Today’s society doesn’t seem to like gray areas, or complex terminology. The simpler the concept, the better. Homosexual relationships can be either good or bad. The “good” homosexuality is defined by the word “gay”. It largely refers to relationships that are androphiliac in nature, and are usually stereotyped as effeminate or flamboyant. On the other hand, there’s the bad kind of homosexuality, which is essentially everything else that doesn’t fit in the androphiliac box. Without differences being drawn, everything else is lumped together under the umbrella term of “perverted”, or “child molestation”.

Chiron and Achilles

Pederasty has nothing to do with pedophilia. A pedophile is someone who is, for some reason, attracted to children, that is, prepubescent kids. Some have some gender preference, but most don’t even bother (that’s why many pedophiles might enjoy dressing boys as girls and viceversa). Pedophilia has always been quite rare, and mostly frowned upon by all societies. Pederasty, on the other hand, has been celebrated in many, and was the most common form of homosexuality until very recently. A Pederast is someone who is attracted to teenage boys, ages ranging from 12 to 20 (in the sexual-orientation jargon this is known as ephebophilia). But the attraction needn’t be only sexual, or only emotional, nor should it always combine both. There have been many occurrences of chaste pederastic relations throughout history (but that’s for another post). The pederast will feel a strong love towards the younger partner, a type of love which sometimes borders on the parental. It is precisely this parental aspect that fueled the pederasty-based Greek system of education (or paideia). A Pederast will also be likely to go on and marry a woman, whom he will probably deeply love and care for. In a way, pederasty is somewhat of a training ground for fatherhood.  For example, the British composer Benjamin Britten, a well-known pederast who had many relationships with boys throughout his prolific life (all of them chaste), always hoped for a child of his own. Pederasty is thus entirely “natural”, since it does not interfere with procreation.

Judeo-Christian traditions and Feminism have unfortunately lumped this natural, ageless, and noble attraction together with perverted forms of sexuality. It is mind-boggling that a society that embraces andprophiliac “gay” relationships has such irrational hatred towards pederastic relationships, even when they’re completely chaste. They say history is constantly changing, and that is bound to repeat itself. Maybe one day there will be a re-acceptance of pederasty. It will probably go hand-in-hand with a Second Renaissance of some sort, which is something our painfully philistine society desperately needs.

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• Philosophy of Pederasty: Platonic Love
• The Age of Attraction
• Is Pederasty Natural?
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