Homosexuality in History, Essay Example

Homosexuality in History by: Colin Spencer

The study of our history can enlighten us to the origin of our sexuality and how it has evolved through ethnographic evidence and tribes and through myths of same sex loving that has survived through times historically thorough present times.  There are other facets to consider when looking at human sexuality such as scientific facets. Zoology vehemently states that the ‘selfish impulse’ is dominated by the ‘selfish gene’ and is an argument for what people view as unnatural. The female only needs the male species for procreation and when this happens males become indispensible. In this case male bonding is certain to exist, especially homosexuality. If a young male cannot compete with a strong male his only choice is to interact between primate play between two of the same gender. “A study by Frans de Waal’ of bonobo chimpanzees describes playful wrestling and tickling which soon turned into erotic games-juvenile games with erections fellating each other-or group sex”(Colin 1996).

“The hierarchy chain of animals is  based on their strength, condition, weight and a secretion gland in their forehead especially in the antelope for the purpose of this discussion. For example very strong and avid male antelope will approach the dominant male and if the less dominant antelope chooses to  lower his head slightly, the dominant male sniffs the forehead and the weaker male most always retreats.”(Colin, 1996).“Copulated play is both varied and frequent in immature animals but is often associated with homosexual, heterosexual, exhibitionist, and masturbatory activity.” (Colin, 1996).

The chimpanzee is thought to be most related to humans than any of the giant apes, particularly the bonobo. It is thought to be the most intelligent of animals with regard to those resembling the intelligence of humans. This has been a scientific classification for many years.  They walk on two legs with much greater ease than apes and are happy in living and playing in water, wading fish and even swimming. These are all similarities similar to what the human does to play and survive.  “The females are happy to mate in the ‘missionary position’ throughout their entire life which is similar to that of the human species. They are happy to mate with the male species but also with each other which has not been proven in the human species but often theorized. It would be taboo to come out and make lesbianism a tradition sexual play.  Their genitals are of bright pink colour and the males enjoy rubbing his genitals against the female genitals. There appears to be an intense forming of bonding, but not orgasmic.” [1](“Animals Prefer Homosexuality to Evolutionalism”)

Initiation rituals were of grand participation many years ago dating back to as far as 10,000 years ago with some tribes. “There was homosexual insemination of young boys in the Marind and Kiman tribes. Every boy past infancy was taken was taken away from his mother’s house and to sleep with his father in his father’s house. At first sign of puberty, his maternal uncle was appointed to penetrate the boy annually thus feeding him with the sperm which would make him strong. The boys remained in this phase for three years.” [2](Gomes, C, 2004).

Surprisingly women ranked homosexuality higher than heterosexuality because their value system fears castration and death. Though women were kept secret; secrets to be admired yet feared. “For Greek men, the primary purpose of a wife was to produce legitimate offspring, and so Greek women were married off young, consigned to a life of domestic labour, and kept strictly controlled and secluded by their husbands. Lower-class women were sometimes forced by economic necessity to sell produce or cloth in the marketplace, a few women gained prestige as priestesses, and others were prostitutes, including an elite group of courtesans.”[3](“Building the Classical World”) In general, Greek men considered women to be intellectually and emotionally inferior to men, and preferred male relationships, including homosexual ones. Most Jewish views still regard the sins of Sodom to be “failing to practice hospitality”, and even though same-sex activities are condemned most harshly in Leviticus the opinion that Genesis 19 might refer to any other sexual act other than with Lot’s daughters is alien to most ancient Jewish tradition, the culture that brought forth or was inspired by the Old Testament.  Jewish fundamentalists have displayed severe enmity against Jews who adopt a different sexual life style. Many Israeli rabbis and the Israeli religious political patties in the 1990s reacted sharply against the increased visibility and power of the homosexual and lesbian communities in Israel. According to the Halacha {Jewish religious law), homosexuality is punishable by death by stoning, and, although the punishment is not clear, lesbian relations are forbidden. The Israeli secular press emphasized in the 1990s some of the more outrageous rabbinical proposals for dealing with homosexuals; these included a “compulsory healing treatment” and/or a period of “education in a closed institution.”

“Hadrian born in Spain of provincial Spanish stock designed himself of the many buildings he decreed which still stand Pantheon in Rome. He had many sexual relations with women but it seems that many males were more attracted to him.”[4][5](“Homosexuality and Judaism”). Some persons were noted for their exclusive interests in persons of one gender including Plato. Status concerns were also of the highest importance in those days therefore homosexual preference of expression could not be south insight and had to be kept secret at all times. Often penetration was eliminated and intercourse was completed between the thighs of another man. While the passive role was thus seen as problematic, to be attracted to men was often taken as a sign of masculinity. his viewpoint, that procreative sex within marriage is allowed, while every other expression of sexuality is sinful, can be found, for example, in St. Augustine. “With the decline of the Roman Empire, and its replacement by various barbarian kingdoms, a general tolerance (with the sole exception of Visigothic Spain) of homosexual acts prevailed; in the 20^th century sexual roles were redefined once again. For a variety of reasons, premarital intercourse slowly became more common and eventually acceptable.”[6](“Homosexuality, 1996).  With the decline of prohibitions against sex for the sake of pleasure even outside of marriage, it became more difficult to find reasons to argue against homosexual acts.

Feudal societies were deeply molded by sin and guilt during the Dark Ages of Europe and feudalism is parallel to history of the sexual morality that arose within it. “Woman mythodically represented by Eve was now represented by the Devil. The Sign of Socrates, “every life has its share of mind and there is none that is wholly irrational or mindless.” The Arthurian matter reveals the continuation of the Mysteries, and, at the same time, it reflects the culture of amour courtiers, courtly love. There was much unrequited love in those days.”[7](Larouche, 2009).

Arabian sexual mysticism was largely, if not entirely, homosexual. In theory, the mystic may have contemplated a virginal young woman who represented the Divine Sophia, but in practice it was beardless boys who caught the eye of the adepts, the practise of homosexuality ever so present. Heterosexuality of Donatello, Verrocchio, Davinchi and Michelangelo can be challenged because these particular artists were attracted to a particular type of male that they incorporated into their homoerotic form of art. Most of these artists did not practise ascetism rather they were sodomites. The stigma of homosexual behaviour stemmed from the Renaissance era when famous poets changed the female characters to male characters especially in Michelangelo’s love poetry. Even today Encyclopedia Britannica’s Macropedia still characterizes interpretations of Michelangelo’s love poems as statements of the ‘ignorant’.

Some argue that the sonnets of The Two Kings especially the identity of the person was left undisclosed purposed to elude the undiscovered purpose of the sonnets. There is much dissention to these arguments.  [8](“William Shakespeare)“Shakespeare’s Sonnets 1-126 were historically written to a young man or the “fair youth” and appear to be expressing platonic love between the narrator and their object. Others are addressed solely to the ‘mysterious lady’ whom some call the ‘dark lady’ in his life” Those who argue that there is a homosexual connotation with this in mind, seemingly fail to answer the fact that the narrator is doing his very best to persuade the young man to take a wife and have children. It seems more likely that the love between the male writer and the object in the sonnet is more platonic in nature, one of deep, solid friendship.

“2‘’”Probably the most frequent assumption of sexual orientation is that persons can respond erotically to beauty in either sex. Diogenes Laeurtius wrote of Alcibiades the Althenian politician of the 5^th century B.C., in his adolescence drew away the husbands from their wives and as a young man the wives from their husbands. [9](Temple & Lyde 1998).People were noted for their sexual interests in one gender. “

References

Animals Prefer Homosexuality to Evolutionism Retrieved September  9, 2008 from, http://www.subversions.com/french/pages/science/animals.html

Gomes, C. (2004) A Theory of Human Sexual Evolution Part I. Retrieved September 2009, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/m54374034p20447m/

Building the Classical World (2008) Building the Classical World Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11051/2829085.cw/index.html

Homosexuality and Judaism Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/judaism.htm

Homosexuality (1996) Homosexuality Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/

Venice’s War against Civilization Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.schillerinstitute.org/fid_91-96/952_venice.html

Poetry Analysis by William Shakespeare: Sonnet 2 Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.helium.com/items/1522646-sonnet-number-2-by-william-shakespeare?page=2

Temple & Greenberg (1998) Preserve Sicechool Educators Perception of Homosexuality Department of Health Services Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.kittle.siu.edu/iejhe/paid/1999/number4/pdf/temple.pdf

[1] Animals Prefer Homosexuality to Evolutionism Retrieved September  9, 2008 from, http://www.subversions.com/french/pages/science/animals.html

[2] Gomes, C. (2004) A Theory of Human Sexual Evolution Part I. Retrieved September 2009, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/m54374034p20447m/

[3] Building the Classical World (2008) Building the Classical World Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://wps.ablongman.com/long_levack_wc_1/43/11051/2829085.cw/index.html

[4] Homosexuality and Judaism Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/judaism.htm

[6] Homosexuality (1996) Homosexuality Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/

[7] Venice’s War against Civilization Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.schillerinstitute.org/fid_91-96/952_venice.html

[8] Poetry Analysis by William Shakespeare: Sonnet 2 Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.helium.com/items/1522646-sonnet-number-2-by-william-shakespeare?page=2

[9] Temple & Greenberg (1998) Preserv Sicechool Educators Perception of Homosexuality Department of Health Services Retrieved September 9, 2009 from, http://www.kittle.siu.edu/iejhe/paid/1999/number4/pdf/temple.pdf