![]() ![]() Those “deviants” were the ones who needed to be weeded out. Those Victorians, says Blank, were a randy bunch who loved to be titillated so we shouldn’t be too surprised at their prurient interests, especially that which concerned the maintenance of “manly” virtues and the allegedly “deviant” behavior of the lower class. In 1868, a Victorian-era writer coined the word “heterosexual,” and there we are. Love existed, as did various sexual desires and behaviors, but terms and categories describing humans themselves did not. There were no heterosexuals prior to about 150 years ago, nor were there homosexuals. But what is a heterosexual, anyhow? Or, for that matter, what’s a homosexual? Find out in the new book “Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality” by Hanne Blank.įor most of human history, people were just people, un-pigeonholed. ![]() Because of that, they hung a gender-specific moniker on you, dressed you in pink or blue, cuddled you more or less, and gave you certain toys accordingly.Ĭonsequently, people presumed your sexual identity before you were able to confirm or deny it. When you were born, for instance, they decided whether you were a boy or a girl (admittedly, based on obvious visual clues). ![]() For most of your life, people have been making decisions without you. ![]()
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