Ask for a rewrite Homosexuality has been a controversial topic for hundreds of years now and its awareness and acceptance have grown over time. Past mentions of the topic can also be seen in older literary and artistic works, although it was not easily found due to lack of understanding or the "androgynous" context, according to the author, John Boswell author of Christianity, Social Tolerance and homosexuality. It was only in the last 50 years or so that same-sex marriage and gay rights began to grow tremendously and today are seen as common and for the most part socially acceptable. So my question would be: if Dante were alive today, would sodomy still be in the seventh circle of hell under murder and suicide or even in hell and should it have been in first place? Dante's Divine Comedy was published in 1555; a time when homosexuality existed but had not been socially acceptable in any way. During this time the Catholic Church had a strong influence on people's beliefs, which included thoughts about homosexuality. The story of homosexuality in the Bible may begin with Genesis 9:2-24, in which many Christian scholars believe that Ham, Noah's youngest son, committed a homosexual act with his father while his father slept, overcome by wine. Idolatry of false gods or the influence of the devil was thought to cause acts of homosexuality. One of the most important figures in Dante's life and in the Divine Comedy is Brunetto Latini, placed among the sodomites of Hell. Given the time period as it was, and the fact that homosexuality was completely unacceptable and never talked about, and sodomy religiously speaking would be enough to put you... in the center of the card... duality, bestiality and the personal pleasure would be put in Hell together in the same circle just in different rings. But even Dante would have to accept that homosexuality will soon be accepted throughout the nation and those who read this book in the future will not understand why he was put in some part of hell and will question his reasoning. Literature is an important part of our lives and our history and as time passes and ideals change, it will give those who read it the opportunity to analyze and understand the context themselves. Works Cited Boswell, John. Christianity, social tolerance and homosexuality. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1980. Print.Boswell, John E. “Dante and the Sodomites.” JSTOR. Dante Society of America, nd Web. 04 December 2013.Dante, Alighieri and Mark Musa. Dante's Inferno: the Indiana critical edition. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1995. Print.