Reply #22: Good analysis. Also keep in mind...

[Touchdown]

who invented turkish baths. The Romans just copy-catted it, but male sexuality was one of the reasons for going to the baths. The pagan religions of Babylon and Assyria celebrated it as well. Witness the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Once Zoroastorianism took over from Persia, the prudish morality set in, but arabs are still known for the closeness of men, even with Islam's condemnations. Much of the "rules" for Islam were adopted from the tenets of Zoroastor.

Once liberated from the Taliban, many Afghans started their man-boy relationships back up as if the Taliban never existed. I read an article about that a couple of years ago.

Taoism doesn't seem to have a condemnation of homosexuality, and whatever religion the Feudal Japanese practiced (it wasn't buddhism) sex between men was just seen as a part of life, and not cared about.