Was Alexander The Great Gay?

[+ Avalon]

In the movie "Doing Time On Maple Drive" the father asks his gay son if he knew that Alexander the Great was gay.

 

I don't think that he was. Some point out Alexander's relationship with Hephastion. But the Greek love idea was between an older male and a younger male. Al and Hep were about the same age. It was a deep bromance but I don't think it was sexual. Their relationship is compared to Achilles and Patroclus. But nowhere does Homer say that it was sexual. It was another bromance.

 

But what about Al and the eunuch Bagoas. I don't think that sex with a eunuch can hardly be considered gay.

 

Before he left on his Persian campaigns he fathered a son with a mistress. And later he married two wives fathering a son with one. I know having sex with women and having children is not proof that he was heterosexual. Still I don't think he was gay.

[pubic_assistance]

2000 Years ago the concept of being "gay" would have been lost on people. You liked who you liked and fucked who you wanted.

[sincitymix]

It was expected to get married and sire heirs. You didn't have to love your wife, you were more then likely married for political/territorial reasons. The wife ran the household, you visited her maybe once or twice a year, did your duties sire heirs and offspring to continue the name/clan/familial lines... and then went back to what ever it was/who you were doing.

It was common for an older male to take a younger male under his wing to mentor, and that did include sexual activities. It was practice for the younger one to submit to the older. The Spartans did this quiet well with the warriors and the trainees.. not to mention the Athenian intellectuals, and the Macedonians.

Was Alexander the Great Gay? In our modern day terminology, probably yes.

In the ancient terminology..? who knows, he was doing what his society does, and it was acceptable then... especially being in the military and bonding with his fellow man. It was common and accepted. It is hard to put modern day morals and sexual repression or terminology on an ancient culture who had different societal and cultural norms then our time.

[JayCeeKy]

No, but his boyfriend was.

[+ Avalon]

No, but his boyfriend was.

 

That would make a great tee-shirt!

 

:p:p:p

[pubic_assistance]

Humans tend more toward a degree of bisexuality than most want to admit.

Bisexuality is still to this day misunderstood, and in my experience there is more prejudice about it from the gay community than straight.

People tend to like neat little boxes that can be easily defined, where bisexuality is too complicated an emotional state to be able to classify it or label it clearly.

I've been in relationships with women and with men. When I am in a relationship with a woman...I am bi. When I am in a relationship with a guy, I am "gay". Why is that ??

[Kenny]

Nobody was gay before 1922, when Gertrude Stein first used the word to describe a sexualized romance between two men.

[pubic_assistance]

To this day....I find it annoying that people refuse to acknowledge that humans can adopt a high degree of fluidity in their sexuality.

Everything is black and white these days.

Gay/Straight

Left/Right.

Democrat/Republican

Conservative/ Liberal

Some of us, dwell solidly in between these neatly identifiable categories.

[JayCeeKy]

To this day....I find it annoying that people refuse to acknowledge that humans can adopt a high degree of fluidity in their sexuality.

Everything is black and white these days.

Gay/Straight

Left/Right.

Democrat/Republican

Conservative/ Liberal

Some of us, dwell solidly in between these neatly identifiable categories.

 

From the "Urban Dictionary":

Binary Thinking

Phrase. Denotes a system of thought that predominantly considers things in an "either, or", "right, wrong", "black, white" way, ignoring any subtleties or consideration of third or more alternatives.

 

In philosophy, this is know as a "bifurcation fallacy".

 

People who habitually think in this way are usually fairly unintelligent and unimaginative.

G.W. Bush: "You're either with us, or your with the terrorists".

Me: "Wow, Bush can only seem to understand the world through binary thinking..."

[+ Avalon]

I've been in relationships with women and with men. When I am in a relationship with a woman...I am bi. When I am in a relationship with a guy, I am "gay". Why is that ??

 

Interesting!

[Kenny]

I've been in relationships with women and with men. When I am in a relationship with a woman...I am bi. When I am in a relationship with a guy, I am "gay". Why is that ??

It's because you are gay. And ashamed of it.

 

Which is not to say that a gay man cannot be in a happy relationship with a woman; but, it is to say that virtually no one is balanced exactly in the middle between men and women. That's not "fluidity;" that's fantasy.

[+ Avalon]

I remember porn model Chad Knight saying that although he enjoyed sex with other males that he could only have an emotional relationship with women.

[marylander1940]

It's because you are gay. And ashamed of it.

 

Which is not to say that a gay man cannot be in a happy relationship with a woman; but, it is to say that virtually no one is balanced exactly in the middle between men and women. That's not "fluidity;" that's fantasy.

 

Agreed!

 

Let's see the reaction you get from other bi men.

[Kenny]

Let's see the reaction you get from other bi men.

Like me?

 

I identify as gay, but have had a fantastically satisfying relationship with a woman.

[pubic_assistance]

I am quite sure you don't NEED to be purely 50/50 to be bisexual.

There is always a lean to one side or the other, in my experience.

But again...I've known MANY married "straight" men, who fool around with men on the side, yet remain married to a woman.

They aren't "gay".

That is a fallacy that just makes the gays feel better about themselves, so they can keep up the "it's not a choice" mantra.

Sorry. It may not be a choice for many...but it is a choice for some.

[Kenny]

I am quite sure you don't NEED to be purely 50/50 to be bisexual.

There is always a lean to one side or the other, in my experience.

But again...I've known MANY married "straight" men, who fool around with men on the side, yet remain married to a woman.

They aren't "gay".

That is a fallacy that just makes the gays feel better about themselves, so they can keep up the "it's not a choice" mantra.

Sorry. It may not be a choice for many...but it is a choice for some.

LOL!