Here’s today’s food for thought.
I’m a bisocial heterosexual.
(Think about it.)
I don’t think there are more homosexuals (proportionally) than there have ever been. However, I do think society’s awareness of homosexuality has increased making people believe there are more homosexuals. But one then has to consider where “homosocials” fit it–people who are deeper friends with the same sex. A literary example of a “homosocial” relationship is between Bassanio and Antonio in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Bassanio loves and marries Portia but there’s a certain part of his heart that will always belong to Antonio and will almost always override Bassianio’s love for Portia. Is this “attraction” sexual or mereley more social? Which is stronger? The bonds of friendship or the bonds of sexuality? Does it change from person to person?
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There’s an earlier example of a homosexual/homosocial relationship in Literature, namely that between Achilles and Patroclus in the Illiad. From a modern reader’s perspective, they appear to be just good friends, but their relationship was consider to be of pederastic nature in Ancient Greece. It is a bit complex, since both sleep with women and are related, but since homosexuality was viewed in an entirely different way in Ancient Greece, there is little to stop us from speculating about the exact extent of their friendship. Both Plato and Aeschylus viewed the two as a homosexual couple.
At the same time, Homer never explicitly states that the two are lovers, so it might be argued that their relationship is a purely social one and has nothing to do with sex whatsoever. This thesis is supported by the fact that family and hierarchical ties were traditionally valued in Ionian Greece. Patroclus is Achilles’ cousin, which explains the strong bond between them, and resembles the stereotypical eromenos only because he is under the care of the most powerful hero participating in the war.
(I found this post using the Tag Browser, or whatever the thing’s name is. I like the blog, so I’m adding it to my blogroll.)