7. Ancient Rome (kind of)
The ancient Romans had complicated views on homosexuality. Homosexual relationships were seen as virtuous, pure and mature for those men who were on the giving end of the relationship, physically. However, the men who received were viewed as being similar to women, which lowered their status and made them open to mockery and ridicule. These beliefs likely stemmed more from the grave and pervasive misogyny of Roman culture than any homophobia. Women were looked on as childish and of incredibly low rank in Roman culture, so any perceived feminine behavior in men was met with strong disapproval. Female homosexual sex was little discussed, due to the Roman belief that sex had to be penetrative and that female desire for another female was mostly unheard of.
Many Roman noblemen and military leaders had male lovers. Emperor Hadrian was openly gay and traveled with his partner, Antinous. Male prostitutes were also common for the higher echelons of Roman society. In the later years of the Roman empire, passive, or receiving, homosexual male sex was outlawed, but it was still permitted for the “top” partner. After the Roman Empire Christianized, under Emperor Constantine, the traditional early Christian attitudes towards homosexuality took hold throughout the Roman Empire, and violent penalties were enacted for homosexual relationships of any kind.