Gay and Lesbian Communities the World Over examines the treatment and status of gays and lesbians in 21 countries around the world. The countries included are Canada, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, South Africa, India, China, Japan, and Australia. The book explores the history of homosexuality dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, as well as attitudes toward gays and lesbians within the world's most prominent religions, the arts, literature, and film. This investigation is unique due to its comprehensive and innovative analysis of a wide range of topics concerning gay and lesbian communities across a large number of countries. The authors report on the rights of gay and lesbian citizens in the countries listed above, as for example the right to marry, adopt, serve in the military, hold certain occupational positions. They also describe the status of gay and lesbian citizens as for example, the legality of homosexuality and sanctioned punishments. When available, public opinion data are reported on how respondents feel about gays and lesbians in their country as well as their opinions on what rights should be afforded to this group. Data are reported on respondents' opinions on allowing gay marriage, civil unions, adoption, and allowing gays to openly serve in the military. The representative sample of countries in this study will help scholars get a better sense of the status of gays and lesbians across the globe.
Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Legal Status of Gays and Lesbians Chapter 3 Christianity and Homosexuality Chapter 4 Judaism and Homosexuality Chapter 5 Islam and Homosexuality Chapter 6 Hinduism, Buddhism, and Homosexuality Chapter 7 Homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome Chapter 8 Homosexuality During the Middle Ages Chapter 9 Early Africa and Homosexuality Chapter 10 Portrayal of Gays and Lesbians in the Arts Chapter 11 Early Psychology and Homosexuality Chapter 12 Tearoom Trade Chapter 13 The Mattachine Society and New York City's Stonewall Inn Part 14 Country Studies Chapter 15 Canada Chapter 16 United States Chapter 17 Argentina Chapter 18 Brazil Chapter 19 Great Britain Chapter 20 France Chapter 21 Germany Chapter 22 Italy Chapter 23 Sweden Chapter 24 Hungary Chapter 25 Poland Chapter 26 Russia Chapter 27 Israel Chapter 28 Egypt Chapter 29 Iran Chapter 30 Nigeria Chapter 31 South Africa Chapter 32 India Chapter 33 China Chapter 34 Japan Chapter 35 Australia Chapter 36 Gay and Lesbian Adoption Chapter 37 Concluding Comments Chapter 38 Appendix A: Homosexuals under the Nazi Regime and the Soviet Union
