Orius

Legalizing sodomy != acknowledging homosexuality, as both orientations practice sodomy. It's also a misnomer that being gay automatically equals engaging in anal sex, as many do not practice this.

And it's not only sodomy that is recently acknowledged, but the definition of "homosexuality" itself as an identity, along with "heterosexual". Many historic civilizations acknowledged same-sex interest, but it wasn't incorporated into one's identity. For instance, in modern times, you are heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, etc. This is your "identity". Back then, there were no labels like this, and same-sex interest was just regarded as something that people did, but it was not self-defining. For instance, many men engaged in sexual acts with other men, and this was considered okay so long as one eventually took a wife and was not being detracted from his own estate. This is true of Rome, Egypt, many Middle Eastern societies, Central Asia (i.e. China), etc. (Though the reasons in each case are slightly different.)

The Abrahamic faiths = Judaism, Christianity, Islam. They were not the first to condemn homosexuality, but they popularized this belief (i.e. after Rome was converted under Christianity) and as part of their conversion tactics, altered the foundational beliefs of many cultures. Societies that were formerly ambivalent towards same-sex interests suddenly condemned them as atrocities.

As sodomy eventually became analagous to homosexuality, it was illegalized, but this was based on information obtained through stereotypes. It also precluded the basic fact that heterosexual couples also engage in sodomy.

__________________
He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy.
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise.

GarzaUK

Well yes in general Judaism is more laid back these days regarding homosexuality than Islam or Christainity. But I take it you have never met a Jewish Fundalmentalist though, but then most of them are in Israel now anyway so you or I wouldn't. Jewish Fundamentalist are so extreme they scare the life out of everyday Israelis and are regarded by everyday Israelis as a seperate coummunity of people.

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roguenuke

Acts of sodomy are not just performed by homosexuals. Oral and anal sex are sodomy, and heterosexuals perform these acts the same way homosexuals do, the only difference is the relative sexes of the people involved. Yet, most of the laws that were in effect (are still for the Armed Forces at the moment) tend to only be used to condemn homosexuals for such acts. No one actually cares if a man gets a BJ from a woman but it is considered obscene if he gets one from another man. Heck one of the main rules of the UCMJ that is used to put gays out of the military is very rarely, if ever, used against heterosexuals even if they are bragging about breaking it.

And I did research on this back in HS, and found that in the 1800s many young women were encouraged to have intimate relationships with other women to help prepare them for marriage without the risk of them losing their virginity. Oral sex performed on a woman is sodomy. Of course, even today it seems to be much more acceptable for women to be gay or bisexual than it is for men.

jujuman13

Quote(Oral sex performed on a woman is sodomy.)
No way.

veganshawn

Religion breeds intolerance, all the more reason for us to move beyond the chains of bondage religion cast upon people. Homophobia is disgusting no matter who does the gay bashing. It is time to get past what a person does in their bedroom and worry about real issues!

roguenuke

Yes it is. Oral sex on a woman is sodomy in the most basic definition of the word. And in the military's law against sodomy as well. Generally however, I'm not sure how many of the states' laws covered this act. I don't believe, many, if any, actually did.

sodomy definition |Dictionary.com
sodomy - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Sodomy law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Societal attitudes toward homosexuality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And I found this interesting about how sodomy laws in the US evolved and were enforced

The Strange History of Sodomy Laws | Sex and Relationships | AlterNet