Brief History on Sexuality

Do you believe the following statements to be true?

Whether you answered yes, or no, here’s a few ways sexuality was framed through its development:

The first known use of sexuality was in 1797 and it was defined as “the quality or state of being sexual: a) the condition of having sex b) sexual activity c) expression of sexual receptivity or interest especially when excessive” (Webster). This given definition of sexuality assumes that sexuality is not a construct, but something that is inherently innate. It also assumes that, at some point, the expression of sexuality will be excessive — leaving room for subjectivity when analyzing sexuality. Not only does the influence of societal views lead to a definition of sexuality, but it also states that there must be some judgment on the excessive quality of sexuality. These opinions and judgments are usually created through limitations or definitions produced by science. How we understand our limitations and bodies, as humans are formed through scientific “findings” which are often not challenged. Although the first use of the term, sexuality, was in 1797, the portrayal of sexuality is just as historically relevant for the questioning of sex and sexuality’s development. Sexuality and its development did not occur in a vacuum, therefore it is relevant that we consider other oppressing factors of an individual’s life. This encompasses the development of science, religion, colonialism, the ranging societal norms of individuals, and revolutions against such oppressions.

 Science has a constant influence on the way society perceives things. If we think about science as an institution, we can see how science itself not only influences our decisions (because we believe it to be expert knowledge) but science itself is also influenced by what humans deem as important. For example, if sexuality was not a topic which society questioned so often, then science would not try to decipher a gay gene. As a society, we often don’t question science, and instead, we accept it as always true. With this unquestioned belief, material consequences, such as racism and homophobia, affect bodies, minds, and health of minorities because the influenced construct of science is prioritized even when biased. 

Even today, sexuality continues to be defined in the context of what society sees as appropriate to express when concerning bodily autonomy, but this is incorrect. An individual’s sexuality may, in fact, be the discovery of attraction to different sex’s bodily autonomy, but it may also be the realization of a difference in definition to that of the heteronormative understanding of sexuality. Someone’s discovery of sexuality may be the discovery of their sexual orientation, but defining sexuality could encompass all things related to sexual behavior, while also questioning the boundaries of such definitions. Without the prioritization of science as society’s truth, sexuality would have not been defined, sexual acts would not have been coupled with gender orientation, and gender and sexuality expressions would not have been categorically labeled. Therefore, to discuss sex/sexuality and take away society’s biased view of what sex and sexuality should look like, there must be an acknowledgment of queer theory and minority voices. By welcoming new perspectives, experiences, and challenging society’s instilled heternormative perspective on sex/sexuality, we can welcome a more sex-positive society for ALL. 

Helpful sources:

 If you’re looking to read a thorough history of sexuality the Kinsey Institute provides a chronological summary of several country’s developments on the topic of sexuality: https://kinseyinstitute.org/collections/archival/ccies.php

Michel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality delves into the development of sexuality to what he called “centrifugal movement towards” heterosexual monogamy. Overview: https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/histofsex/summary/

If you’re a student at UCDavis a good resource to check out is Thelovelab, which provides safe-sex resources and information. 

If you’re not a student here in Davis, check out planned parenthood’s website for information, safe sex options, and expert medical help. 

1. Photo by Aleksandr Burzinskij on Pexels.com ↩︎