Study Guide

Perverse presentism

A concept that cautions against using contemporary terms when examining past same-sex desires and gender variance.

Queer

A historically complex term used to describe sexual and gender identities outside of heterosexual norms, with varying degrees of acceptability within the LGBT community.

Pederasty

An ancient Greek practice involving a relationship between an adult male (erastes) and a young male (eromenos) that was seen as educational and social.

Erastes

The older partner in a pederastic relationship in ancient Greek culture.

Eromenus

The younger partner in a pederastic relationship in ancient Greek culture.

Sappho

An ancient Greek poetess known for her lyric poetry, much of which has survived, and for her depiction of love and desire between women.

Boston Marriages

A term used to describe long-term, cohabitating relationships between women in the late 19th to early 20th centuries that often shared emotional and financial bonds.

Molly-Houses

Early English establishments that served as meeting places for homosexual men and were often associated with underground gay culture.

Buggery Act

Legislation in England meant to criminalize sodomy and other sexual acts, which resulted in significant underground homoerotic activity.

Same-Sex Relationships in Judeo-Christian Cultures

Relationships viewed through a lens of sin by religious texts, with historical perspectives varying from condemnation to acknowledgment and celebration.

Kinsey Scale

A scale developed by Alfred Kinsey to classify sexual orientation, ranging from exclusively heterosexual (0) to exclusively homosexual (6), indicating a continuum rather than a binary.

Sexologists

Researchers who study human sexuality, historically characterizing same-sex desires and gender variance often as pathologies or abnormalities.

Havelock Ellis

A pioneer in sexology who advocated for a scientific approach to homosexuality and gender identity, emphasizing natural and congenital theories.

Sexual inversion

A historical term referring to individuals who engage in same-sex attraction and behaviors, viewed as abnormal or a deviation from sexual and gender norms.

Crime of sodomy

A legal term for certain sexual acts between same-sex partners, often leading to severe punishments for those convicted.

Reverse discourse

A term used to describe how marginalized groups have reframed stigma into a source of identity and activism.

Medical Model of Homosexuality

An approach that viewed homosexuality as a mental illness needing treatment, influencing early pathologizing attitudes within psychiatry.

Social Forces in Sexology

The recognition that both innate sexuality and social environments play roles in shaping sexual identity, allowing for the possibility of gay identity.

Gay Liberation Front (GLF)

An activist group formed after the Stonewall riots, playing a pivotal role in promoting gay rights and visibility in the post-1960s era.

Homophile Movement

A social and political movement in the mid-20th century advocating for the rights and acceptance of homosexual individuals, marked by the formation of groups like the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis.

Paragraph 175

A German law criminalizing homosexual acts between men, leading to significant social consequences and the mobilization of homosexual rights activism.

Lesbian Feminism

A movement that argued for the distinct social and political agendas of lesbians, often critiquing the mainstream women's movement for its perceived homophobia.

The Stonewall Riots

A series of spontaneous demonstrations by the LGBTQ community in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, seen as the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

Nature vs. Nurture

A debate about whether sexual orientation is determined by biological factors or by environmental influences, with implications for understanding homosexuality today.

Gender disorientation scale

A metric developed by Harry Benjamin to assess transsexuality in individuals, focusing on gender dysphoria and readiness for sex reassignment surgery.