The word homosexuality could take conversations a lot of different ways today. According to the Human Rights Campaign sixty-one percent of voters support marriage equality (Human Rights Campaign). While that is over half, we all know that there is still a lot of hatred directed towards the people of this community. We have all heard people say it is not natural and the feelings should be pushed down and ignored. However, a look towards the past into Ovid’s Metamorphoses, shows that homosexuality has been around a lot longer than many people realize. In Book IV, Fable V and VI, Ovid presents us with two love stories that are not the typical way of romance. The first fable is about twin siblings, a girl named Byblis and a boy named Caunus.
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While neither of these relationships would have been deemed socially appropriate, the relationship of Iphis and Ianthe is accepted, because Iphis’ gender is hidden. Society today would also agree with this relationship, not knowing that it is truly homosexual. People do not know the full truth about Iphis, yet they agree with the relationship. The information of Iphis being male or female should not change a person’s feeling about his or her romantic relationship. This fable shows that a homosexual love can be true love, and romantic love does not have to be subjective to gender. In America there are 29 states that do not have laws protecting people in the workplace for discrimination against sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign). A person’s sexuality does not affect their coworkers or employers, but there is still much hatred. In 2007, there were 1,265 hate crimes directed towards people considered lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Of these hate crimes 690 were physical assault of the victim and 5 of them were murders (Human Rights Campaign). For many of these incidents the homosexual victim is blamed for the assault. Hate is not an acceptable way to show your feelings about sexual orientation. People have little understanding of how love can happen if it is not in the “social norm” of things. The world needs to be well informed about the LGBTQ community. I believe if the world were to have better knowledge of this fable they may come to realize that marriage equality should be a possibility. Our generation could see that what is someone’s personal information does not affect the outsiders around
While neither of these relationships would have been deemed socially appropriate, the relationship of Iphis and Ianthe is accepted, because Iphis’ gender is hidden. Society today would also agree with this relationship, not knowing that it is truly homosexual. People do not know the full truth about Iphis, yet they agree with the relationship. The information of Iphis being male or female should not change a person’s feeling about his or her romantic relationship. This fable shows that a homosexual love can be true love, and romantic love does not have to be subjective to gender. In America there are 29 states that do not have laws protecting people in the workplace for discrimination against sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign). A person’s sexuality does not affect their coworkers or employers, but there is still much hatred. In 2007, there were 1,265 hate crimes directed towards people considered lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Of these hate crimes 690 were physical assault of the victim and 5 of them were murders (Human Rights Campaign). For many of these incidents the homosexual victim is blamed for the assault. Hate is not an acceptable way to show your feelings about sexual orientation. People have little understanding of how love can happen if it is not in the “social norm” of things. The world needs to be well informed about the LGBTQ community. I believe if the world were to have better knowledge of this fable they may come to realize that marriage equality should be a possibility. Our generation could see that what is someone’s personal information does not affect the outsiders around