[RogueIsland]

Has Homosexuality Always Been Incompatible With Military Service?

Well, the Spartans seemed to think it was a requirement.

[curmudgeonII]

If you want to go back far enough in history, what about the Sacred Band of Thebes?

[Conservative Coulter Fan]

I am vaguely aware of the societal structure the Spartans lived under and to the extent they practiced homosexuality seems to come from retrospective views imply such behavior was dominant due to the companionship of males. Nevertheless, as the above commentary has shown, it is anathema to the American experience.

[joesnuffy]

The Spartans were pedophiles rapists too...and the unfit died in boot camp...

[Radix]

Ninety nine percent of any group of any kind could not find Sparta on a map.

It could be that they were not nearly as prolific breeders as were the Athenians.

[rmlew]

You forgot the Thban "Sacred Band", which was composed of lovers.

Personally I preffer the Spartan "thigh flashing dance" where maidens proved thier good qualities.
Still, Sparta was a horrendous society based on eugenics, slavery, and a constant state of war. The only good that ever came from SParta was Thermapoli.

[xzins]

Going to original source material, can you actually prove that the Spartan military tolerated homosexuality?

I ask because when the movie "Alexander" came out, there was a great effort to suggest that Alexander practiced homosexuality.

What became evident was that there was only conjecture supporting that opinion.

Now, I don't know the answer to this question. I am curious, though, for the actual support undergirding the opinion that the Spartan military practiced homosexuality. For all I know they did.

But I'd like to see the proof.