I found this in my notes for my English class... I figured I'd share them with 你 here.
In Classical times, heterosexuality, 或者 the 爱情 of a man for a woman, was considered to be "an animalistic urge to be slaked quickly only for the purpose of reproduction" (Henry Staten, English 202 instructor) while "platonic love" 或者 the 爱情 of a man for another man, was considered idealistic and "above the beasts."
Such close 老友记 were in fact called "lovers," like Hercules and Hylas. To fall in 爱情 with a man was the "proper" thing to do at the time, and signified a wonderous thing.
This "homosociality"...
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