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Sexual Norms Throughout History: Which Cultures Have Accepted Homosexuality?
Social attitudes toward homosexuality vary greatly across cultures and historical periods, as do views on sexual desire, sexual behavior, and interpersonal relationships. All cultures have their own values about appropriate and inappropriate sex; some cultures take a sarcastic view of same-sex love and sexuality, while others fully embrace these behaviors.
Many world cultures once considered procreative sex within a sanctioned relationship to be the sexual norm—sometimes the only option, sometimes alongside the norm of same-sex love.
For example, in some ancient societies, same-sex love and sex were considered natural. In ancient Greece, attitudes towards male-male love were relatively tolerant and were often associated with the concepts of education and mentorship. In ancient Egypt, historical data recorded some relationships related to homosexuality, showing the ancient society's tolerance for this kind of sex.
Over time, many cultures also came to view homosexuality as immoral or shameful behavior. Certain religions, such as Christianity and Islam, have at certain times severely condemned and punished homosexual behavior.
In some sects influenced by Abrahamic religious traditions, homosexual behavior was once condemned and, in some cases, severely punished.
Since the 1970s, global acceptance of homosexuality has gradually increased, especially in public surveys in North America, the European Union, and Latin America, which have shown widespread acceptance of homosexuality. However, there are still many places, especially in predominantly Muslim countries and parts of Africa, where the rejection of homosexuality remains entrenched.
According to the Pew Research Center's 2013 Global Attitudes Survey, acceptance of homosexuality is generally high in North America and the European Union, but is generally rejected in Muslim countries and regions such as Africa.
In addition, different cultural backgrounds will have an impact on the perception of homosexuality. Social scientists warn us against imposing contemporary Western assumptions about gender and sexuality on other cultures. For example, in the Bugi culture of Indonesia, a woman who dresses in a masculine manner and marries a woman is considered a third gender, which is not considered homosexual in this culture.
Contemporary scholars are wary of applying contemporary Western assumptions about gender and sexuality to other times and places; what may appear to be same-sex sexual behavior to people in some cultures may not be considered "homosexual" or "sexual" behavior.
Furthermore, attitudes toward homosexuality are also affected by factors such as age, gender, and social class. Research shows that younger generations are more accepting than older generations, and women generally have more tolerant attitudes toward homosexuality than men. In societies involving power structures, the degree of acceptance of homosexuality is often closely related to the economic development and religious background of those cultures.
Legally, the legal status of homosexuality varies around the world. About 70 countries prohibit homosexual behavior and make it illegal in some places. In some countries, even if homosexual behavior is legal, legal protection is incomplete, leaving many same-sex couples still facing the challenge of insufficient legal recognition.
In many countries, the legal status between partners is unequal, which may result in one party in a cohabiting relationship being deprived of his legal rights, greatly affecting his or her quality of life.
Although global acceptance of homosexuality continues to increase, contempt and stigmatization of homosexuality still exist, especially in countries with less developed economies or areas with strong religions. Social resistance can lead to violence, discrimination and the exploitation of rights, and these conditions still encourage the expansion of LGBT community liberation movements.
Faced with numerous legal and cultural challenges, we can ask: Will the future society be more inclusive in understanding and accepting the diversity of various sexual orientations?
