Changes

====China====

====China====

Art, poetry, historical and legal documents infer or attest to the practice of homosexuality in China (the type or degree of which is often somewhat dependent on the bias of the researcher, with most major works today being by by pro homosexual writers0. The earliest references to such are from the period of the Hans Dynasty (Western: 202 B.C. to 9 A.D; Eastern: 25 to 22 A.D.) The ''Da-le-fu by Bo Xingjian (775-826) in an official ancient medical text ''History of the Former Hans Dynasty'' is seen by some to speak of homoeroticism, especially among emperors,  in highly euphemistic language.   

Art, poetry, historical and legal documents infer or attest to the practice of homosexuality in China (the type or degree of which is often somewhat dependent on the bias of the researcher, with most major works today being by by pro homosexual writers0. The earliest references to such are from the period of the Hans Dynasty (Western: 202 B.C. to 9 A.D; Eastern: 25 to 22 A.D.) The ''Da-le-fu'' by Bo Xingjian (775-826) in an official ancient medical text ''History of the Former Hans Dynasty'' is seen by some to speak of homoeroticism, especially among emperors,  in highly euphemistic language.   

During the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), Tao Gu noted in his ''Records of the Extraordinary''

During the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), Tao Gu noted in his ''Records of the Extraordinary''

In the latter part of the 16th century Roman Catholic missionaries commented on the perverse homosexual practices they saw in China. In a book published in 1569, Dominican Gaspar da Cruz attributed the [[earthquakes]] which had recently shaken China (its most fatal earthquake in history was in 1556[http://www.drgeorgepc.com/EarthquakesChina.html]) to being due to their indifference to [[sodomy]]. Shortly after his arrival in 1583, noted Jesuit astronomer Matteo Ricci found that male [[prostitution]] was lawful and practiced openly:  

In the latter part of the 16th century Roman Catholic missionaries commented on the perverse homosexual practices they saw in China. In a book published in 1569, Dominican Gaspar da Cruz attributed the [[earthquakes]] which had recently shaken China (its most fatal earthquake in history was in 1556[http://www.drgeorgepc.com/EarthquakesChina.html]) to being due to their indifference to [[sodomy]]. Shortly after his arrival in 1583, noted Jesuit astronomer Matteo Ricci found that male [[prostitution]] was lawful and practiced openly:  

there are public streets full of boys dressed up like prostitutes. And there are people who buy these boys and teach them to play music, sing and dance. And than, gallantly dressed up and made up with rouge like women, these miserable men are initiated into this terrible vice.<ref>Spence (1984: p. 220)  

there are public streets full of boys dressed up like prostitutes. And there are people who buy these boys and teach them to play music, sing and dance. And than, gallantly dressed up and made up with rouge like women, these miserable men are initiated into this terrible vice.<ref>Spence (1984: p. 220)</ref>

He also wrote to his superior lamenting "the horrible sin to which everyone here is much given, and about which there seems to be no shame or impediment."  No long before his death in 1610, he grieved that such was "neither forbidden by law nor thought to be illicit, nor even a cause of shame. It is spoken of in public, practiced everywhere, without there being anyone to prevent it."  

He also wrote to his superior lamenting "the horrible sin to which everyone here is much given, and about which there seems to be no shame or impediment."  No long before his death in 1610, he grieved that such was "neither forbidden by law nor thought to be illicit, nor even a cause of shame. It is spoken of in public, practiced everywhere, without there being anyone to prevent it."