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Book Review: Hidden From History

by Michelle Thomas

The history many of us were taught in
schools, colleges, and society at large is
usually of a "white-washed" variety; any
mention of an important historical figure's
sexuality was hidden under the rug or dis-
missed with an "Oh, they were only good
friends; there's no evidence to say other-
wise." Fortunately, within the last few
years much work has been done on the
history of gay men and lesbians. With the
new book Hidden from History.‘ Reclaim-
ing the Gay and Lesbian Past, editors
Martin Rauml Duberrnan, Martha Vicinus,
and George Chauncey Jr have drawn to-
gether the work of many gay and lesbian
historians to give the reader a sense of his/
her identity through the past three thousand
years or so.

However, Hidden from History is not a
simple storybook with neat little chapters
on different time periods. The essence of
the book is to give meaning to this history.
Especially in the sections dealing with the
pre-industrial age, much of the discussion
centers on whether there was such athing as
a "homosexual identity" during thatperiod,
since sexuality in general is of fairly recent
understanding.

John Boswell, author of Christianity,
Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality,
argues in his essay on Ancient Greece,
"Revolutions, Universals, and Sexual
Categories," that there was indeed an un-
derstanding of homosexuality as a separate
sexual identity from heterosexuality based
on his reading of Aristophenes's speech in
Plato's Symposium. David Halpem uses the
same text in his essay "Sex Before Sexual-
ity: Pederasty, Politics, and Power in Clas-

sical Athens" to say that sex was used in
Ancient Greece as a demonstration of one's
power, not of one's sexuality. According to
Halpem, men had sex with boys, both slave
and free, basically to show who was in
charge.

The sections on the Medieval period
and the Nineteenth Century continues this
discussion by analyzing public opinions
and punishment for what was then termed
"inversion." The essays on the modern era
include a look at the early gay movement,
when persons identified themselves clearly
as homosexual and not as a product of
whatever iety dictates.

One impressive aspect of this collec-
tion is that it covers a wide range of cul-
tures. The problem with some books deal-
ing with gay and lesbian history (such as the
recent Lesbian Lists) is that they give the
impression that homosexuality is an en-
tirely western phenomenon. Hidden from
History includes essays on China, Japan,
Cuba, and South Africa, offering a well-
rounded and global view of how gays and
lesbians were and are visible in the whole
world, not just in certain countries and
cultures.

Hidden fromHistoryis notabooktobe
read all at once; it is much too "heavy" a
book for that. Rather, it is a book to be
sampled in small bits in order to fully
understand the arguments set forth con-
cerning the nature of sexuality and thereby
more frilly appreciate the wide scope and
nature of our history as gays and lesbians.
Perhaps, with books such as Hidden from
History, gay and lesbian history will no
longer be reduced to disclaimers such as
"Oh, they were just good friends" again.

Therapy Groups Starting

A ten-week group for partners of
adults who were sexually abused as chil-
dren is now forming in the Burlington area.
The workshop will be co-led by Hollie
Hurewitz (CCMHC, MACP) and Michael
Watson (Ph.D., CCNIHC).

The group will focus on helping part-
ners find support, handle intimacy con-
flicts, understand the healing process, and
so on. The group is open to partners in both
heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

Hurewitz will also co-lead another
group for women who were sexually
abused a children. Euan Bear, survivor
advocate and author of Adults Molested as

Children, will be the other leader

Participants will focus on finding sup-
port; learning new skills in setting limits;
working through crisis; looking at issues of
intimacy and sexuality; dealing with anger.
grief, and loss; and understanding the heal-
ing process. The group will be emphasize
both individual and interpersonal work
using personal sharing, writing, and home-
work assignments. Meetings will be held
on twelve consecutive Wednesdays begin-
ning in mid-January.

Most insurance is accepted for the two
groups. For more information, call Hollie at
862-6758 and leave a message.

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