I. Rationale
Among many historical figures, some have been recorded as having homosexual relationships which may or may not be exclusive to same sex. It is through constant suppression and negative connotations that many of them have been left to perish. Earliest documented same-sex relationships dates back in Ancient Greece where it was indicated that it was normal for adult males (erastes) to have younger males (eromenos) to take as lovers but does not mean it replaces marriage. In essence, “erastes generally provides education, guidance, and appropriate gifts to his eromenos, who became his devoted pupil and assistant, while the sexuality theoretically remained short of penetrative acts and supposedly would consist primarily of the act of frottage or intercrural sex.” (1) However, some engage in anal sex and fellatio.
As time passes by, religion, particularly the Roman Catholic Church made a big impact on the popularity of these practices. During the Renaissance, most European countries sentence those people caught or associated with homosexuality a painful death. In France, first offenders lost their testicles, second offenders lost their penises while third offenders were burned. According to Thomas Aquinas, sodomy is second only to murder in the ranking of sins. The Church used every means to fight ‘sodomy’. Men caught were often fined, while boys were heavily flogged.
“What survives of many centuries ' persecution– resulting in shame, suppression, and secrecy– has only recently been pursued and interwoven into historical narrative.” (wikipedia.org)
Being a conservative country, these kinds of showy gestures are taboo since being a Christian colony for three hundred years and the belief in engaging in these acts are in itself a violation of faith hence, eternal damnation. Nowadays, the presence of same sex relationships being open to public is becoming part of the mainstream. Males showing affection
References: (1 )LGBT history. wikipedia. nd. 23 Mar 2013. Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_history. (2)Bland. J. (2003) About Gender: Freud, the Father of Psychoanalysis. Gender.org. 27 Sep 2009. 24 Mar 2013. Web. http://www.gender.org.uk/about/01psanal/11_freud.htm.