Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual - History Research on Homosexuality - Homophobia, persecution and resilience from sodomites to queers

Same-sex love has been understood and treated really differently
throughout western history. The first test of our theory is whether it can
explain why societies' treatment of same-sex love changed during different
eras.

Pre 1800s Sodomites

For most of western history 'sodomy' referred to pleasure

of the flesh.

'Sodomites'

were people (usually men) who

indulged in gambling, wine,

women

and

boys. The term

sodomy covered the whole range of erotic

practices that would

not

produce a child

n wedlock. It was a

desire

any person might

succumb to.

In some periods, moral judgements of it were relaxed.

1800s Homosexuals

In the late 1700s and early 1800s this changed radically.

For the first

time it came

believed that there were

some people who were

exclusively attracted to

members

of the

same sex. Traits began to be

attributed to these

‘homosexuals’.

Some

argued

that male homo

sexuality was a form

hyper-masculinity. But in the

1870s

the

belief

emerged that

male

‘homosexuals’ were effeminate, and female

‘homo

sexuals’

were

masculine. The idea stuck.

1870-1970s The Dark Era

The period from the 1870s to the 1970s saw intense persecution

‘homosexual’

people.

People were deeply stigmatized. Across

the

western

world they were thrown

mental

institutions, locked

up as

criminals, and even

rounded up as threats to

society and

massacred.

This treatment was not

historically normal. It was one

the darkest

periods for same-sex love in

western history.

1970s Liberation Began

In the 1970s gay liberation began. Homosexuality was

decriminalized

(in most

places)

and the

long road

towards

public

acceptance began.

Over the following 30

years there has

been

increasing

acceptance of

same-sex

relationships. Gay characters

have

begun appearing in

television

and

film

. B

usiness has

actively tried to court the

pink dollar

And

most

western countries

have moved to legally recognise

same-sex

relationships.

The first

test of the projec

s whether

our

theory

makes sense of

the

different

ways

same-

sex

attraction has been understood

throughout

history