Homosexuality From A Sociological Perspective

It is 2015. We are in an era where social justice is highly prioritized and is covered by news, television and social media extensively. As the bigotry and homophobia of yesteryear are rapidly being paraded against, sexual identity, gender roles and sexuality are now being treated in a new light. What was once considered taboo, and in many places illegal, now has become synonymous with emotional strength and coming out of the closet is often applauded. Much like the way that views on homosexuality have evolved in the past hundred years, so has the role of sexuality in the context of the vampire. As one digs deep into the origin of vampires and their sexuality, it is hard to overlook the blatant homoeroticism displayed by the Blood Countess, …show more content…
The way she exemplified strength, aggression and dominance was a key factor in how and why she carried out her perverse fantasies. In 1578, her husband, Count Ferenc Nadasdy, was proclaimed chief commander of Hungarian troops and went to campaign against the Ottomans. This left Elizabeth to handle business affairs and their estates, which meant that she also had to take responsibility for the Hungarian and Slovak people. I believe this was the start of Bathory’s mental transformation and that this event created an environment that allowed her to take advantage of her future victims. Unlike most housewives Bathory was very well educated and cultured, and she used her intellect and manipulative ways to rule with an iron fist. I am certain that the fear she instilled in the general population allowed her to get away with all of the sadistic acts that she practiced. Her mastery of manipulation led many young peasant girls into her grip, and ultimately into her twisted torturous ways (which also alludes to the psychotic vampire of Slavic lore). Additionally, many were not aware of her foul deeds as the use of her effective governing skills led most subjects to be unmindful and unquestioning. This secrecy plays a huge role in Bathory being able to jump past homosociality straight into homoeroticism and possibly homosexuality. It is clear to see that if Elizabeth Bathory’s personality did not encapsulate a hyper masculine ideology, she would not have effectively been able to carry out her perverse actions. In conclusion, I believe that the further we investigate the theory that Elizabeth Bathory may have been lesbian/bisexual the more her actions seem to manifest homoerotic tendencies. The fact that the notion of vampires as sexual entities did not reach a peak until the 19th century may strengthen this point,