Saturday, October 28th 2006
I Could Have Been A Concubine
Sometimes I marvel at the elaborate lengths I will go to in order to avoid an unpleasant task. Why just this morning I was about to start working on something when suddenly I found myself reading up on my home town of Kodiak. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the native people of that island had male concubines!
The Koniagas had been studied by European explorers, who marveled at their practice of male concubinage: “A Kodiak mother will select her handsomest and most promising boy, and dress and rear him as a girl, teaching him only domestic duties, keeping him at women’s work, associating him with women and girls, in order to render his effeminacy complete. Arriving at the age of ten or fifteen years, he is married to some wealthy man who regards such a companion as a great acquisition. These male concubines are called Achnutschik or Schopans.
This discovery led me to further research about people between the sexes (and killed a good hour of time to boot). The result of my findings? Our civilization is one of the few that has persecuted gays. I knew native Americans thought of homosexuals as people with two spirits, but it turns out that many primitive cultures revered those between the sexes.
I often find myself frustrated by the snail pace at which our race seems to develop. It didn’t occur to me that we might be going backwards! To think that thousands of years ago multiple genders were perfectly acceptable and these days a man can’t even wear a taffeta ball gown without getting looks at the bus stop!
Jerrod, indeed gay rights issues in America may seem primitive at best. However, taking a look outside of our borders can really improve the appearance of the situation at home. In Iran for instance, men who engage in sexual contact with members of their own gender are executed by means of a public hanging. Saudi Arabia prefers to execute its gay citizens through decapitation. Even the ultramodern United Arab Emirates still has the death penalty on the books for gay sex. Consequently, America is not such a bad place to be gay.
It certainly is disgusting that men and women around the world are being brutalized because of whom they love. It is also disgusting that media outlets ignore this crisis. All we can do is hope that people will open their eyes and begin respecting the free will of others.
Finally, the information you provided was quite interesting. Were you refering to Kodiak, Alaska?
LIT – I was speaking about modern civilization in general. My point was that primitive people viewed homosexuals as special individuals blessed with more gender understanding. They had special roles in society, much like they do now except it was because of their sexuality rather than of in spite of it.
And yes, Kodiak, Alaska is the place. My father was stationed there during the Vietnam War. It just goes to prove that sometimes the best way to avoid combat is to join the military.
Jerrod, the underlying message of your post did not evade me. In my response I was attempting to capture the consequences of living in a postmodern world where many of the old ways have been lost. Many societies before us celebrated the world around them rather than looking for fault within its components. This often translated into a celebration of all things gay. Look no further than the Roman Empire where sex between members of the same gender was commonplace (men were for pleasure and women were for reproduction). There is even strong evidence to suggest that members of ancient Roman armies were encouraged to have sex with each other so soldiers would fight for one another with every fiber of their beings during battles. Why have we moved backwards? I suppose it has everything thing to with transcontinental organized religion. I am not saying religion is bad. I am a man of faith (a Robertized version). However, religious messages of peace and love have been lost in translation. Look not further than the world around us for evidence.
Well, I’m glad you said it because I certainly wasn’t going to be the one. But now that you cracked the door, allow me to kick it open. That’s right – the Christians ruined everything! And thank you Robert for pointing out that your faith is customized. Religion, like gender, should not be thrust upon us.
You know Boy Wonder, it’s not too late to be a concubine…it’s called rentboy.com and given your heritage and your good looks (not to mention your dancing ability…..Madonna’s “Express Yourself” comes to mind) you’d be a natural! *wink*
Angel – It’s difficult enough for me to find interest in sex for pleasure these days, it sure isn’t going to happen for cash. OMG that video! That was six years ago! Crikey, I need something more current…