actually not so.
Among the CREDIBLE research for the period, it was actually frowned upon. Much like the athens stone you to death.
You should also take note that Freerepublic.com’s own Victor David Hansen was the historical consultant to 300.
Much of the homosexual push of the spartans comes not from ancient greece but from modern 20th century homo-advocates who seek to “steal the dead” to justify their own modern day deviance.
Essentially, for sparta the modern day historians mistranslate mentor / mentee as sexual lovers. It would be analogous to some future archeologist saying “big brothers/big sisters” was about initiating children into homosexual behavior because the word mentor had something to do with sex.
In ancient Greece, pederasty wasn’t unique to Sparta — but Sparta did indeed practice it compulsorily. It was considered normal in that society, even though we now know it isn’t. It isn’t a modern invention. And the attempt to deny it is just revisionism, regardless of who does it. The Spartan society was hideous, but silly cartoonish movies about their suicidal PR stunt at Thermopylae is held up as the only true picture of it.