Homosexual

Homosexuality: the basics

Homosexuality is a term used to describe sexual/romantic/emotional attraction toward people of the same sex/gender. Homosexual men are also often called gays, and homosexual women, lesbians.
Homosexuality is a sexual orientation - not to be confused with gender identity (such as female, male, non-binary, and so on).

Some homosexual individuals develop and discover their attraction toward people of the same sex during their adolescence, while some others realize they are gay in their 30s or even later. It can take some people time to explore their sexuality. And there is no right or wrong time and way to come to the realization to be homosexual.

Gay pride flag

It is also known as the rainbow flag or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) pride flag. It was originally designed by the artist Gilbert Baker back in 1978. The original flag had eight horizontal stripes, while the modern one has only six. The colors, from top to bottom, are the following: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet (just like in a natural rainbow). These colors symbolize the spectrum of human sexuality.

San Francisco was the first city in the world where the rainbow flag was used as a gay pride symbol. Then the flag became popular in other cities and countries and is now used worldwide at LGBT events.

History of homosexuality

Some people think that homosexuality is a modern phenomenon. Obviously, they are wrong. Homosexuality has been documented as far back as Ancient Greece. Almost every civilization since has had some record of homosexuality.

Among Indigenous peoples of the contemporary United States and Canada, homosexual individuals played important social and ceremonial roles in a large number of Nations. Homosexuality was also common among other pre-conquest civilizations in Latin America, such as Mayans, Aztecs, Quechua, etc. In fact, the Spanish conquerors were shocked to discover that sodomy was something normal for native peoples and subjected homosexuals to severe penalties, such as public burning and tearing to pieces by dogs.

Some forms of homosexual activities were mentioned in the Kama Sutra, as well as many other Hindu texts; homosexual men could also get married, according to these books.

In above-mentioned Ancient Greece, it was also a normal part of life, but within specific parameters. Homosexual relationships were supposed to be between "beardless" adolescents and older men. The elder partner was supposed to be the "active" one.

In Ancient Rome, the tolerance for homosexuality was similar to Greek attitudes - pursuing young slaves was considered appropriate for men. However, the introduction of Christianity into the Roman Empire brought the old Hebrew prejudice against homosexuality into the Roman world. In 533 AD, homosexuality became illegal in Rome.

After the Roman Empire collapsed, the status of homosexuality changed. In most countries, there were no laws against same-sex relations; early medieval rulers did not attack homosexuality directly. Spain was the only exception - in the 6th century, homosexuality became prohibited there. Later, the situation changed again - in 14th century Italy, the death penalty was introduced for men for homosexual relations.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have generally prohibited homosexual activity.

In Britain, sodomy was a capital offense punishable by hanging until 1861. In Germany, the law created in the early 1870s criminalized gay relations with punishment including prison and loss of all civil rights.

In the late 19th century, another chapter in the history of homosexuality began - European and American psychiatrists and doctors started to label same-sex desire in medical terms and look for ways to cure that “deviation”. Indeed, homosexuality, especially same-sex relationships between men, was considered deviant, sinful, even criminal. It lasted for more than a hundred years.

Plenty of theories emerged as to why people were homosexual. Eugen Steinach, an Austrian endocrinologist, thought homosexuality was rooted in testicles. His theory led to horrifying testicle transplantation experiments in the early 20th century - gay men were castrated and then given “heterosexual” testicles.

According to some other theories, homosexuality was a psychological disorder instead. Sigmund Freud said all people are born heterosexual and can become gay due to conditioning. He did not consider homosexuality a disease, but most colleagues disagreed with him. And so new ways to “cure” homosexuals were invented - from hired prostitutes and heterosexual pornography to change the orientation of gay men to electroconvulsive therapy, or even more extreme techniques like lobotomies.

Before the 1910s-1920s, there were no movements for gay rights. The situation began to change slowly when in 1914, the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology was created for educational purposes, and in 1924, an immigrant from Germany to the USA founded the Society for Human Rights in Illinois.

Undoubtedly, the most crucial single event for all homosexuals worldwide took place in the US on June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City was raided by the police, and a riot occurred that lasted for five nights. It became a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ rights - a year after these riots, activists held the first gay pride parades in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco.

Today, the LGBTQ rights fight around the world is far from over, although it definitely has come a long way since the Stonewall.

Myths about homosexuality debunked

Myth #1. Same-sex parents cannot be as good as a mother and a father

One of the main reasons why people who oppose gay marriage think that same-sex parents cannot be good parents is that it is unhealthy for a child to have two moms or two dads. They claim that children need a heterosexual father and mother to grow up to be an emotionally healthy adult.

However, a recent study shows that kids in same-sex parent families are no more likely than their counterparts who grow in "traditional" homes to display troublesome behaviors, such as getting into fights and shoplifting. As for their academic performance, some children of gay parents perform equally or even better at school than kids raised by heterosexual moms and dads.

Myth #2. Most pedophiles are gay

The misconception that most people who sexually abuse children are gay is particularly harmful. A large number of researchers have studied this problem to determine if gay people are more likely to be pedophiles than straight individuals; and, according to the data received, this is absolutely not the case.

For example, a study led by Carole Jenny of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1994, surveyed 269 cases of sexually abused children. The results were the following: in 82% of cases, offenders were heterosexual partners of kids’ relatives, while only in 2 out of those 269 cases, offenders were gay or lesbians.

Myth #3. Homosexuality is a mental illness

Until 1973, being gay was defined as having a mental disorder, according to American Psychiatric Association. Homosexuality was also considered a sexual deviation. This was used as a tool against LGBT rights. Conversion therapy (attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation) and other harmful practices were widespread in the US and across the world.

Thanks to facts revealed by numerous scientific research studies, it has been confirmed that homosexuality does not need to be "cured" because it is not disease or perversion. Neither this is a choice because according to scientists, same-sex attraction is at least partially genetically based.

Now that we know that being gay is not sick or wrong, it is our responsibility as a community to create an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance rather than bias, prejudice, discrimination, and stigmatization of people who are "different".

Why coming out is important

Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a process of public disclosure of a sexual orientation that does not conform to societal norms, such as homosexuality, bisexuality, etc. It may be risky and challenging since not everyone is accepting and supportive. Some relatives or friends of a homosexual person may be shocked or even hostile; this individual may face bias and discrimination, be fired from their job, denied insurance or other services.

However, coming out has many benefits that outweigh the risks. The main benefit of disclosing their sexual orientation for lesbian women or gay guys is that they no longer have to hide their identity - they are finally able to live their lives honestly, share with others who they are and what is important to them.

Here are some other benefits of coming out:

• Possibility to connect with other LGBTQ people;
• Developing more genuine relationships with family and friends;
• Being a role model for other gays and lesbians who want to come out.

In what countries is homosexuality still outlawed?

Unbelievable, but true - it is still illegal to be LGBTQ in 71 countries, and in 11 countries, it is punishable by death. These countries are mostly in Africa, the Middle East, Asia.

Here are some of the countries where homosexuality is outlawed: Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates.

Recently, in the following countries, significant progress has been made - they have decriminalized same-sex relations:

• Angola
• Belize
• Botswana
• India
• Lesotho
• Mozambique
• Nauru
• Palau
• Seychelles
• Trinidad and Tobago

At the same time, however, there are countries where homophobia is rising and laws criminalizing homosexuality are being reinforced instead of being removed. Among them are Uganda, Nigeria, Cameroon.

Helping your friends and loved ones understand homosexuality

In the past, very few young people came out to their families or friends as gay. Most gay men and lesbians waited until they were adults to share their sexual identity with others or never disclosed their sexual orientation because of the fear of rejection and bad reactions. It was happening principally due to a lack of resources.

Today, the Internet, YouTube, LGBTQ organizations, and hotlines are helping people who want to come out as homosexuals, as well as their families, coworkers, friends find accurate information and guidance. Because not only LGBTQ people themselves but also their families, partners, friends may need support.

When you come out to your loved ones, you may also recommend some resources to them, so they can educate themselves on LGBTQ issues and learn some history. It can help strengthen their relationship with you and give them perspective and understanding of the matter.