Two young men engaging in sexual play
China had various types of sexualities present during its history, going back to the earliest dynasties. In one novel, centuries old, called “The Dream of the Red Chamber,” there are numerous references to homosexual acts that prove how prevalent it was. There are also numerous other examples scattered throughout Chinese folklore as well. In fact, “before 1900, the dominant social construction for males in China was bisexual. Most Chinese men did not see themselves as being divided into strict categories of ‘homosexuals’ and ‘heterosexuals’ but evidenced a relaxed erotic attraction to both sexes” so that it was perfectly normal for a person to engage in homosexual acts while also loving a woman (Williams 285). It was common for men to take young boys as lovers, a type of pederasty, called ‘passions of the cut sleeve’ after the story in which “Emperor Ai cut the sleeve off his shirt rather than disturb the sleep of his beloved boy lover Dong Xian” to show how homosexuality was widely tolerated and practiced, even where some “males refused to marry heterosexually and took on a more androgynous role, becoming like a wife to a masculine man” (Williams 285). This further reveals the existence of bisexuality as well, because many men who engaged in homosexual behavior often had wives, and older male partners would even attend the weddings of their younger lovers (Williams 285).
LGBT interaction was therefore an integral aspect within the society and culture of ancient China, perfectly accepted and thought of as natural, with no attached stigma or any other problems. Men freely were bisexual or even exclusively homosexual, loving other men, women, or both. This is yet another example of how prevalent homosexuality as well as bisexuality is around the world, found in so many places when at times there was open tolerance and practice, in which a large majority of the population engaged in it. LGBT behavior in China would be an important part of its culture, shaping and enriching it through numerous portrayals in ancient literature and the arts. Therefore, the array of differing sexualities in China only lends more credence to the universal existence of LGBT tendencies; from Greece to the Americas to East Asia; that in all cases enhance societies and cultures.
LGBT interaction was therefore an integral aspect within the society and culture of ancient China, perfectly accepted and thought of as natural, with no attached stigma or any other problems. Men freely were bisexual or even exclusively homosexual, loving other men, women, or both. This is yet another example of how prevalent homosexuality as well as bisexuality is around the world, found in so many places when at times there was open tolerance and practice, in which a large majority of the population engaged in it. LGBT behavior in China would be an important part of its culture, shaping and enriching it through numerous portrayals in ancient literature and the arts. Therefore, the array of differing sexualities in China only lends more credence to the universal existence of LGBT tendencies; from Greece to the Americas to East Asia; that in all cases enhance societies and cultures.
