• mister_monster
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        11 months ago

        While most people want to believe their traits are innate, the fact is Rome wouldn’t have been able to function the way it did if this were true. The existence of Rome and its sex as an institution empirically disproves the hypothesis.

        I’m sure there were some men in Rome that were disgusted by the prospect of sex with men and either did it anyway as a duty or found every excuse not to, and I’m sure there were men that salivated at the idea from an early age. But by and large most of the men’s sexuality was malleable. This is certainly also the case today, there are probably some people strongly predisposed to one or the other from birth, but for most people sexuality is largely conditioning.

    • LapGoat@pawb.social
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      11 months ago

      i know nothing about that coma story, but a near death experience could certainly push someone out of the closet.

      as far as I’m concerned, sexuality is as innate as every other preference. what food someone likes, what music someone likes, etc.

      I think most folks are bi, but a lot of people push homosexual thoughts down because of social pressures, whether they know it or not.

      Kinsey scale and such i think.

    • sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz
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      10 months ago

      Pedarasty was practiced in Greece, and Romans viewed it as a distinctly Greek activity. It was never a foundational institution of Rome.

        • sigmaklimgrindset@sopuli.xyz
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          10 months ago

          This is so strange. There was a comment that said pedarasty was a foundational institution in Rome that I replied to, but I can’t seem to find the comment or the other replies to it.

          I’m 100% certain I hit reply on that comment and not the one my comment is showing as a child of. Furthermore, I can’t even find your or my comments on the main post. Just your reply in my inbox.

          I wonder if this is my lemmy app’s problem or a lemmy server problem. Anyways, sorry for the confusion!