A Comparative Study on the HistoryWord文件下载.docx

A Comparative Study on the HistoryWord文件下载.docx

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　　【Keywords】homosexuality；

history；

China；

thewest；

cross-culture

　　1.Introduction

　　Homosexuality，across-culturalsocialphenomenon，isprevalentinallperiodsofChineseandwesternhistory.However，homosexualshavesufferedfromvaryingdegreesofprejudice，discriminationandoppression.Infact，theyhavebeenleadinganoutcastlifeinamuteagony，repressingnaturalsexualimpulsesandreversingnormalsexualorientation.Thereareplentyofstoriesfilledwithbloodandtearsbehindthem.Duetothe“originalsin”beliefheldbywesternChristianity，themajoritypeoplebelievehumannatureisevil，homosexuals，thus，hadbeenbrutallytreatedintheMiddleAgesofEurope.WhileChinesehomosexualsdidnotenduresuchpersecutioninhistory，buthomosexualityhadalsobeencriticizedbythetraditionalChineseethicsofConfucianismandTaoism.EveninChinaandsomewesterncountriestoday，homosexualloveisstillashamefultopicandisregardedas“ForbiddenLove”.

　　Atpresent，manyresearchesonhomosexualityhavebeenmadeathomeandabroad.Theysummarizedthecharacteristicsofhomosexuals，thecausesandtheimpactonthesociety，whiletherearefewstudiesfromanangleofcross-culture.Thispaperwillfillinthisgap.

　　2.TheHomosexualityinChineseandWesternHistory

　　Homosexuality，asexualattractiontopersonsofthesamesex，hasalonghistoryinChineseandwesternculture.Therearesomesimilaritiesanddifferencesintheirhistoricaldevelopment.

　　2.1TheDevelopmentofHomosexualityinChineseHistory

　　Actually，itisdifficulttoconfirmthespecifictimewhenhomosexualitystartedinancientChina.FromthebookYueweiCottageNoteswrittenbyJiXiaolan，itcanbediscoveredthatmalehomosexualitycanbetracedbacktotheearliestancestorofChinesecivilizationtheYellowEmperor.Besides，accordingtomanyformalhistoricaldocumentsinChina，homosexualitystemsfromtheShangDynasty.TheShangDynastyRecordssaid“threebadsocialbehaviorsandthe10sinstheygenerate”（三风十愆），ofthethreebadsocialbehaviors，oneiscalled“luanfeng”（乱风）including4sinsitgenerates，oneisnamed“biwantong”（比顽童）.“wantong”isthesameas“catamite”inYueweiCottageNotes.Althoughtheearliesthistoricalrecordofhomosexualitydescribesitadisgracefulconduct，itatleastturnsoutthathomosexualityexistedmorethan3，000yearsago.　　DuringtheZhouDynasty，especiallyintheSpringandAutumnandWarringStatesperiods，homosexualitywasboomingandgood-lookingmenweresociety’snewfavorite.Forinstance，MiZixiawasfavoredbytheDukeLingofWei，theymadeahouseholdstory“theleftoverpeach”，then，peopleoftenadoptthistermtorefertothesame-sexlove.Inaddition，therelationbetweenQuYuan，apoetoftheKingdomofChu，andKingChu-huaiissocontroversial.

　　DuringtheprosperousHanDynasty，homosexualitywasprevailingamongemperorsandministers.BasedonHistoricalRecordsandTheBookofHanDynasty，theoverwhelmingmajorityofemperorsinHanDynastyhavemalelovers，likeEmperorAi.AllegedlyhecutoffhissleevepressedunderDongXianwithswordinordernottowakehimup.Thusthephrase“breakingthesleeves”begantobeemployedtoindicatehomosexualrelationship.

　　AftertheHanDynasty，malehomosexualityexperiencedupsanddowns.Thegeneralattitudetowardsmalehomosexualitybegantobetolerant，aslongashomosexualsfulfilledtheirfilialdutiesbygettingmarriedandcontinuingthefamilyline.Thetrendofhomosexualityhasbeenfurtherdeveloped.ThethreeKingdomsisthetransitionalperiod.ToWeiJinandNorthernandSouthernDynasties，homosexualitywaswidelyinvogue.Gayswerenotonlypresentinupperclass，butnearlyallclasses.Inaddition，theprosperityofpoetryabouthomosexualitywastheobviouscharacterinthisperiod.Young-huaipoetrywrittenbyRuanJieulogizesthehomosexuallove.Hepraisedthejoyofsame-sexloveandcomparedhomosexualloverstotwobirdsflyingtogether（愿为双飞鸟，比翼共翱翔）.What’smore，ANewAccountoftheTalesoftheWorldsaidShanTao’swifesuspectedtherelationshipamonghe，RuanJiandJiKan，andtheauthoradopted“unusualrelationship”（异于常交）todescribetheirrelationship.

　　InTangDynasty，fewhistoricalrecordsofmaleloveweredocumented.Somescholarsholdthatthistrendisindecline，whileTangpopularliteratureembodiesmalehomosexuality，andofteninthecontextofmaleprostitution.Thenfirstnegativeterm“JiJian”appeared.InthefollowingSongdynasty，thetrendwascurrentlytremendousuntiltheHuizongperiodofSongDynasty.Thefirstlawagainstmaleprostituteswentintoeffect.ToYuanDynasty，malesame-sexlovewasfadingoutagain.However，totheWanliperiodoftheMingDynasty，prostitutiongrewquicklyduetothecommercialdevelopmentandthepeacefulstatefrontier.Maleprostituteswerewidelyavailabletomeettheirclients’specificrequirementsatthattime.Inaddition，prostitutionwasacommonpracticebecausethemoralconceptpromotedbyWangYangmingwhoadvocatedindividualityandegodevelopment.Hisfollowerssubsequentlydevelopedthisphilosophyandproposedthatdesiresandemotionswereanintegralpartofhumannature，peopleshouldfreelyreleasetheeroticfeelings.　　MalehomosexualitycontinuedfromstrengthtostrengthduringtheQingDynasty.ThereisarumorthatQianLongfavorsHeShenjustbecausehelookslikeMaJia（马佳氏）.Besides，mostliteratibelievedWangYangming’sphilosophy，whichledtoaflourishingofliteraturewithhomosexualthemes，suchasADreamofRedMansions，YiXiangChunZhi，LongYangYiShiandPinHuaBaoJian.However，thiseventuallygaverisetoabacklashthatQinggovernmentmadeanti-gayrules，resultingincenturiesofdiscriminationagainsthomosexualityinChina.UndertheinfluenceoftraditionalConfucianism：

womenwereexpectedtobehaveacertainwayandmenshouldfulfilltheirrolesasfathersorhusbands，therulersoftheQingDynastyrestoreditastheideology，andbeganpunishingthosewhowentagainstthedoctrines.HomosexualsinChinaarelivinginthedarkhereafter，butinsomeareaslikeBeijing，Shanghai，Chongqing，Xi’an，theyarerelativelymoreactiveandstrivefortheirrights.Meanwhile，withthedevelopmentofsociety，anincreasingnumberofpeoplegraduallytakeit，butthevastmajorityisstillneutral.

　　2.2TheDevelopmentofHomosexualityinWesternHistory

　　HomosexualitycanbedatedtotheancientGreece.Atthattime，homosexualitywasonlyrestrainedbetweena“beardless”youthandanolderman.Theorderonewasamentorandonlyan“active”partner；

andtheyouth，a“passive”partner，enrichedknowledgeandexperiencefromtheolder，andrepaidthemwiththeiryouthandbody.Oncetheyouthreachedadulthoodandrecognitionasacitizen，theycouldchooseeithertogetmarriedwithwomenortobealoverofanothersame-sexyouth.ThatiswhytheancientGreeksonceregardedhomosexualityasabranchofthe“highereducation”.Thispracticewasalsovaluedforitsacademicbenefitsandasameansofpopulationcontrol.Homosexualityisalsopopularinliterature.Homer’sIliadisconsideredtobecharacterizedbythemalelove.InSymposium，Platobelievesthatmalehomosexualloveissuperiortoheterosexuallove.Inthewar，malehomosexualloveishighlypraised.Platooncewrotethatsoldiersinanarmyofmaleloverswouldbemorethanamatchformuchlargerarmies：

“Forlovewillconverttheveriestcowardintoaninspiredhero.”TheSacredBandofThebeswasafamousarmyofmalelovers.

　　InRome，maleloveoftenoccursbetweenslaveownersandslaves，thissame-sexloveisjustakindofillicitsexualbehaviorinsteadofpedagogy.Inthe4thcentury，Christianityhadgraduallybecomethepopularreligion.Atfirst，homosexualityistolerated.TowardtheendoftheRomanEmpire，Romansocietyslowlyshowednegativeattitudetowardhomosexuality.People’sattitudegraduallychangedfromgrowingintolerancetoactualpersecution，andwhichwasbroughtintoRomanlawinthe6thcentury.EmperorJustinianissuedalawwhichclaimstocastratethosefoundguiltyofhomosexuality.　　Besides，homosexualssufferedmorefierceandcruelpersecutioninEuropeintheMiddleAge.Theywerepersecuted，tortured，castratedandevenburnedtodeath.Inthe18thandthe19thcentury，thepublicattitudetowardshomosexualsbecamemoretolerant.Newnameswerecoinedtorefertohomosexuality，suchas“uranism”“middlesex”orthe“thethirdsex”.However，homosexualswerestillsufferingfromengraineddiscrimination.Homosexualitywasconsideredasanformofmentalillnessinthe19thcentury.Until1973theAmericanPsychiatricAssociationremovedhomosexualityfromitsofficialDiagnosticandStatisticalManual，signifyingtheendofhomosexuality’sofficialstatusasadisease.Andthenthemajoritylaunchedgayliberationmovementstopursuetheirownlegitimaterights.

　　Intoday，homosexualsgetmoreunderstandingandrespectwiththedevelopmentofmoderncivilization，itisreportedthattherehasbeen21westerncountriesintheworlddecriminalizinghomosexualityi