Homosexuality In Ha Jin's The Bridegroom

History of Homosexuality in Society

Throughout the course of history, the topic of homosexuality and its acceptable behavior has been one of varying opinions and much heated debate. Although how tolerated homosexual behavior was all through history can differ depending on who your source is, most everyone can agree that a few large cultures were either strongly for, or against, homosexuality.

One key player in the fight against homosexuality was the all-powerful England. The first English civil law against sodomy was passed by Parliament in 1533. "In Act - 25 Henry 8, Chapter 6 which begins "Forasmuch as there is not yet sufficient and condign punishment appointed and limited by the due course of the Laws of this Realm, for the detestable and abominable Vice of Buggery committed with mankind or beast", and goes on to define it as a felony punishable by hanging until dead." (Rutledge 137) In 1861, the death penalty for sodomy was abolished; thereafter, the punishment for this sex act was life imprisonment. Police monitored Molly Houses, or brothels, for male prostitutes, and those who visited were put to death.

In the late nineteenth century, medical science added to the negative evaluation of homosexuality. The medical profession grew in influence and, almost without exception,

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physicians diagnosed homosexuality as a form of illness, as we see in Ha Jin's "The Bridegroom." Baowen, the homosexual in the story, was committed to a mental hospital near the City of Muji, located in China, to "cure" his homosexual urges. At first, the opinion among doctors varied as to whether homosexuality was acquired or congenital; with the ascendance of Freudianism the acquired model became dominant. Prolific medical literatures, as well as records of treatment, suggest that many doctors viewed homosexuality with dread. "Remedies included castration, hysterectomy, lobotomy, electroshock, and aversion therapy." (www.college.hmco.com) One particular physician described a case of homosexuality as "shocking to every sense of decency, disgusting and revolting,"(www.college.hmco.com) phrases that he certainly would not have applied to a case of pneumonia or yellow fever. These types of moralistic judgments constantly flooded the so-called "scientific" study of homosexuality.

Religion also plays a key role in the persecution of homosexuals. The belief that homosexuality is a sin seems to dominate the church community. Those of Islamic religion are strongly against the very idea of homosexuality and offer a strong punishment to those who oppose their views. "In Saudi Arabia on April 16, 2001, five homosexuals were sentenced to 2,600 lashes and 6 years in prison, and four others to 2,400 lashes and 5 years' imprisonment for "deviant sexual behavior.""(Associated Press 2001) As of today, same-sex intercourse is still prohibited in Islam. Bible-believing Christians have also responded to the apparent growth in acceptance of homosexuality in various ways. Many fundamentalists view homosexual behavior as a choice, and believe that it is possible and desirable to make a transition to heterosexuality. Many evangelical

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Christians also see the acceptance of homosexuality as a threat to their beliefs and doctrines.

While many of today's eastern cultures still adhere strongly to their old oppositions on homosexuality, western societies have shown much more progress.

Beginning in the 20th century, gay rights movements, as part of the broader civil rights movement, in conjunction with the development of the often-activist academic treatment of sexuality in queer studies, have led to