Homosexuality is a recurring topic of controversy on the gorean role-playing sims of Second Life. And so, it’s a heated debate, which I’m going to propose to you to put to rest by providing you with sources, quotes and thoughts about John Norman, his philosophy, his opinions and his work. I don’t intend to change your mind about homosexuality, but to show you that, in Gor’s world, denying its existence and its integration, without hatred or rejection, into society is, in essence, a mistake.

PS: I’m a lesbian myself; you can always say that my point of view is therefore biased and illegitimate, but no more so than yours. I try to gather documents and resources to answer a question, not just assert that I’m right because I think I am. If this encourages you to cyber-harass me, well, uh… it won’t be the first time, and frankly, don’t you have better things to do with your time?

(Illustration by J.C. Sutter)

The nature of the subject, in a quote

So, let’s start with a quote, to set the scene!

“There’s very little sex between men on Gor, although it’s not non-existent. Its relative rarity is undoubtedly not the consequence of any [homophobic] repression, which doesn’t exist, but rather of the disinterest that Gor people have in it. It’s an aspect they neglect and do without, because of the nature of goreans and their environment. In this respect, their culture is shameless, virginal even; their openness to the business of sex is sensual, frank and organic. There is no pathological, guilt-inducing conditioning or social pressure to confuse, alienate and divide the sexes. The abundance and availability of beautiful and necessary slave girls, who are, for the most part, affordable and available, removes all guilt from their nature.

Blood Brothers of Gor, p.450-51 “

Why is this quote specifically about male homosexuality, and not female too? We’ll come back to that, and you’ll soon understand. But remember the context. We’re talking about an author of pulp novels from the ’60s, with clearly conservativeviews, and adept at a philosophy based on a pseudo-science debunked 40 years ago: evolutionary psychology. You could say he’s a real misogynist, couldn’t you? But it’s actually more complicated and nuanced than that.

1- Not much is said about it, even in the novels

References to homosexuality are rare in the series of novels. These references are mainly to be found in three books: Savages of Gor, Blood Brothers of Gor and Magicians of Gor.

In Savages of Gor, the focus is on the Same people and their culture, considered aberrant by the Red Savages people, who are obviously not gentle (but they’re not gentle with anyone). In Magicians of Gor, we follow the adventures of a master and his male slave, who are therefore also lovers, without this seeming to create any scandal or real hatred for anyone.

In fact, more concretely, Norman doesn’t really dwell on homosexuality. He doesn’t flaunt it, and it’s clear from the quote above that, in Norman’s view, goreans don’t see it as a crime, a horror or a sin of any kind. At most, for goreans, it’s a strangeness; but no more, ultimately, than an exotic slave with lethal saliva, a machine that translates dozens of languages, a remote “magic” switch, a giant insect that speaks telepathically, or a physically handicapped individual… in short: it’s not much to them, per se.

In view of the comments in the novels and Norman’s reflections, one thing is absolutely clear: homophobia doesn’t exist as we understand it; in fact, nothing culturally has allowed it to appear in Gorean society! There is no religious precept that condemns homosexuality, that tells us to chase away these deviants or force them to return to some straight path and, ultimately, the individual who is gay is his own business. After all, if he keeps his place, knows how to be discreet about it, plays his social role (man or woman), what does it matter? Goreans don’t think it’s a disease, or a perversion, they just think it’s strange, and don’t encourage it, but don’t discourage it either. And since it’s very rare among goreans, it doesn’t bother them.

2- What does Norman think?

On the subject of Norman’s views on sexuality, I recommend reading Imaginative Sex, his best and most intelligent book. And you’ll learn his point of view on many things, including homosexuality.

Norman, despite his tendency to give credence to the theory of evolutionary psychology (and its aberrations), considers that homosexuality has a basis in nature. In short: it exists, it’s there, it concerns a small proportion of people, and it doesn’t bother anyone, so why deny it?

But he tempers his remarks according to his worldview. This could be seen as homophobia, but then again, he’s a man of the ’60s. You have no idea what homophobia was like back then. He’s relatively moderate for the time:

“Giving in to these inclinations, of course, is another matter altogether, and risks leading to frustration and incompleteness. It’s no accident that there are two sexes which, by sexual selection, have for hundreds of generations designed themselves for each other’s mutual pleasure.”

Imaginative Sex p.230

I like to say that, clearly, Norman must have been asleep during the sexual revolution of the late ’60s, and hasn’t woken up since. But enough digressions. Norman considers that, although feelings between people of the same sex may exist, and even if they are natural inclinations, it is often preferable not to act on these feelings. He sees the male-female couple as a kind of social and relational ideal:

 “Men and women are for each other; everything else is secondary.”

Imaginative Sex p.231

To conclude: Norman considers, and discusses in Imaginative Sex, that homosexual relationships, which are therefore part of nature, and include specific feelings and needs, are nevertheless far from optimal from an evolutionary point of view, and can pose obvious problems from that point of view. Yes, homosexual relationships, for reproduction, and therefore evolution, are not great. Since then, gender studies (which are serious scientific studies, people, with zoologists, biologists, ethologists and behaviorist experts) have demonstrated the benefits of homosexuals in a social group, even in animals: they adopt and protect youngsters who have lost their parents. These offspring do not develop homosexuality, because homosexuality cannot be learned or transmitted.

From a purely social point of view, Norman’s opinion is tempered: basically, he wants these relationships to remain a minority and be considered an exception, at the risk of evolution not being able to do its job, according to his philosophical views.

So Norman is by no means opposed to such relationships, but simply thinks that a male/female relationship is, from his point of view, more satisfying and desirable. This fits in very well with Gor’s mentality where, even if such feelings exist, they are not seen as the best way to fulfill oneself. And then, in Gor society, who has the privilege of listening to his personal feelings and emotional desires (except with his slave), right?

Well, now that we know what Norman thinks about it, and that he’s a million miles away from any hateful, threatening homophobia like the one I regularly endure, like all LGBT+ people, let’s see how it goes on Gor!

3- How are things going socially?

Well, as mentioned above, it’s by no means dramatic!

To understand this, you need to understand one of the basic tenets of Gor society: you have to keep your place. What happens in one’s private life is one’s own business, as long as the subject is not exposed publicly.

So, men and women in a homosexual relationship must be discreet and not show anything too flagrant or provocative from the outside. You don’t hold hands in public, you don’t kiss, and you might as well avoid sentimental outbursts.

And, above all, a gay couple will have to take care of their social roles separately, without their intimate relationship interfering publicly. Yes, this means it’s complicated for a couple of free individuals. Their relationship is unlikely to flourish without a number of pitfalls, since their feelings and desires must take second place to the constraints of their social role. We’re back to Norman’s thoughts on the subject in his take on homosexuality in Imaginativ Sex: a homosexual relationship is never fully functional, and always complicated. Yes, well, he wrote that in the ’70s, and his brain is still hard-wired from the ’60s!

But it’s clear that if it exists and is relatively rare, because few goreans are homosexuals, it’s not so exceptional either and doesn’t shock goreans, as long as these individuals fulfill their social duty. It’s just that we don’t talk about it at the table, and it has to be kept discreet; that’s the most important thing!

It’s obvious, then, that it’s much easier to establish an intimate homosexual relationship… with slaves! This is in line with the rule of keeping one’s place: Goreans believe that the only true love is the love of a slave, and that only a slave can be loved freely and without constraint; free individuals, engrossed in their duties, are far too complicated to love, even if they do exist, of course.

So, just as you wouldn’t ask a free woman what she makes of her kajirus of pleasure, a docile and submissive ephebe, you wouldn’t ask her what she makes of her beautiful slave-girl of pleasure who follows and serves her everywhere. And if there can be a certain disapproval of sexual relations between men, between women, clearly, as long as it’s discreet, the goreans don’t seem to care at all. Why is that? I’d say it’s a fairly common sexist stance, but in Gor’s case, it makes sense, since goreans believe that, since everyone needs sex, and males live to dominate females, women who have sex with slave-girls satisfy their needs without risking their social status and freedom. On the other hand, again because of sexism, it’s clear that such an emotional and sexual relationship, between free women, which is publicly unveiled, can cause a great deal of social harm, and end badly.

The same goes for a man! A slave is property, an object and a personal pet. What anyone does with their property is their own business… at least, as long as it doesn’t become an embarrassing oddity in public! So, because people aren’t idiots, a beautiful, free woman who is followed by a beautiful, faithful pleasure slave-girl is no more likely to be questioned than if she were accompanied by her virile, docile male slave.

Sexuality, for goreans, IS NOT A SHAME! On the contrary: it’s a need, like eating or sleeping. Everyone needs it, everyone does it, virginity has no symbolic value whatsoever for goreans, and their religion is devoid of the guilt-ridden shackles and shame of the body and pleasure of our own Judeo-Christian heritage.

A few quotes in context (I love Magiciens of Gor, it’s my favorite Gor novel):

“My Milo, my Milo!” wept Appanius, looking at the much-beaten slave. “Ar’s most beautiful slave! My beloved slave! My beloved Milo!”

“He betrayed you,” said one of the servants.

“He cheated on you, with a woman,” said another.

Magicians of Gor, pages 426-428

Talena looked at me suddenly, in disbelief, and then, just as suddenly, she looked at Milo with a wild look: “Accept me!” she shouted. “Accept me! I’ll make it worth your while! I’ll give you thousands of gold coins. I’ll reward you with villas! I’ll give you a hundred beautiful women as slaves. If you wish, I’ll give you boys! I’ll give you high positions in Ar!”

 Magicians of Gor, p 470

“What if Appanius wants you as a slave?” asked Marcus.

She burst out laughing: “I see you don’t know our dear Appanius,” she said. “All he’d want from a woman is for her to clean and scrub his floors!”

Magicians of Gor , p 456 “

“You think you’re precious,” I asked? 

“Surely the master thinks so,” he replied. He continued, “I heard the master himself say that there are free women in Ar who would pay a thousand tarn of gold for me.” 

“And there are undoubtedly men,” I said, “who would pay one thousand five hundred.” 

Magicians of Gor- 436 

(and no, for the price, it’s not a translation error)

4- The bisexuality of slaves

Pleasure kajirae are almost all (and all, although pleasure kajirus are rarer and Norman doesn’t touch on this subject), by destination, bisexual. And we don’t ask their opinion! Of course, the vast majority will prefer men, by nature and conditioning; but they’ve all experienced sapphism to a greater or lesser extent. This is due to the technique used in their upbringing.

In pleasure gardens, while training is carried out by slavers, the education of the matured and trained slave is done by educators slave-girls. At this stage, the slaver acts as steward, managing the direction of this education and ensuring its quality. The bulk of the work is passed on to the educators. Including the long, complex and intense sexual conditioning! For it is the educators, sometimes assisted by free male slave assistants, who teach the kajirae how to give and take pleasure, condition them to seek sex with the same greed as they need to eat or drink, and break down their reluctance so that their femininity and sensuality stick to them forever. All this conditioning is designed to serve and please men, but it’s carried out by women, so you don’t even have to talk about homosexuality for the kajirae: they are forcibly conditioned to be bisexual (although this point needs to be tempered, see below) and have explored all the pleasures, on both sides.

Norman never describes this operation in detail, but it is clearly evoked, and specified to be carried out by women, educators, under male supervision, in the novel Assassins of Gor.

The fact is, a kajira is also ultimately formatted to please men, first and foremost. Her sensuality is so intense that she may well already be on the verge of orgasm, from a simple glance, a breath, a kiss. And when it comes to sex, she can’t do without it; to deprive her of it is the worst punishment, and she’ll do anything to satisfy this all-consuming need:

“(…) These devices, incidentally, are sometimes used by slaves who hate their masters but whose bodies, trained for love, cannot bear the absence of male caresses. These women, despite their hatred, sometimes offer larma, furious with themselves but powerless, prisoners of their slave desires, forced to beg on their knees for the caress of a rough master who enjoys the horror of their situation; will he satisfy them? If he will, yes; if he will not, no. These women are nothing but slaves.”

(The Tribes of Gor)

5-Transgender and intersex

Norman is totally ignorant of the subject, and obviously had never heard of it. Again, 60s author, conservative, etc. So, what can we say?

According to the novels, almost nothing. There are a few very rare cases of women more or less cross-dressing as men, or assuming a very masculine social role, such as a female slaver in Fighting Slave of Gor. There are also cases of almost androgynous ephebic male slaves, but that’s about it.

The rest we can only speculate on historical and credible grounds, and we’ll start with: Gor’s medicine works miracles, but it has no knowledge of the problem of gender dysphoria and transgender people. So it can’t do anything to help them.

Transgender people are therefore very rare, and only a small minority will attempt to live according to their intended gender, with all the deadly risks one can imagine! And because it’s such a complicated and difficult life, these people are often found on the fringes of good society: they work in brothels or private salons, and stay out of sight. And the rest? Well, they survive, as best they can.

As for inter-sexed people, they present external or internal traits belonging to both genders at the same time (I’m simplifying a lot). This is even rarer than transgenders, and is one of nature’s oddities. And it’s so rare and exceptional that I don’t think even goreans know what to make of it. In my opinion, many are enslaved for their exoticism.

Conclusion

Let’s sum up in a few points!

• Homosexuality exists! (it is rare, however)
• Homophobia does not exist! (there’s no socio-cultural or religious influence condemning it)
• Homosexuality is not encouraged (in public, you hold your social place and don’t flaunt it).
• Homosexuality is not a dishonorable disgrace (it’s just an oddity)
• Homosexuality isn’t punished, hunted or ostracized (it’s a right, as long as it doesn’t threaten the social role).
• Free people avoid such relationships
• Free people can have this kind of relationship with a slave.
• Pleasure slave-girls know about gay relationships
• Gay Pleasure kajirii for men are known and not at all shameful

So, then… Homophobic Gor, or not? Clearly, not at all. And it doesn’t come out of nowhere. Norman’s main inspiration is not ancient Greece, but Gallo-Roman antiquity, and Imperial Rome. Rome had very sexist and unfair rules for women, but absolutely nothing about homosexual relations! A Roman woman could end up enslaved for sleeping with a slave, but with a slave girl, no problem! And a gay relationship between a free man and his male slave was perfectly accepted and known, just not publicly flaunted.

So much so that the Romans never even had a word for homosexuality! It’s sex – preferably with slaves, with free citizens there’s a risk of real consequences – and it’s only sex! And of course, when you read some of the Roman chroniclers, you realize that, depending on the period, they either approved or denounced these relationships, and that they too debated them vigorously, while society just didn’t care and enjoyed it. So Norman took these references, and applied them, along with his own philosophical opinions to his fictional universe.

So if Norman isn’t homophobic and includes, and accepts, homosexuality in his universe, what right do you have to impose your homophobia on the role-playing game of Gor’s world?