History of sexuality

Table of contents

1 Historiographic Considerations

1.1 Sources

2 Pederasty
3 Psychiatry
4 Stonewall Riot
5 Sexual "Revolution"
6 AIDS
7 External links

Historiographic Considerations

Sources

Various aspects of sexuality have been taboo in many times and places and there is therefore often a lack of explicit and accurate evidence on which to base a history. There are a number of sources that can be collected across a wide variety of times and cultures, including the following:

Statements of legal prohibition and/or encouragment
Religious and moral texts expressing disapprobation and/or approval
Medical textbooks treating various forms of heterosexuality as a pathological condition
Literary sources, sometimes unpublished during their authors' lifetimes, including diaries
Linguistic developments, particularly in slang.
More recently, studies of sexuality

Interestingly, while the reverse is often not true, much of the history of different-gender sexuality and romance may be read from the history of same-sex sexuality and romance. The terms homosexuality was invented in the 19th century, with the term heterosexuality was invented later in the same century in contrast to the earlier term. Bisexuality was invented in the 20th century as sexual identities became defined by the predominate sex to which people are attracted and thus a label was needed for those who are not predominately attracted to one sex. This points out that the history of sexuality is not soley the history of different-sex sexuality plus the history of same-sex sexuality, but a broader conception viewing of historical events in light of our modern concept or concepts of sexuality taken at its most broad and/or literal definitions.

Thus, while it may be tempting to assign historical personalities to our modern-day sexual identity bins like straight, bisexuality, or queer however, this act of discovery of sexual identity was often not much of an issue at the time, because while sexual activity and romantic attraction and relationships were recognized and often named people and identities were not assigned, constructed, or affirmed because of any such thoughts or activities. Often, while some lived in all likelihood a life of sex with another or a different gender exclusively, the gender of one's love interests was much less important than other factors.

Pederasty

Throughout history, many sexual and romantic relations took the form of pederasty, that is, they were characterized by a marked age difference and the fixed assignment of sexual roles. In recent times this has been mostly commented upon in or associated with same-sex relationships, however many, including the late historian John Boswell, argue that this is a current misconception or exxageration facilitated by modern conceptions of sexuality and historical heterosexist censorship. Boswell notes the current usage of terms such as boyfriend and girlfriend to refer to adults in relationships with age peers and gives historical examples of such usage.

Psychiatry

Freud, among others, argued that neither predominately different nor same-sex sexuality were the norm, instead that what is called "bisexuality" is the normal human condition thwarted by society. A 1901 medical dictionary lists heterosexuality as "preverted" different-sex attraction, while by the 1960's its use in all forums refered to "normal" different-sex sexuality.

In Alfred Kinsey publishes Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, popularly known as the Kinsey Reports.

Stonewall Riot

Main article: stonewall riots

The stonewall riots were a series of violent conflicts between New York City police officers and the gay men and transgender women at the Stonewall Inn, a gay hangout in Greenwich Village. The riot began on Friday, June 27, 1969. "Stonewall", as it is often called, is considered the start of the modern gay rights movement in the U.S and worldwide. It was the first time any significant body of gays resisted arrest. For many, this is the primal scene of the modern gay rights movement.

http://www.glbtq.com/

Who's Gay? What's Straight?