God created all men equal; hence if
that is so, then people are free to express themselves in several ways
possible. Tattoos or cosplay can express what people are feeling or what they want.
As the world creates more ways to become
happy and free, people now have different perspectives towards what they want
to become. People have certain wants which can affect their families or better
yet, the society. One of these wants that some people have issues with is their
gender. Some people have problems in expressing what they are due to the fact
that people might degrade them. This issue is mainly polarized by religious
groups who think that they are devils, and who will not go to heaven. Other
people have been criticizing them also due to the fact that they believe in
only two genders. These people who have been victims of prejudice are the
homosexuals. Oxford Dictionary defined Homosexuality as a person who is
infatuated with another person having the same gender. Homosexuality can define
the personality and the interests of a person, and it can help boost their
self-confidence when they are achieving their pursuits. Many people have been
critical about homosexuality, but what we do not know is that it is a culture
in different parts of the world.
The history of homosexuality was rooted from
the pursuits of the ancient Greeks, who made reading materials and art about
sexuality. Some places in Ionia, people had standards regarding same-sex, while
in other places like Elis and Boiotia, people accepted them and had good
feedback towards other people(cf. Dover, 1989; Halperin, 1990). People in history were highly talked about
for their infatuation of the same-sex. Alexander the Great, the King of
Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire , and Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, had some issues that they themselves were
fascinated in men. A character in the material of Plutarch’s Erotikos(Dialogue on Love) debates that any person can fall in love even
if there is a difference in a gender; however, having same sex intercourse was
criticized, and later became a dilemma on their form. Furthermore, the ideal
intercourse for homosexuals was known by erastes, in which a man at the age of
20-30, and a younger one named eromenos. Moreover, there was a ritual that
happened before the act began that involved presents and other standards. The
erastes needed to show to the eromenos that he has interest in him, leaving the
fact about the intercourse wherein the boy should not succumb and should show
affection to the erastes. In addition, it was not only mortal people who had
controversies with the issue, also immortal ones like the Greek Gods, who had
some instances wherein they were linked to same-sex pursuits.
Going now to the Christian perspective in
the 12th to 14th centuries, the religious affinity denounced homosexuality.
People who are found doing the act will be hanged to death, which is mainly the
order of the Gregorian propaganda, and Catholic Church. The Church implemented
a standard of morality that affected the lives of people in a way from having
homosexuality disregarded from their religion. (quoted in Boswell, 1980, 277). One’s
gender was no longer significant since it could lead to being persecuted at the
hands of the Roman Church. Due to the fallout of the Roman Empire , there began
a prohibition of intercourse acts that spread far and wide. A. As one prominent
scholar during the Roman Empire puts it, “European secular law contained few
measures against homosexuality until the middle of the thirteenth century.”
(Greenberg, 1988, 260) Even while some Christian theologians continued to
denounce same-sex acts, a genre of homophonic literature, especially among the
clergy, developed in the 11th and 12th centuries.
The 18th and 19th
centuries proved that homosexuality can not be verified by religion, but it can
be explained by science through the use of medicine, including psychology. The
author did not specify what type of medicine was used, but the goal for the
medicine was to inspect people who have committed the homosexual act. At those times, the state was desperately
considering the need for a just society, hardworking soldiers, and supportive
families. The court were calling the doctors to identify criminals doing
intercourse(Foucault, 1980; Greenberg, 1988). Strict policies were made in school
when they decreased homosexual contact, and another policy was implemented that
same-sex intercourse was strictly prohibited. The increase in the field of
medicine resulted in having an equal increase in science. This development led
to people thinking that sexuality is already instilled in themselves. The term
homosexuality has been portrayed as weak and can not be obtain. The appearance
of medicine that brought so much exposure that will enable people to find out
the real occurrence that is going on(Greenberg, 1988, ch.15).
People are now divided since the view of
homosexuality is now a less criminal policy. Yet doctors are protesting to have
a sublimation on homosexual acts. They also created experiments that will
hinder children from going into the homosexual act. In the 20th century,
homosexuals acts were re-enacted, and became more common and eventually
acceptable. Sex for pleasure became difficult to debate because of the number
of people who are now obliged in having homosexual acts, which turned into
their favourite pastimes that became furtive so that they won’t be dubbed as
criminals .
Homosexuality
is taken already as a culture in different countries. In Thailand, kathoeys are
men dressed like a woman who portray a girl’s role in the Thailand community.
There are beliefs saying that transforming into a kathoey can have a result of
“karmic destiny” by reincarnation. Anthropologist Serena Nanda(1990) noted that
in India, there is a respected third
gender called the hijras. They are males that take in an experimentation
wherein their genitals are removed from them. This group have established
themselves as a Hindu divinity and already is adapting to the environment by
performing in religious celebrations. They dress in women clothes, and acts the
norms of what regular women do, but they also engage in the behaviour of
masculine when they smoke cigarettes and do some leisure time for themselves. Anthropologists
have found homosexual practices happening in Papua New Guinea. male
Homosexuality there is depicted through rituals which the young men should be
obliged to have an oral intercourse with the seniors of the society. This belief is highly regarded by the young
men because receiving semen from the seniority will make the young be strong
and vivacious soldiers, but they are requested not to go into intercourse in
any relationships for ten years.
Homosexuality
has been a critical issue that can have a polarizing effect with people. A
study in 2010 with a number of 3134 Australian respondents said that 61% is
experiencing verbal teasing that has an effect with their sexuality, while 39%
have suffered physical abuse. Same-sex marriage was also an issue in America
because the protesters of having same-sex marriage implemented in California,
but the U.S. Constitution has decided at that time on February 7 2008 that it
has not been ratified yet since the U.S. is still undecided about the fact that
it could benefit the other people. The Pew Research Center for the People and
the Press(2011) conducted a poll on the issue of having same-sex marriage
available in California, and the result is that 46% of the respondents favour
homosexuals to marry, while 44% are against the issue.
Although there are still people who are
against homosexuality, people should already disregard the misconceptions about
them. At first it divulged in becoming a controversial issue, but as time progresses, into a culture being
respected by the people. They can be the best in all fields of knowledge, wherein
they can actually become the CEO of a company, or even the President of a
country. People can be inspired by their stories because they have a weapon
that only they can use, and that is their confidence in themselves. In
addition, this attribute of them can lead them on all challenges that they have
to overcome. People need to realize that homosexuals can not change their being
because that is what they want to be, and that is why people need to support
them in all the pursuits that they will do. As the saying goes, ”Do not judge a
book by its cover.” You start in gossiping bad things about that homosexual in
an instant, but you do not see the good qualities that he is possessing. Being
different is not something that people should worry about, it is something that
someone should be proud of in life.
References:
Religion and Attitudes Toward
Same-Sex Marriage. Retrieved From http://www.pewforum.org/Gay-Marriage-and-Homosexuality/Religion-and-Attitudes-Toward-Same-Sex-Marriage.aspx
Gay and lesbian issues –
discrimination. Retrieved From http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Gay_and_lesbian_issues_discrimination
Scupin, R. (2006) Cultural Anthropology
(6th ed) New York, USA, Prentice Hall
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