Mathew Kuefler's Chapter 'Homosexuality'

Though same-sex relationships have been a prominent aspect of many cultures almost since the beginning of time, there has historically been a significant taboo surrounding the phenomenon in the Western world. "From the Fourteenth Century on, Western Europe was gripped by a rabid and obsessive negative preoccupation with homosexuality as the most horrible of sins" (Boswell 262). The majority of people did not understand or accept the idea, and consequentially did not have an appropriate way of talking about it. Over the years, as various cultures identified and even implemented practices currently associated with homosexuality, there arose a need for common terminology. Until the eighteenth century, it was referred to through the practices

It was not until the twelfth century that homosexuality started to be condemned. This condemnation proved to live through then until now. Due to the fact that America incorporated these early views into its early laws, even the most bland of today's sex acts were seen as unlawful (“Homosexuality and Mental Health”). Since then, these laws have changed, however, there is still a primarily negative connotation on homosexuals when coming from a church or legal standpoint concerning the masses of America.

In “The Myth of Homosexuality” by Christine Downing, there is the discussion of homosexuality and its meaning over the years. Downing begins the article by stating how a myth has classified women-on-women and men-on-men relationships to fall under the same term of homosexuality, but there is much deeper understanding to it than that. The classification under one word has caused a lot of shaping concerning how they are viewed or how they view themselves. In order to look past the surface of what defines the myth, Downing states that we must start with the culture’s myth and it’s origin.

The problem of sexuality emerged in the 19th century as biological, social, psychological and moral concern. Homosexual was first defined as a kind person and later changed. With the change of definition of homosexuality led to social anxieties from the threat of

The second chapter, “Writing the Homophile Self”, describes the struggles many homosexuals face in Christianity. White analyzes the relationship, or lack thereof, some individuals have with religion due to the damning nature of homosexuality. In contrast, others did choose to continue to follow God and find comfort in more accepting congregations. Regardless, many homosexuals pushed for a social reform rather than the therapeutic methods. Doing so, the homophile movement brought same-sex relationships to light within the modern world and modern

These sentiments continue until the medieval period, where Henry VIII formalises penalties and outlaws homosexual activity by passing the Buggery Act of 1533. The Act defined buggery as ‘an unnatural sexual act against the will of God and man’. This is a pivotal point, as it is no longer just a prohibition or social taboo, but these activities can be punishable with the death penalty.

Social attitudes about “homosexuality” in ancient Rome differed remarkably to those assumptions of the contemporary Western civilization. The Greeks and Romans had no concept of homosexuality or heterosexuality; the ancient world was exceptionally tolerant of homosexuality, or more specifically bisexuality, as these relationships had been present even in Trajan’s reign. Male prostitutes were appropriately common on the streets, however, what was of great consequence within the sexual relationship between two men were age and the status of sexual dominance and sexual submission (Potts). Men were free to take part in sexual behaviors with other men without any perceived loss of social status, provided that the older male of higher status was in the commanding position. This status reflected on ones manhood and masculinity, “the role of the submissive reduced the passive partner to the level of a woman (Potts).” Nevertheless, Men were still expected to have sexual attraction and relationships towards women because virility and procreation were important to Roman

In other words, more studies were made and the term “perversions,” which included sodomy was used to say that same-sex relation was not ideal to their religion. Even though “perversion” included sodomy, this was a change where people began to use science to come up with these discoveries rather than religion. In the 1800s, same-sex relations toward men was more opened. They didn’t find it a problem for two men to do anything together. In the end of the Victorian age, men and women were kept

Although during the early modern period the term “homosexuality” may not have existed, the persecution of homosexuals was a vicious practice which was sweeping across society in Early Modern Europe. Without a name, homosexuality and homosexual identities were heavily diluted down to simple definitions which would set the standard for how homosexual identities developed and how homosexual individuals were treated for many years to come. This essay will discuss the criminalization of sodomy and the demonization of homosexual individuals in Early Modern European society. It will also argue that these brutal practices and

Although the fate of bisexual beings became less cruel as time went by, the only possible status for such persons was on the borderline of society. In periods of crisis, hermaphrodites became scapegoats for fear and uncertainty. When a child was born with abnormal sexual organs, the community, who interpreted this as a sign of divine wrath, immediately sentenced him to death. During Greek and Roman antiquity a whole series of laws ordered parents to expose their newborn children. Abnormal children were seen as signs of evil that had to be removed by the state by being cast out beyond the limits of the city. However, although this was regarded as a necessary ‘purification’ of the city, it was important to avoid directly killing these abnormal children and burying them. In killing them, there was a risk of turning them into biaiothanatoi ( victims of a violent death); it was believed at the time that they would come back to take their revenge or aoroi struck by premature death. So they preferred to expose them, offering them up to the will of the gods who could do with them as they wished. This custom only died out during the first centuries AD.

Homosexuality has become a controversial topic in society today in terms of politics, philosophy, and religion. The discussion of the moral permissibility of homosexuality is often portrayed in the media and has indubitably captured the attention of many, attracting both positive and negative responses. Michael Levin, a renowned philosopher considers homosexuality an act of absurdity and abnormality – maintaining a negative position on the debate question. Through his article “Why Homosexuality is Abnormal,” Levin further supports his view using several arguments. Levin goes on to claim that homosexuality involves the misuse of bodily parts (Levin 161), and finally concludes that homosexuality should be discouraged; as Levin strongly believes

The perception of human sexuality has changed continuously from one decade to another. While studying the history of sexuality I learned that in the middle Ages when it came to sex and sexuality the church had a very big influence on sex and sexuality. The influence of religion and the majority of the population seemed to always control was sex was. Sexual activities that were not accepted by the church were regarded as sinfulness. Sex was something you didn’t expose to the public. If you were having sex it was only intended for procreation. All forms of sexual activities like oral sex, masturbation, anal sex, or bestiality were condemned. However when it came to gender Men were also given a lot of power over women when it came to sex. Women were supposed to be virtuous and pure.

In this chapter of the book, there’s one thing that I found especially intriguing. It is that the in ancient greek, homosexuality is regarded as normal and practiced a lot. There was not a long time that in modern world, homosexuality is a taboo and was treated as a disease. If we talk about this, we cannot easily figure the difference in the social structure and maybe culture that led to this. Why are we developing the attitude similar back to the Greek days?

Homosexuality is not a 20th century situation but has been in history from the age of ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, and even China. The attitude toward homosexuality always has been a variable, depending on the social, cultural and morality, or even the political development (Barnecka et al., 2005). Back in Greek history the concept of relations between two men was seen as the highest form of love, whereas the Judaic view always was against and frowned upon these relations considering it immoral and illegal. However, when the Roman rule was destroyed and the Christians took over Europe, homosexuality was seen as perverse (Woodward, 1997).

As religious culture took hold of many countries, the normality and acceptance of homosexual behavior became viewed as a sinful life. The spread of homophobia attributed to so-called “accurate translations” of the bible condemning such a lifestyle began as early as the 12th century. In the year 342, the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans declared the death penalty for any man who played the role of a wife. In the year 390, the Christian emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius I, and Arcadius accused males "acting the part of a woman" to be publicly burned in order to make sure such acts openly condemnable. The Christian emperor Justinian, years 527–565, made those who would now be called "homosexuals" a scapegoat for problems such as famines, earthquakes, and pestilences (Crogiez, Jailette & Poinsotte, 2009). Overwhelming fear and distrust spread throughout the societies, permanently changing the way homosexuality would be received for decades.