There is a lot of interesting things being said. I think I'd like to add another idea to the pot.
There were no homosexuals before the late 19th century. That is not to say that no homosexual acts took place. The men and women who partook of these acts were no different than anyone else. In some cultures (Classical Greek or Samurai Japanese) these acts were viewed as an expression of the strength of the bond between a man of stature and his servant. In others, though (Judeo-Christian) it became a sin. Not 'being gay,' but simply the act itself. Once punished or atoned, the person could go back to their regular lives without carrying the lifelong stigma of 'homosexual.' People who engaged in such acts came from every level of society (nobility, artists, merchants, clergy) but having committed such an act would not cause the people to self-identify as different from everyone else.
It was only with the dawn of psychoanalysis that the category of 'homosexual' came into being. From that point on, with one single act, a person's entire life could be orderly confined to a specific set of rules. Once the label came into being, it only followed that the identity of the 'homosexual' did as well. Once this idea was propagated through society, individuals who took part in homosexual acts started to self-identify as gay and things such as gay culture began to form. Before, these men and women poured their creative output into whatever they chose in their lives, seeing themselves as no different from anyone else. Now that they were officially 'different' no matter what they do, many chose to separate themselves from an unwelcoming society and instead focus on creating communities where these 'different' people could come together in safety.
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Queer history 101
Date: 2004-01-21 07:58 am (UTC)There were no homosexuals before the late 19th century. That is not to say that no homosexual acts took place. The men and women who partook of these acts were no different than anyone else. In some cultures (Classical Greek or Samurai Japanese) these acts were viewed as an expression of the strength of the bond between a man of stature and his servant. In others, though (Judeo-Christian) it became a sin. Not 'being gay,' but simply the act itself. Once punished or atoned, the person could go back to their regular lives without carrying the lifelong stigma of 'homosexual.' People who engaged in such acts came from every level of society (nobility, artists, merchants, clergy) but having committed such an act would not cause the people to self-identify as different from everyone else.
It was only with the dawn of psychoanalysis that the category of 'homosexual' came into being. From that point on, with one single act, a person's entire life could be orderly confined to a specific set of rules. Once the label came into being, it only followed that the identity of the 'homosexual' did as well. Once this idea was propagated through society, individuals who took part in homosexual acts started to self-identify as gay and things such as gay culture began to form. Before, these men and women poured their creative output into whatever they chose in their lives, seeing themselves as no different from anyone else. Now that they were officially 'different' no matter what they do, many chose to separate themselves from an unwelcoming society and instead focus on creating communities where these 'different' people could come together in safety.