正文 第17章 附錄(2)(2 / 3)

PaulGewirtz

PotterStewartProfessorofConstitutionalLawand

Director,TheChinaLawCenter

YaleUniversityLawSchool

November2006

Homosexuality:AnswerstoFrequently

AskedQuestions

ByJohnBalzanoandAlfredoB.Silva

1.Whatishomosexuality?

Homosexualitygenerallyreferstoasexualorientationcharacterizedbylastingaestheticattraction,romanticlove,andsexualdesireexclusivelyforthoseofthesamesex.Itisusuallycontrastedwithheterosexuality,sexualandromanticattractiontoanindividualoftheoppositesex,andbisexuality,attractiontobothsexes.Theterm“homosexuality”intruthhasmanycompetingdefinitionsandconnotationsandhasevolvedinmeaningovertimeindifferentplacesandcultures.Homosexualitynowoftendescribesmorethanjustanindividual’ssexualbehavior;rather,itdescribesthefeelingsandrelationshipsthatmakeupahealthyandsatisfyingself-identityforhomosexualpeople.

2.IshomosexualityaWesternconcept?

HomosexualityisnotentirelyaWesternconstruct.Whileitistruethathomosexualityasaconceptreferringto“exclusive”sexualorientationoriginatedinWesternmedicalliteratureoveracenturyago,relationshipsandattractionbetweenpeopleofthesamesexhaveexistedallovertheworldthroughoutnearlyallperiodsofrecordedhistory.Westernhistoryisrepletewithfiguresknowntohavehadsame-sexrelationships,includingSocrates,EdwardII,JuliusCaesar,Michelangelo,andAlexandertheGreat.Examplesofsame-sexloveandrelationshipsalsoappearthroughoutJapaneseandChinesehistoryandancientliterature.Anthropologistsstudyingsame-sexrelationshipsofNativeAmericanandAfricantribeshaveuncoveredatraditionofsame-sexmarriagesbetweenmalesinthoseareasaswell.