[StarCMC]

The Victorians turned it into an identity, but same-sex sex has been going on since time immemorial and was considered entirely natural in ancient Greece and Rome.

Yes, and where are those cultures now? Can anyone say "decline?"

[Restorer]

Yes, and where are those cultures now? Can anyone say "decline?"

Unfortunately for the "homosexuality caused the decline" of these cultures theory, the greatest popularity of homosexuality coincided quite nicely with the greatest period for each. Their decline actually concided with a return to more "traditional" morality.

Personally, I can find lots of other, entirely historical reasons for being opposed to these practices.

[george wythe]

Since it's been a while since I took any anthropology class, I googled the term "berdache" and found this picture:

It comes from this article:

Over 130 different Native American tribes had a special category of men who wore women's clothing, spent their time doing "women's work" such as basket weaving and pottery, and held a sacred, spiritual role in the tribe. Berdaches had sex with other men, and marriages between a berdache and another man were common. Sometimes in a polygamous marriage, a berdache became a secondary "wife" to a male who was already married to one or more women.

American Heritage Dictionary defines berdache:

Among certain Native American peoples, a person, usually a male, who assumes the gender identity and is granted the social status of the opposite sex.

[Joe Republc]

..The Victorians turned it into an identity, but same-sex sex has been going on since time immemorial and was considered entirely natural in ancient Greece and Rome.
Yes, and where are those cultures now?..."

Ahhhh, the good old days. I seem to remember they also had slavery, second-class status for women, child sex slaves, and other stuff that the prudish West has since moved away from in its narrow-mindedness.

-- Joe