The Emergence and Change of a Homosexual Identity

Motasem Khalil

Professor Diana Moore

October 7, 2015

History 208:03

                “The Emergence and Change of a Homosexual Identity”

        The emergence of a homosexual identity was present ever since the 1800s and it’s change worked from then until our present time. In this essay the unreasonable action people took towards the homosexual minority will be shown. Now as a human being, decisions that you make that don’t affect anyone in the wrong way shouldn’t be punishable right? If so these homosexuals shouldn’t have been punished and have to change their HIDDEN identity.

        In Dan Healey’s book, “Moscow” he talks about homosexual identities as well as their changes.  In Moscow ,Russia Healey states “Finally, in Russia’s cities, gathering places appeared where individuals who felt desire for their own sex began to recognize each other and create a subculture.”(Pg 43,Line20)  The emergence of a homosexual identity in Moscow is going to be known countrywide.

        George Chauncey’s book, “Gay New York” also explains the gay male word and it’s descent which will intervene in this essay.  “The gay world that flourished before World War 2 has been almost entirely forgotten in popular memory and overlooked by professional historians; it is not supposed to have existed.”(Pg 1,Line21-23) In Russia the gay identity is being recognized around the same time, but in the “Land of The Free” (America), it is wiped out. The gay community otherwise known as the “flaming faggots” were not going to be wiped out of America.

        The homosexual identity was getting to be known worldwide but isn’t respected. Chauncey states, “ Not only did the queer folk of the gay subculture define themselves by their difference from the dominant culture, but the normal people of the dominant culture defined themselves by their difference from the gay subculture; they constituted themselves as normal only by eschewing anything that might mark them as a queer.”(Pg 25,Line 22-26) Clearly shown that the homosexual identity was frowned apron by the “normal people” but their emergence is at it’s peak once again.

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