Entry #345484, added on 05-06-05 @ 3:30 am EDT
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| Homosexuality In Apsiu Culture | Entry #345484 |
This is a topic I treated on in the dictionary of terms used in the story; here I might go a bit more indepth.
To reiterate what brought about that definition: A long-gone reader once commented on the peculiarity of some of the characters being so adamantly against anything even remotely smacking of homosexuality, even while engaging in such behaviors is apparently quite common in Apsiu society. Why should anyone be so afraid of being seen as gay when gayness is seemingly common and all right among the Apsiu? I have a general explanation, but as with the essay on polyamory, things aren't always so cut and dried.
To put it bluntly: In Apsiu society, to be male is to be able to do two things: fight, and sire pups. If one is not a good figher, one can be mocked as being weak and effeminate; yet even the best fighter may also be mocked, if he fails to sire any children by a female. The deathrate among Apsiu Kana is very high, thus it's always best to sire as many pups as one can, especially since these pups are all a Kana will have after his death to carry on his name. In this society, the children bring honor to the parents through their actions. (Please note that this refers only to MALE, KANA CHILDREN.)
Seeing as it is considered abnormal to not want to have pups of one's own, the state of homosexuality itself is viewed as abnormal, but almost EXCLUSIVELY because it does not result in the siring of pups. Thus, homosexuality is UNDESIRED in Apsiu society...yet homosexual acts, and behavior, when paired with "heterosexual" acts performed to sire pups, are considered much more tolerable. This is still not considered "normal," yet it's most often overlooked, since what Apsiu do in their spare time is of no one's concern, just so long as they continue the family line.
In fact, in different settings, homosexuality or else homosexual behavior is not exactly ENCOURAGED, but rather EXPECTED. This is especially the case in Kana barracks and during extended military stays away from the tribe. Females are not allowed in such locations; and so Kana are often compelled to turn to sexual relations with each other. Even Apsiu who identify as "straight" may frequently take recourse to this (see the short "Related" story "Deep In The Night" for an example), without viewing themselves as gay. In all truth, it would seem that BISEXUALITY is considered the norm in Apsiu society, since this is a race that is very sexual, and when a mate of the opposite sex is not available, it's only to be expected that one would resort to the next best thing. This is so common a viewpoint that even some relationships that are not by any means homosexual have come to be viewed as such purely through association; the primary example being the relationship between a sponsor and trainee. Many such relationships are not sexual by any means, but there is always a cloud of suspicion around sponsors who personally take on younger trainees, because homosexual behavior in this setting is so frequent. This is also so with the Kana barracks at night (where sexual acts are almost always overlooked unless they disrupt things), and to a lesser extent, among Kana away from the tribe for extended periods.
Even with this "Do it if you want, so long as it doesn't interfere with reproducing" attitude, there is still some stigma attached to being gay, as the ritual disowning by at least two Kana fathers of their (gay) Kana sons in the story indicates. As with any type of relationship, there is always the chance it may be viewed as undesirable or abnormal; and even though bisexuality is usually the norm, there are of course some Apsiu who do not agree with this. It is always seen as undesirable should one's son be sen'akha, if only because there is a stronger chance he will not sire pups. In many such cases, merely taking a female mate to procure children, while continuing the romantic/sexual relationship with a male partner (as in Resikh's case), is enough to solve this dilemma, but not always.
Another detail is that regarding who is the "active" party and who is the "passive" party. Of course, it is those who are primarily passive who face the bulk of ridicule for being sen'akha--merely because males are not expected to wish to "receive." (Passive = feminine.) In fact the active party may not be regarded by the majority as gay even if he engages in such acts, merely because he is the one doing the "giving." One exception is the act of forcing vanquished enemy Kana into hakh'tua, or oral sex, and this only because the one giving hakh'tua is typically viewed as the passive party. In this ritual act, those doing the forcing are not viewed as sen'akha in the least, though those being forced may easily be mocked. (The nonconsensual nature of the act does not typically count--this is an ancient society, where a lot of the time, rape is allowed and is not considered rape. Witness the example of the character Taka, who is forced into hakh'tua and then raped by the conquering enemy general--the general's actions are applauded, whereas Taka himself is ridiculed. I do not know the orientation of the general--I suspect he's bisexual--but Taka in the story identifies as straight, and takes no male mates.)
Such ideas regarding homosexuality exist among the Moru as well, but not quite to the same extent, as there is not such a great emphasis on siring pups among the Moru since slaves cannot have honor brought to their names. Here, bisexuality is even more the norm. So far in the story, in fact, there is only one Moru I can think of who shows shame at being seen as sen'akha--and this Moru was formerly Kana. (One could assume that his father/guardian/sponsor was perhaps critical of homosexual relationships, though honestly I have no clue. :P )
An interesting and little-known related topic is that of lesbianism, sen'akha females. Females are intended purely to give birth to pups, thus infertile females are highly undesirable. Sexual relations between females, however, are not viewed with nearly as much disapproval as sexual relations among males. So long as they give birth to children, females have accomplished their purpose, and can thus engage in whatever other behaviors they wish. Their femininity is also not questioned the way that a male's masculinity may be if he engages in sexual relations with a male. I have yet to come across any instances in the story where female/female relations are frowned upon as undesirable or unproductive or perverted. Even now, I'm not completely sure why this is. The fact that "honor" does not tie in to it may be a big part of it, as females cannot bring honor to the family, and they cannot dishonor the family. Hence the more lax attitude regarding lesbian relations. This is a topic I may need to explore further. (Though in truth, F/F does nothing for me. ^_^; )
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