Infamous Desire: Male Homosexuality in Colonial Latin America [Paperback]

Pete Sigal (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226757048 | ISBN-13: 978-0226757049 | Publication Date: January 1, 2003 | Edition: 1

What did it mean to be a man in colonial Latin America? More specifically, what did indigenous and Iberian groups think of men who had sexual relations with other men? Providing comprehensive analyses of how male homosexualities were represented in areas under Portuguese and Spanish control, Infamous Desire is the first book-length attempt to answer such questions. In a study that will be indispensable for anyone studying sexuality and gender in colonial Latin America, an esteemed group of contributors view sodomy through the lens of desire and power, relating male homosexual behavior to broader gender systems that defined masculinity and femininity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This collection explores various facets of homosexual identity . . . in what we now call Latin America from the pre-conquest period through the eighteenth century. It attends to various racial and ethnic groups, and various social classes. . . . Most importantly, however, it gives space to contending voices in the ongoing debate over the nature and history of homosexuality, both in colonial Latin America and beyond. As such, it will be useful to readers interested in queer studies and cultural studies in general, and not just to Latin Americanists.”—Ricardo Paderón, Bulletin of Spanish Studies

(Ricardo Pader�n, Bulletin of Spanish Studies ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

What did it mean to be a man in colonial Latin America? More specifically, what did indigenous and Iberian groups think of men who had sexual relations with other men? Providing comprehensive analyses of how male homosexualities were represented in areas under Portuguese and Spanish control, Infamous Desire is the first book-length attempt to answer such questions. In a study that will be indispensable for anyone studying sexuality and gender in colonial Latin America, an esteemed group of contributors view sodomy through the lens of desire and power, relating male homosexual behavior to broader gender systems that defined masculinity and femininity.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226757048
• ISBN-13: 978-0226757049
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Infamous desire, March 13, 2011

By 

Mark Piper - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Infamous Desire: Male Homosexuality in Colonial Latin America (Paperback)

Text is a basic source for students of Latin America or LGBT. The book brings together various colonial sources to highlight LGBT history in Latin America. Given is the description of cross dressing indigene priests in Peru, homosexuality within the Church in Brasil, and Sahagun's description of indigene LGBT in Mexico. Overall well-written and informative. This book should be on the shelf of any serious student of Mexico, Latin America or LGBT. Mark Piper, Instructor, History of Mexico. CCSF Ocean Campus

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth your time, January 2, 2010

By 

juanote (SLC Ut) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Infamous Desire: Male Homosexuality in Colonial Latin America (Paperback)

This is a (mostly) informative, well-researched group of essays focusing on new ideas of third genderism among pre-Conquest Americans. They are all pretty readable for the casual reader who knows something of history and queer theory. A caution to the casual reader (who may not care about the political fights in the field of Anthropology): the second essay is mean-sprited and strident, from a distinctly homophobic viewpoint. I'm not quite sure why it was included. So, skip it, and enjoy the rest.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Filling in the gaps in history, November 26, 2009

By 

Bruce Stores "Teacher and writer in Mexico si... (Oaxaca, MEXICO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Infamous Desire: Male Homosexuality in Colonial Latin America (Paperback)

Students who have taken high school and college history courses may recall their lectures and textbooks had huge voids in some areas. One of these gaps was usually sexuality, and probably none more so than that of same gender sexuality.

"Infamous Desire" goes a long ways towards filling this void in our education, especially as it pertains to Latin America.

The book is comprised of seven articles, mostly divided by geography and time.

"Infamous Desire" reveals the full range of male-to-male intimacy that is known to have existed in the colonial years. Special emphasis is given to what was felt about these practices from the point of view of the individual state, the Roman Catholic Church and popular culture. It also describes types of punishment, those meted by the state as well as the Catholic Church, particularly from the Holy Inquisition. The book is heavy in annotation and footnotes.

For those looking for sexual titillation, this book is not for you. The dry academic treatment of the material can make, at times, for boring reading. This work will be useful, however, to teachers and students alike who seek a more comprehensive picture of the Colonial era in Latin America.

Bruce Stores is author of "THE ISTHMUS, Stories from Mexico's Past, 1495 to 1995" iUniverse 2009, and "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE: Its Encounter With Lesbian/Gay America" iUniverse, 2004.