Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
The term homosexual didn't even gain prominence until the late 19th century in America.
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People used all sorts of euphemisms before that to refer to their bachelor uncle, or those old maids who lived together. It's not as though no distinctions were drawn.
The point I'm trying to make is that while same-sex sex acts may have been more widely tolerated historically, openly living with another man instead of having a traditional family was another thing altogether. What you did for kicks was your own business, but your role as a husband and father was a public concern in pretty much every society in history. And not just for religious reasons. Marriage has always concerned itself with property, legitimacy, and inheritance, and states have always had an interest in ensuring a supply of new farmers, soldiers, and taxpayers.