Homosexual means people who are attracted to the same gender. The word “Homosexuality” was used first by Benkert in the 19th century. Although the time that this word has been used is not long, the history of homosexuality is long.
In ancient Greece, homosexuality was regarded as the love of the heavens. Also, it was considered as the best love. At that time, many philosophers including Socrates and Plato had relations with boys. They thought that love with boys was greater than the ordinary love with women. Also, women poets like Sappho had sexual intercourse with women, and they expressed this as phrases of poets. In addition, Michelangelo, a well-known painter, was also homosexual. His sexual preference became the motives of his works, and the women’s bodies that appeared in his works were described as men’s bodies.
In the Middle Ages, homosexuality was considered a sin after Christianity was authorized as the Roma’s religion. People at that time thought homosexuality as an uncanonical sin because it didn’t relate with procreation like masturbation and contraception.
Through various genres, homosexuals can be found throughout the history of Korea. There are examples like King Hyegong of Silla, King Gongmin of Goryeo and the Flower of Youth in the Silla dynasty. In “*Hallimbyeolgok,” a poetic narrator said he wanted to go on an outing with a handsome youth holding hands with each other. In Park Ji-won’s “*Yeolhailgi,” merchants of the Qing dynasty performed homosexual acts with good-looking boys through their trades.
Homosexuality has existed and will exist, because love is one of human’s essential feelings. Homosexuality is just a kind of love. How about casting away the prejudice against homosexuality for a moment and understanding them throughout history?
 
*Hallimbyeolgok: 한림별곡/
Yeolhailgi: 열하일기