Category Books

Born to be Gay: A History of Homosexuality »

Authors: William Naphy
ISBN-13: 9780752436944, ISBN-10: 0752436945
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Tempus Publishing, Limited
Date Published: April 2006
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: William Naphy

Book Synopsis

In this social history, Naphy highlights the positive attitudes of previous generations towards same-sex relationships, contrasting them with disparaging nineteenth-century Western views of the "disease" of homosexuality. Coverage ranges from a discussion of Bacchanalian orgies of the ancient world through centuries of oppression of homosexuals to contemporary Gay Pride celebrations. Naphy teaches history at the U. of Aberdeen in Scotland. Distributed in the U.S. by Trafalgar Square Publishing. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

	Acknowledgements	6
	Prologue: Putting People in Pigeonholes	7
1	Before Sodom and Gomorrah (pre-1300 BCE): 'Joined in life, joined in death'	15
2	The Birth of Homophobia (1300-100 BCE): 'They must be put to death'	31
3	Classical Civilisations and the Birth of Christianity (100 BCE-600 CE): 'Every woman's husband and every man's wife'	46
4	Closing Minds (600 CE-1550): 'The Amir wants to see what I look like when I'm sodomised'	82
5	Spreading Christian 'Values' (1550-1800): 'Because the White people thought it was evil'	128
6	Colonising Minds (1800-2000): 'They had grown from childhood in their own natural way'	194
	Conclusion: Rediscovering Diversity	267
	Bibliography	270
	List of Illustrations	282
	Index	287