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Homosexual: Difference between revisions
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{{Useful Notes}}
{{cleanup|'''{{color|red|MOD: This needs a thorough review to identify and mark misconceptions and inaccuracies.}}''' (Not "remove" - they need to be listed for historical context, but they need to be listed as being incorrect information.) The page is also outdated as far as non-USA perspectives are concerned.}}
A "Homosexual" is a person, of either (any) gender, who is emotionally and sexually attracted exclusively to people of the same gender.▼
▲A
There are multiple words for the trait. "Gay" is gender-neutral, but more likely to apply to men. "Lesbian" applies exclusively to women; this is a reference to the Greek isle of Lesbos, where poetess Sappho kept a collection of women with whom she was enamored ("Sapphic relationship" comes from this as well). "Queer" is gender-neutral, and has often been used as a derogatory slur, but is now being reclaimed by the radical queer movement. Then there's "homosexual" itself, but this word can carry negative connotations (not to mention five syllables) and is avoided outside of technical speak; the shortened version, "homo," is mostly used as a slur, as are "faggot" and "dyke."▼
▲There are multiple words for the trait. "Gay" is gender-neutral in many but not all cultures, but more likely to apply to men. "Lesbian" applies exclusively to women; this is a reference to the Greek isle of Lesbos, where poetess Sappho kept a collection of women with whom she was enamored ("Sapphic relationship" comes from this as well). "Queer" is gender-neutral, and has often been used as a derogatory slur, but is now being reclaimed by the radical queer movement. Then there's "homosexual" itself, but this word can carry negative connotations (not to mention five syllables) and is avoided outside of technical speak; the shortened version, "homo," is mostly used as a slur, as are "faggot" and "dyke."
Current statistics claim that about one person in ten is homosexual. This has contributed to the historical view that it is unusual at best, a serious deviation at worst. Until 1973, the [[wikipedia:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]], basically the official textbook for abnormal psychology, listed homosexuality as a mental disorder <ref>Filed under DSM-II 302.0: "Sexual Orientation Disturbance (homosexuality)"</ref>. Just about the only term that has escaped the pejorative label is "Bi", as in "[[Bisexual]]," meaning "attracted to members of ''both'' sexes". This is partially because the term is relatively new, as is the idea that sexual orientation is a spectrum; and it's also because bi people are still willing to sleep with people of the opposite sex, which is a big point in its favor.▼
▲Current{{when}} statistics claim that about one person in ten is homosexual. This has contributed to the historical view that it is unusual at best, a serious deviation at worst. Until 1973, the [[wikipedia:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders]], basically the official textbook for abnormal psychology, listed homosexuality as a mental disorder <ref>Filed under DSM-II 302.0: "Sexual Orientation Disturbance (homosexuality)"</ref>. Just about the only term that has escaped the pejorative label is "Bi", as in "[[Bisexual]]," meaning "attracted to members of ''both'' sexes". This is partially because the term is relatively new, as is the idea that sexual orientation is a spectrum; and it's also because bi people are still willing to sleep with people of the opposite sex, which is a big point in its favor.
Since homosexuality is harmless as far as sexual abnormalities go, why is there so much hostility towards and/or disapproval of it? One interpretation has to do with conditions people have lived in through history. In the past, child mortality rates were horrific; an average of ''one child in two'' died before the age of five<ref>Today, it's one in twenty, and that's the the lowest it's ever been; just sixty years ago, it was ''three'' of twenty</ref>. [[Death by Childbirth]] was also a major risk, which was even worse because it killed not only the mother, but every child she might have had thereafter. Long story short, you wanted every able-bodied male and female available to be involved in the process of continuing the species. Men and women not interested in reproducing (because they wanted to get busy with their own sex exclusively) added nothing to the process. It should be pointed out that in most cultures, however, having gay sex ''on the side'' was okay (in fact, sometimes man-on-man sex was considered a ''virtue''), or given a blind eye, as long as you were still pumping out babies.
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== Gender Politics ==
Your '''sexual orientation''' describes whether you're attracted to the same gender as yourself, the opposite gender, both, or [[Asexuality|neither]]. It's important to note that '''gender''' (whether you personally identify as a man, woman, or neither) is not the same as your '''sex''' (whether your body is male or female). It's possible, for instance, to be an exclusively straight male but also swing over to the feminine side of the spectrum; [[Eddie Izzard]], who claims to be this sort of person, has described himself as a "male lesbian". For the ladies, you have characters like Shannon Beiste from ''[[Glee]]'', a rough and burly female football coach who has no sexual interest in other women. Neither have any desire to [[
The problem is that, in Western culture (and media) especially, gay people are often stereotyped as wanting to be the opposite sex, since many act in ways "contrary to" their gender. In other words, sexual orientation and assigned gender are treated as though they are ''not'' separate issues, despite [[Too Dumb to Live|half a second's thought]] indicating that of course they are. This is why the [[Butch Lesbian]] and [[Camp Gay]] stereotypes are so prevalent, though (for men) the [[Manly Gay]] stereotype is slowly starting to make headway, especially as it (partially) redeems gayness in public eyes by adhering to masculinity, a quality that is much prized in most cultures. This is also why
== Modern Times ==
Today, there are major stereotypes going on, some of them documented on this wiki, about the kind of person you are if you're a homosexual. We've talked about [[Manly Gay]] and [[Lipstick Lesbian]], as well as the obvious [[Camp Gay]] and [[Butch Lesbian]]. [[
Today, being homosexual is also about politics. As with [[American Gun Politics|Gun Control]], homosexuality, its legality, its normality and its social acceptability is a [[Single-Issue Wonk]] for a lot of people on both sides of the debate. In modern American politics, for example, it's valid to ask, "Would you vote for [[Barack Obama|an African-American presidential candidate]] just ''because'' he's African-American, regardless of his actual platform," because some people would ''actually answer No'' (or Yes) to that question. A politician's stand on homosexuality can be a similar deal-breaker.
Even better, there are scriptures in various religious texts condemning homosexual acts. This of course raises its own questions: Why are those condemnations there? Is it to encourage reproduction, or does <{{smallcaps|Deity Of Your Choice}}> actually consider it evil? Does the passage of scripture actually mean what you say it does, or is it being taken out of context?<ref>More importantly, who wrote that passage? ''Leviticus'' was written not by God, but by the Orthodox high priests of the day. Most of the Epistles were written not by God, but by St. Paul. And yes, Jesus rebuked the high priests for teaching man-made rules as if they were God's law.</ref> Is it just because, before condoms and penicillin, STDs were much more of a problem and monogamy was the best way to reduce their spread? Some people refuse to ask these questions on principle. Indeed, they tend to focus on anti-gay scriptures while [https://web.archive.org/web/20130809170951/http://ozyandmillie.org/2000/08/14/ozy-and-millie-403/ ignoring those that condemn their own vices], simply using religion as an excuse for pre-existing hatred.
The point is that this is an issue where personal morality, religion and politics all intersect, and if you talk about it openly someone might ask you for a political justification to what you had thought of as a purely-religious opinion (or vice versa). To call it a mess would be an understatement.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Useful Notes]]▼
[[Category:Homosexual]]
▲[[Category:Useful Notes/Sexuality]]
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