Introduction
- Today our society is slowly becoming more accepting of homosexuality, recognizing that it is a normal and natural thing
- But how did the world become homophobic in the first place?
- Was it always that way?
- But how did the world become homophobic in the first place?
- Homophobia is a Judeo-Christian construct that has spread around the world with Christian expansion.
Christian Origins (Background)
- Christianity formed around the Mediterranean
- Founded on Judaic beliefs and the fulfillment of the greatest Jewish prophecy
- Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God incarnated in human flesh
- Teaches forgiveness and love as founding principles
- Based on Jewish texts (10 Commandments) and Jesus’ teachings
- Also teaches that sex (for purposes besides procreation) is sinful
- Homosexuality is strictly forbidden by God
- Emphasizes the responsibility to spread religion and “spread the good news”
- Missionaries carry out this job by travelling to foreign countries and working with populations to “civilize” and spread Christianity
- As the church began to organize, the Catholic church developed and remained the only form of Christianity for centuries
- Soon after its formation, the Christian church was persecuted by the Romans
- Shortly after that, the Christians took over it
Ancient Rome
- Homosexuality was totally normal
- Both gods and mortals were involved in same sex relationships
- Statues and buildings dedicated to appreciating the body
- Jesus was infamously crucified by a Roman
- Emperor Nero persecuted early Christians, earning him the title of “AntiChrist” (666)
- Shortly afterwards, Christianity began to spread through the Roman empire
- As Christianity gained traction, more people began to condemn homosexuality
- 392 AD Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire (pagan religions were banned)
- As the Roman empire declined, the stigma grew
Implications
- Europe became intolerant of homosexuality
- This lasted for centuries
- The Western world was extremely Christian, and Westerners were the first to expand and colonize multiple continents
- When Western expansion began to occur, colonizers took their homophobic culture with them
- Began a transition worldwide to homophobic ideologies
Western Expansion
- In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue
- He was a dedicated Catholic & mandated his crew remain devout
- He reached the Caribbean and was the first to interact with the natives, whom he called “Indians”
- He and his crew immediately began the process of converting the Native Americans to Christianity
- This included enforcing their homophobic ideology
- He and his crew immediately began the process of converting the Native Americans to Christianity
- The voyage of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria began a centuries long persecution of homosexuality
Early South America
- Many native South American tribes included same sex relationships in daily life
- The Moche people left thousands of ceramic pieces depicting same-sex intercourse
- The Incan Empire considered both homosexuality and premarital sex normal parts of life
- Spanish conquistadors were horrified by these “immoral” people
- Francisco de Toledo wrote about the Incan empire so that Christian Europe would know how “uncivilized” it was
- Conquistadors began to burn homosexuals at the stake
- Spanish settlers taught the remaining Natives to practice Catholicism
Implications
- Today’s Latin America is primarily Catholic
- Despite modern laws protecting LGBTQA rights, many people identifying as gay/lesbian/etc face extreme discrimination
- Physical, verbal, and emotional violence
- This modern persecution is the legacy of the violent conquistador behaviors, based on a zealous, but typical for the time interpretation of Christianity
The Protestant Reformation
- In 1517, Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” on the doors of a church
- Began the protestant reformation
- Establishment of the Lutheran, Anglican, and Presbyterian churches, later followed by Methodist, Quaker, and Baptist
- At the time, all of these denominations still maintained the same view of homosexuality
- As more Christian denominations formed, Europe faced the struggle of choosing an official religion
- Many Europeans decided to leave the continent so they could practice their religion freely
Early North America
- Most Native American tribes were accepting of homosexuality
- Navajo tribes considered gay marriage a normal union
- “Common law marriages” applied to everyone
- “Two spirit” is a common term
- You are blessed to have the spirit of male and female
- LGBT tribe members often became religious leaders for that reason
- You are blessed to have the spirit of male and female
- Crossdressing and androgyny were both totally acceptable
- English settlers arrived, bringing their religion with them
- Depending on what places were colonized, the denomination of Christianity differed (Spain was Catholic, England was Anglican, the pilgrims were protestant)
- They all held the same stance on homosexuality however
- The colonizers condemned the two spirit way of life
- Colonizers tried to teach the Navajos that same sex relationships were sinful
Implications
- Today, being a “two spirit” is not an honorable trait
- Along with the loss of land, life, and culture came the loss of acceptance of homosexuality as a normal institution
- All Americans, Native or not, have to fight to be recognized and accepted for their sexuality
PreColonial India
- India has historically been accepting of homosexuality, despite modern debates on that subject
- Until it came under British influence, beginning in 1612, homosexuality was a natural part of life
- Hindu texts depicted transgender gods and same sex relationships
- The act of kissing (especially in female same sex relationships) was actually supposed to bring people to a higher state of consciousness
- The British East India Trading Company arrived and began trade with India
- Brought Protestant Christianity with them
- The British condemned India’s open attitude towards homosexuality and tortured those found “guilty” of being gay
- Publically trapped between 2 wooden boards, where people passing by could harass them
Implications
- India has had a difficult time overcoming the stigma of homosexuality
- In the time since British colonization, India has tried to reject many of its Western influences
- Hinduism has still remained the most powerful religious force in India, but the Christian influences of the West still remain
- Some try to claim that homosexuality is a Western construct
- Despite it being the opposite
- Starting the conversation has been difficult, as discussing homosexuality has been taboo
- Result of refusal to explicitly describe homosexual “crimes” to prevent contagion
Conclusion
- The rise and expansion of Christianity caused the rise in homophobic attitudes all over the world
- Christian explorers and missionaries carried their ideologies with them to new places, where they claimed the rest of the world was acting “immorally”
- Ancient civilizations and cultures that had always included homosexual practices were forced to adopt Christian heterosexual lifestyles
- As time went on, these attitudes became commonplace, and being gay was a trait that was suppressed in millions of people
- As our world slowly becomes more accepting of homosexuality as a natural trait, it is important to acknowledge that this is not a new idea
- It’s an ancient one