   

What
A Guy
W0n’t
Do For
Pizza!

BY CHARLES EDMOND

e were about 18 gay
 Vermonters and New
Hampshirites gathered

in one guy’s living room to eat
pizza and watch the ﬁlm “Out of
the Past”. As an introduction to
the ﬁlm, I took the opportunity to
expound on our collective histo-
ry. I might add that I often tend
to do this and with very little
provocati’on...especially when
promised free pizza!

After a while, one ofthe guys
seated on the ﬂoor waved his
piece of pizza at me and asked
why I wasn’t writing a regular
history column in our statewide
newspaper. I didn’t have a good
answer for him so I thanked him
for.his.q,uestion and kept rolling
right along.

But while we were watching
the ﬁlm (VERY well made, by
the way) I kept asking myself,
why not? After all, I have loads
of stuff on my computer, I have
been teaching and reading and
writing about gay and lesbian
history for years now and I
LOVE sharing what I have
learned.

So I resolved to dash off an
email offer to the editor of 01 TM
as soon as I got home. Barb
appeared to be ecstatic at the
offer, accepted with glee and
proceeded to give me half a day
to meet the December issue
deadline (talk about pressure!)
and here I am.

My plan, at this point, is to
work on background a bit, say a
couple of issues, and then start at
the beginning with same-sex
activity among the Neanderthals.
(What we- know of it that
is...which isn’t a whole lot I
admit!)

An0ut|ine
In my classes and in work-
shops, I follow the course of

Western Civilization as it is usu- .

ally deﬁned and present a very
brief outline of homosexuality
from the beginnings of
humankind up to the America of
the 20th century. This time-line
approach to the discussion of
homosexuality through the ages
has been forged in my brain
through my many, many years of
teaching Foundations of Western
Civilization both at the high
school and the college level.

Or Gay History In A Nutshell I

So that is the form this series
will take and it is the form my
college “Gay History” course
takes. The actual title of the
course, which I teach for the
Community College of Vermont
in Springﬁeld and White River
Junction, is “Hidden History:
Homosexuality in Western
Civilization”. , g

I begin with the ancient civi-
lizations in the “Cradle of
Civilization”, tackle ancient
Egypt, Greece and Rome, weave
through Judaism and
Christianity, follow Europe
through the Reformation and the
exploration of the New World,
and examine Native American
cultures up through modern US
history. I also add a section on
Germany because of its general
importance to the concept of gay
civil rights. .

I must confess that I am often
met with a puzzled look when I
mention that I teach such a

‘course. The general perception

of the average American seems
to be that “gay liberation” is a
relatively new phenomenon dat-
ing back to the hippies and the
love-ins ofthe 605. They seem to
believe that lesbians and gay
men are a radical American

mi_nority (out to /destroy society

as we know it!) ‘Of course, this

(perception could not beifurther

from the truth and the course I

teach is "not called “Hidden” I

History for nothing!

Stonehenge To Stonewall

I’m afraid I can’t claim’ to
have thought up this charmingly
alliterative title which gives you
in three words the concept that
we have ALWAYS been around!
However, let’s imagine that we
can look at the sweep of human
history, worldwide, from the
time of Stonehenge (a prehistoric
ritual monument in England) to
the time of Stonewall (the
Stonewall riots in 1969 are the
commonly accepted beginning
of the modern gay rights move-
ment).

There is evidence, often excit-
ingly abundant, of same—sex
activity in every culture, every
country and every time period!
Throughout history men and
women have had the desire to
have sex with others of the same
sex. This is no mystery to us, of
course, but it has sometimes
proved a real puzzle to people
ﬁnnly lodged at the other end of
the Kinsey scale!

Of course, how each society
and culture has regarded same-
sex activity has varied through
the ages from open acceptance
and even encouragement to total
rejection. Same-sex activity
often has, or had, a place within
the context of passage from
puberty to adulthood. Sometimes
it has, or had, a ritual, mystical or
spiritual aspect. Still other cul-
tures, including parts of our own
today, sanctioned same-sex
activity in situations in which the
opposite sex was not available.

In some instances, forexam-
ple in many Native American

tribes, among the Greeks and
Romans during their golden cen-
turies, among the Samurai of
Japan, and in some tribes in
Africa, same-sex activity was a
pervasive, acceptable and inte-

gral part of the culture. (Oh to
have lived in such times and
places!)

In still other instances, as
among the Puritans, in Nazi
Germany, among the ancient
Hebrews and in the culture of the
Spanish Conquistadors, such
activity was legislated against
and severely punished when dis-
covered. (A lot like it is today if
you happen to live in Utah.) The
point is that EVERY society has
had to deal with the occurrence
of same—sex activity among its
citizens. .

Unfortunately, my CCV
course is a survey course. In my
workvshops I never have enough
time to even outline thepath les-

bians and gays have taken
through Western Civilization. I
have to omit the examination of
homosexuality in many other
varied and fascinating cultures

from the ancient East, to the

The general perception of the
average American seems to be that
“gay liberation ” is a relatively new
phenomenon dating back to the
hippies and the love-ins of the 60s.

“cult of the cut sleeve” in ancient
Japan, to societal homosexuality
in Polynesia, to homosexuality
in ancient Africa and in modern
South Africa, among the
Esquimo and under Islam
through the ages. To study all of
these would take (a lifetime.

So I will be brief. I will write
about gay, and ‘lesbian history
following my usual path and try
to educate, entertain and inform
as I do so. Actually, a better word
here is “empower”. It came up
several times in our discussion
the other night and in a word it
explains why I am driven to talk
to lesbians and gay men about

our history whenever I can. (OK, '
,OK, it was really thelpromisejrof

OUT lN.THE MOUNTAINS — DECEMBER 1998 — 23

ﬂlitamjalilrilio srournu

free pizza!)
Next month: was Alexander
the Great REALLY gay?

Homework

For more information I would
suggest: Neil Miller’s Hidden
From History: Reclaiming the
Gay and Lesbian Past. NAL
Books, New York, NY. 1989.
The paperback edition: Out Of
The Past, Vintage Books, New
York 1995 ISBN 0-679-74988-8.
This book has excellent chapters
on a wide variety of historical
cultures, people and movements
and is especially interesting

because it outlines and discusses

cultures outside the usual sweep
of Western Civilization.V

Charlie Emond is a Vermont
Adult Learning teacher in
Springfield; teaching courses in [it-
eracy, GED subjects and nutrition.
He has masters degrees from both
Dartmouth College and Keene State
College. For the past several years
he has taught Dimensions of
Learning , Spanish, Foundations of
Western ’ Civilization, Hidden
History: Homosexuality in Western
Civilization and Colonial America
and ‘the American Revolution ﬁn‘ the
Community College of Vermont in
Springfield and White River
Junction.  i

 New Datesand Times for  
V OITM Distribution:

IT Last Tuesday
of the month,  
beginning |2l29,

  4:00 to 9:OOish

Come when you can,
leave when you have to.

We N eed Brains and Brawn.

Meet at the Daily Bread on
Bridge Street in Richmond.

   
   
 

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