 - U.S. Supreme Court - Lawrence v. Texas

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• "A law branding one class of persons as criminal solely based on the State's moral disapproval of that class and the conduct associated with that class runs contrary to the values of the Constitution and the Equal Protection Clause, under any standard of review."

No version of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China articulates that homosexual acts constitute criminal offenses, but before the year 1996, there were cases prosecuted under the clause of "hooliganism". However, the new Criminal Law passed by the National Congress in 1996 gives more details on "hooliganism" which does not include homosexual acts between two consented adults, thus homosexuality has been considered to be completely decriminalized in the PRC. Nevertheless, the majority of the population still have negative feelings toward homosexuality, and there's no law to resort to in protecting the rights of homosexuals, thus they are still discriminated against and even bullied sometimes in Chinese society. In recent years the public (especially the younger generation) have shown more tolerance toward them. In Chinese Hong Kong, homosexuality was also decriminalized as the city approached the end of its colonial era under British rule. After Hong Kong returned to China, further steps were taken by the local supreme court to lower the age of consent for homosexuals down to 16, the same as that for heterosexuals. There is also no law against homosexual acts in Taiwan.

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In Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia there are no laws against same-sex sexual activity.

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Homosexual acts remain illegal in Singapore (see Homosexuality in Singapore and Singapore gay movement), Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Indian subcontinent as a legacy of the Victorian British influence in these countries.

Related Topics:
Homosexuality in Singapore - Singapore gay movement

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Understudied phenomenon

Despite the emollience of attitudes towards homosexuality and acceptance of it in some societies, in psychology it is considered an 'understudied relationship'. In his book, Understudied Relationships, social psychologist S.W. Duck found that most mainstream research is predisposed towards studying only heterosexuality, in terms of relationships in contemporary Western cultures, implicating that same-sex relationships are neglected and ignored by the majority of psychologists. More research since the 1990s has focused on homosexual relationships, rather than just traditional heterosexual relationships.

Related Topics:
Psychology - Social psychologist - Heterosexuality - 1990

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Political aspects

Scapegoating

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Homosexuality has at times been used as a scapegoat by governments facing problems. Some examples would be Nazi Germany's Holocaust of gay men based on the understanding that they were a threat to masculinity as well as contaminating the Aryan Race with a "gay" gene. Another is the burning of 6,000 books of homoerotic poetry of 8th c. Persian-Arab poet Abu Nuwas by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in January 2001, to placate Islamic fundamentalists. During the early 14th century, accusations of homosexual behavior were instrumental in disbanding the Knights Templar by the French court under Philip IV of France (King Philip the Fair). See: Hersey and Pardon of Knights Templar.

Related Topics:
Scapegoat - Nazi Germany - Holocaust - Aryan Race - Gene - Abu Nuwas - Knights Templar - Philip IV of France - Hersey and Pardon of Knights Templar

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Modern Capitalism

Capitalism with its business structures having a great degree of autonomy from a government have often been at the forefront in treating gay men and women equally. In the United States, the level of equal parity is much more common in business structures than governments. As of 2005 approximately 45% of companies within the Fortune 500 offered domestic partner benefits and nine of the top ten companies include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies.

Related Topics:
Capitalism - Autonomy - As of 2005 - Fortune 500 - Domestic partner - Sexual orientation

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Military

Main article: Sexual orientation and military service

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Homosexuality since ancient times has been documented to be more common in militaries with their strict sex-separation contrasted to society at large. Official attitudes towards this form of sexuality have varied, reflecting their culture's views. Ancient Greece among others, as well as pre-modern Japan's military traditions openly encouraged them as a form of male bonding. Many modern countries (such as the United Kingdom) welcome homosexuals in the armed services and offically support soldiers' participation in gay paradeshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4189634.stm. Others, such as the United States purge them from the force in the belief that they are a threat (see Don't Ask, Don't Tell). This negative attitude was common in the European Middle Ages when the Medieval Templars, a prominent Christian brotherhood of knights during the Crusades was destroyed on accusations of homosexuality.

Related Topics:
Militaries - Ancient Greece - Pre-modern Japan's - United Kingdom - Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Templars - Crusades

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The Scouts, a group of youth organizations, often emulate the attitude of their home country's military. Thus the Boy Scouts in the US reject gay members, while the Scout Association in the UK welcomes them both as members and as leaders.

Related Topics:
Scouts - Boy Scouts

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Militaries have been known to use sexuality in abusive manners such as rape, frequently based on a sexist variant of homophobia. Romans who viewed masculinity based on the penetrative sexual position regardless of the sex of the passive partner used it as a form of dominance, including a means to "conquer" an enemy. T. E. Lawrence, during World War I, claimed to have been raped in a homosexual context by his Ottoman captors.

Related Topics:
Sexuality - Rape - Sexist - Homophobia - Romans - Masculinity - T. E. Lawrence - World War I - Ottoman

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Religion

Main article: Religion and homosexuality

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Religion has played a significant role in forming a culture's views towards homosexuality. Historically the negative perceptions have been limited to the Abrahamic religions. Groups not influenced by the Abrahamic religions have commonly regarded homosexuality as sacred or neutral. In the wake of colonialism and imperialism undertaken by countries of the Abrahamic faiths some non-Abrahamic religious groups have adopted new attitudes antagonistic towards homosexuality. For example, when India became part of the British Empire sodomy laws were introduced; while there was no basis for them in Hindu faith, this led to persecution of their society and religion. India still retains portions of these laws due to this past foreign influence as of 2005. This experience was also repeated by other Abrahamic religious nations upon their acquisitions throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Related Topics:
Religion - Colonialism - Imperialism - India - British Empire - Sodomy laws - Persecution - 2005 - Africa - Asia - Americas

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Atheists, Agnostics and Secularists

In societies where a majority religion is opposed to homosexuality, advocates for the rights of non-believers and gay-rights advocates become natural allies on certain political and cultural issues. However, being atheist, agnostic or secularist does not necessarily imply support for gay rights or approval of homosexuality. Various non-believers disapprove of homosexuality for various cultural, personal, and other non-religious reasons, and secular states, such as the countries of the Communist bloc, can at the same time be antagonistic to homosexuality.

Related Topics:
Atheist - Agnostic - Secularist - Communist bloc

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Religious people who disagree with the condemnation of sodomy by their religious institution tend to leave their faith in greater numbers than those who agree with it (and thus are more likely to become non-believers, though many simply move to sects which approve of same-sex couples). But as with many religious issues, many dissidents, including lesbian and gay people themselves, maintain their religious affiliation and practice despite their disagreements.

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Abrahamic

The world's three major Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, have historically been the primary sources condemning homosexuality in the world. The first recorded law against homosexuality is found in the holiness code of Leviticus. Among many other acts, homosexual intercourse between men is a capital offense.

Related Topics:
Abrahamic religions - Christianity - Islam - Judaism - Holiness code - Leviticus - Men - Capital offense

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Today some major denominations within these religions, such as Reform Judaism, have accepted homosexuality, arguing that it was originally intended as a means of distinguishing religious worship between Abrahamic and pagan faiths, specifically Greek (Ganymede) and Egyptian (see Torah or Old Testament) rituals that made homosexuality a religious practice and not merely human sexuality, and is thus no longer relevant. "Liberal" Christian denominations such Unitarian-Universalists and many Presbyterian and Anglican churches currently condone homosexuality, and perform same-sex marriages (as do Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism).

Related Topics:
Pagan - Ganymede - Unitarian-Universalists - Presbyterian - Anglican - Same-sex marriages

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Christianity

Main articles: Homosexuality and Christianity

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The attitude of Early Christians toward homosexuality has been much debated. One side has cited denunciations of sodomy in the writings of the era, such as in the Didache and in the writings of Saint Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, Eusebius, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, and in doctrinal sources such as the "Apostolic Constitutions" - for example, Eusebius of Caesarea's statement which condemns "the union of women with women and men with men". Others claim that passages have been mistranslated or they do not refer to homosexuality. Some Christians maintain that the Bible, principally in Leviticus 18 and Romans 1, denounces homosexual activity as a sin, in the eyes of God an "abomination" — a term used to describe a wide range of offenses, from incest and bestiality (sex with animals), to eating shellfish.

Related Topics:
Christian - Didache - Saint - Justin - Martyr - Clement of Alexandria - Tertullian - St. Cyprian - Eusebius - St. Basil the Great - St. John Chrysostom - St. Augustine - Eusebius of Caesarea - Leviticus - Romans

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Among the prominent Christian figures known to have had same-sex relationships, Richard I of England had a relationship with King Philip II of France, Ralph Archbishop of Tours had his lover John installed as bishop of Orleans with agreement of both the King of France and Pope Urban II, and a number of popes and cardinals, especially during the Renaissance, also shared the popular tastes for handsome youths, so prevalent at the time in northern Italy.

Related Topics:
Richard I of England - King Philip II of France - France - Pope Urban II - Pope - Cardinal - Renaissance - Italy

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Other Christians of the time were critical of homosexuality. St. Thomas Aquinas denounced sodomy as second only to bestiality (sex with animals) as the worst of all sexual sins, and St. Hildegard's book "Scivias", which was officially approved by Pope Eugenius III, related visions in which same-sex relations are condemned as "perverted forms".

Related Topics:
St. Thomas Aquinas - St. Hildegard's - Pope Eugenius III

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Islam

Main articles: Homosexuality and Islam and Pederasty

Related Topics:
Homosexuality and Islam - Pederasty

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Islamic teachings (in the hadith tradition) presume same-sex attraction, extoll abstention and (in the Qur'an) condemn consummation. In concordance with those creeds, in Islamic countries, male desire for attractive male youths is widely expected and condoned as a human characteristic. However, it is thought that restraint from either acting on, or revealing, this desire is rewarded with an afterlife in paradise, where one is attended by perpetually young virgin lovers, women and men, houri and ghilman. (Al-Waqia 56.37, Qur'an) Homosexual intercourse itself has been interpreted to be a form of lust and a violation of the Qur'an. Thus, while homosexuality as an attraction is not against the Sharia (Islamic law, which governs the physical actions, rather than the inner thoughts and feelings), the physical action of same-sex intercourse is punishable under the Sharia.

Related Topics:
Hadith - Qur'an - Male desire for attractive male youths - Houri - Ghilman - Sharia

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Same-sex relations between adult males are segregated in a manner analogous to the segregation between the sexes. Thus, the passive role is generally taken on by an underclass of males, often transvestite or transgender who routinely would be entertainers by profession and who would be both despised for their submissive sexual role and admired for their skills. In earlier years these would have had their start through the traditional baccha or kocek roles. The active role is played by men who do not self-identify as homosexual, who typically conform to societal expectation to marry and have children and view their homosexual adventures as further confirmation of their masculinity. While this construction reflects the way Muslim men generally represent the culture to themselves, actual practices may vary a great deal.

Related Topics:
Transvestite - Transgender - Baccha - Kocek

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The discourse on homosexuality in Islam is primarily concerned with activities between men. Relations between women, if at all problematized, are treated akin to adultery, and al-Tabari records an execution of a harem couple under caliph al-Hadi.

Related Topics:
Al-Tabari - Harem - Caliph - Al-Hadi

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Historically, and with exceptions, punishment for male same-sex relations has been less severe compared to its Abrahamic counterparts: Judaism and Christianity. The Qur'an states that if a person commits the sin they can repent and save their life. Many Islamic cultures, early ones such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Canaanites, where homosexuality was entrenched into their culture - as some claim - by exposure to Hellenistic culture, as well as later cultures such as the Abbasid caliphate and Safavid Persia, were renowned for cultivating a sophisticated homosexual aesthetic reflected in art and literature. They reconciled their love life with their religion using a hadith, from a collection of quotations ascribed to Muhammad, the founder of Islam "He who loves and remains chaste and conceals his secret and dies, dies a martyr". However, later hadiths are harsher: "When a man mounts another man, the throne of God shakes... Kill the one that is doing it and also kill the one that it is being done to." Both ancient and modern fundamentalists have interpreted these injunctions literally, with resulting loss of life.

Related Topics:
Qur'an - Babylonians - Egyptian - Canaanites - Hellenistic - Abbasid - Safavid - Persia - Muhammad - Islam

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The result is a religion that allows love between those of the same gender as long as they do not have sexual intercourse. Ibn Hazm, Ibn Daud, Al-Mutamid, Abu Nuwas, and many others used this edict to write extensively and openly of love between men while proclaiming to be chaste. Furthermore, in order for the transgression to be proven, at least four men or eight women must bear witness against the accused, thus making it very difficult to persecute those who do not remain celibate in the privacy of their homes.

Related Topics:
Ibn Hazm - Ibn Daud - Al-Mutamid - Abu Nuwas

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The teachings of Islam have themselves been used to justify love and sexual expression between males. In particular, those who argue for the validity of male same-sex love point out that Allah has repeatedly indicated that the male is worth twice as much as the female, as reflected in matters of inheritance and bearing witness (Qur'an, iv. 38; Qur'an, ii. 282; Qur'an, iv. 175), and thus, by a process of induction, they must be worthier objects of desire as well. Debate Between the Wise Woman and the Sage

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Judaism

Main article: Homosexuality and Judaism

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The historically prevalent view in Jewish law has been that homosexual intercourse by men and women was sinful, arguing that it was forbidden by the Torah. For men this position is based on an interpretation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, that homosexual intercourse between men is considered on the same level as idolatry, requiring death, and for women it is based on Leviticus 18:2-3, where the Israelites are commanded not to follow the ways of the Egyptians or Canaanites. However, since the late twentieth century this has been a subject of contention between various Jewish groups, and has led to both debate and division among modern Jews.

Related Topics:
Jewish law - Torah - Leviticus - Idolatry - Twentieth century - Jew

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Reform Judaism argues that homosexuality is a natural attraction, and that the prohibition in the Torah was addressing pagan religious rituals, specifically Egyptian and Canaanite fertility cults and temple prostitution. The official position of Conservative Judaism, formulated in 1992, is that homosexual intercourse is sinful, and the movement does not ordain homosexuals as rabbis or cantors, but insists that homosexual Jews should be welcomed within the movement. In 2003 the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly recognized divisions within the movement, and promised to reevaluate the position in the near future. Orthodox Judaism views homosexual activity as sinful, but halakhic decisors have differed on the causes (and thus severity) of the sin, and on how one should interact with gay Jews. Currently same-sex marriages are forbidden in Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, but Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism allow them.

Related Topics:
Reform Judaism - Egyptian - Canaanite - Conservative Judaism - Rabbi - Cantor - Orthodox Judaism - Halakhic - Same-sex marriages - Reconstructionist Judaism

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Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism

Main articles: Homosexuality and Buddhism and Homosexuality and Taoism

Related Topics:
Homosexuality and Buddhism - Homosexuality and Taoism

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Buddhism

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In Buddhism, the third of the Five Precepts states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct. Among the many interpretations of what constitutes "sexual misconduct" are: sex outside of marriage (a relatively modern idea), sex with another person without the consent of your life partner, or the historically prevalent view that it was limited to describe rape, incest, and bestiality.

Related Topics:
Buddhism - Five Precepts - Sexual misconduct - Rape - Incest - Bestiality

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No Buddhist school prior to the European Imperialism that began larely around the 17th Century had ever described homosexuality as "sexual misconduct". Traditionally, however, monks are expected to be celibate and restrain themselves from all sexual activity. For laypersons Buddhist leaders throughout Asia have accepted or even sanctified homosexuality.

Related Topics:
17th Century - Asia

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Buddhist schools condemning homosexuality for laymen is a recent development and there is no scriptural basis upon which it is to be condemned. The closest would be a few Buddhists who now equate homosexuality to a disability or being a transvestite.article on that The Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism has campaigned against prejudice toward homosexuals, but at the same time has adopted a religious view against non-procreative sex.

Related Topics:
Transvestite - Dalai Lama

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In China where believers often belong to Confucianism as well, traditionally exclusive homosexuality was discouraged because it would prevent a son from carrying out his Confucian religious duty to reproduce, whereas non-exclusive homosexuality was permissible and widely practiced. Monogamy was an unusual and foreign idea to many Asians until contact with the West. Chinese traditions attribute homosexuality to the Yellow Emperor, the father of China.

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In India, Tibet, China, Southeast Asia and Japan, areas where Buddhism was or remains one of the chief religions their cultures have been historically unconcerned with the gender of sexual activity or the object of desire.

Related Topics:
India - Tibet - China - Southeast Asia - Japan - Sexual activity

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Within Japanese traditions homosexuality was "invented" by the Bodhisattva Manjusri of wisdom and the sage Kukai, the founder of Buddhism in Japan. A Japanese Buddhist scholar, Kitamura Kigin, addressing a Christian audience reported that the Japanese interpretations of Buddha at AD 1676 actually said that heterosexuality was to be avoided for priests and homosexuality allowed.

Related Topics:
Bodhisattva - Manjusri - Kukai - Kitamura Kigin - 1676

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Taoism

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Homosexuality is not forbidden by the Taoist Holy Books (the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuang Zi). However, many Taoists believe that exclusive homosexuality is wrong, but many others see nothing wrong with it.

Related Topics:
Tao Te Ching - Zhuang Zi

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To understand why this is, one must understand Taoism's intertwined status with Confucianism and Buddhism in many adherents. A great many Taoists combine Confucian thought that requires sons to further the family lineage by reproduction.

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Both Taoism and Buddhism do not forbid exclusive homosexuality but Confucianism did by insisting that a son?s religious duty included reproduction to further the family lineage. Taoists who find nothing wrong with exclusive homosexuality usually do not believe in Confucianism or have dropped their requirement of heterosexual relations due to medicinal advancements that allow reproduction without such sex, using IVF and/or surrogacy.

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This has been the traditional view of homosexuality in Taoism, that homosexual acts in it self are not wrong but all men are still required to reproduce. For example, Taoists may have homosexual relations as long as they continue the family tree by having a child with at least one woman.

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Hinduism

Main article: Homosexuality and Hinduism

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The Indian Kama Sutra written in the third century CE contains passages describing hijras performing oral sex to men with tips to maximize pleasure. Prior to British colonization of India hijras were not the only homosexual activity, many engaged in a form of pederasty which was openly practiced by Muslims and Sikhs in the north while being overlooked in the south by Hindus. The terms gand-mara (anus beater), gando (ass-taker) and ganga ("anuser") were coined during this time period. During British control Hinduism became markedly antagonistic to homosexuality.

Related Topics:
Kama Sutra - Third century CE - Hijra - Pederasty - Muslim - Sikh - British control

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In Hinduism many divinities are androgynous with some changing sex to participate in homoerotic behavior.

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Greco-Roman religion

Main articles: Pederasty, Mythology of same-sex love

Related Topics:
Pederasty - Mythology of same-sex love

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In Greco-Roman religion same-sex love was integrated in sacred texts and rituals, reflecting the fact that in antiquity it was considered normal to be open to romantic engagements with either sex. Certain surviving myths depict homosexual bonds (see History), sanctified by divinities modeling such relationships. See Zeus and Ganymede as an example.

Related Topics:
Myths - Homosexual bonds - History - Zeus and Ganymede

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The Sumerian religion also held homosexuality sacred. It also was incorporated into various New World religions, such as the Aztec. It is thought to have been common in shamanic practice.

Related Topics:
Sumerian - New World - Aztec - Shamanic

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Mythological figures who engaged in same-sex love

Main article: Mythology of same-sex love

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Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Poseidon, Pelops, Zeus, Ganymede, Laius, Chrysippus, Iphis, Ianthe, Heracles, Iolaus, Hylas, Abderus, Apollo, Orpheus, Hyacinthus, Cyparissus, Pan, Daphnis, Achilles, Patroclus, Narcissus, Ameinias, Xochipilli

Related Topics:
Gilgamesh - Enkidu - Poseidon - Pelops - Zeus - Ganymede - Laius - Chrysippus - Iphis - Ianthe - Heracles - Iolaus - Hylas - Abderus - Apollo - Orpheus - Hyacinthus - Cyparissus - Pan - Daphnis - Achilles - Patroclus - Narcissus - Ameinias - Xochipilli

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Polemic

Main article: Anti-gay slogan

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Same-sex love practices have been the subject of a continuing debate dating back at least to Classical Greece. In antiquity, and in countries not under the sway of Abrahamic beliefs, the debates usually took the form of debating which love is best, the love of women or the love of boys, unlike more recent discussions which frame the question in terms of "right" and "wrong."

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Each camp has made use of a relatively circumscribed arsenal of arguments, some of which have not changed greatly over the past two and a half thousand years. Recent advances in sociological studies and other discourse such as queer theory have brought a measure of scientific rigor to what had been mostly a philosophical debate.

Related Topics:
Sociological studies - Discourse - Queer theory

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Con

• "Same-sex love is against nature" This charge dates back to Classical Greece, where it was first articulated by Plato in his "Laws."
• "It is condemned by God." Expressed by early Christian exegetes (claimed to be the moral of the Sodom and Gomorrah story), and by Muhammad in the Qur'an.
• "It leads to plagues and natural disasters." Advanced by Christian authorities from late Antiquity through the Renaissance.
• "It is abuse of the young." Encountered in "Erotes," a dialogue of the early Christian era by "Lucian."
• "It is a dissipation of one's vital force." Also in Lucian.

Pro

• "It is commonplace in nature." Based on zoologists' observations of many different species (see Bagemihl in References).
• "Suppressing it alters the balance of nature." A Melanesian belief documented by Bagemihl.
• "It foments close friendships and independent thinking." Also in Lucian
• "The male form is superior to the female form." Medieval Arabic text included in the Arabian Nights (The Debate Between the Wise Woman and the Sage).