變異的性行為

每一個社會會把人類性行為象譜的某一譜帶接納為“正常的”性行為。但是，有些社會所認可的性常態的譜帶比其它社會要寬泛得多。因而，一些行為在一個地方也許被認為是“正常的”，而在另一個地方會被認為是“異常的”。除非“異常的”行為導致明顯的損害，甚至一些社會相對要能夠容忍這種“異常的”行為；而其它的許多社會會嚴厲譴責並設法壓制甚至對社會無害的性“變態”，即嚴厲譴責並設法壓制成人雙方同意並未影響他人的私密行為，卻會違背社會所頌揚的性規範。面對這樣的指責，這些成人感到受到了不公正的限制和壓迫。他們只是忍耐和期待一些可以讓他們申辯的較大的社會變革。甚至，在有利的社會環境下，各種各樣在性方面受到壓迫的個人也許能夠聚集在一起並作為“性少數”組織起來，為他們的“性權利”而抗爭。

“性少數（sexual minority）”是一個相對比較新的術語。它類比於民族的、種族的和宗教的少數族群的概念而被人所撰造，也就是說，“性少數”[1]類比於在一些國家從前被壓迫，但現在被承認應得到民事權利的這些社會族群。不過，在進一步討論這個議題之前，進一步瞭解一下“少數族群”本身的概念也許有益於我們對“性少數”的理解。

(其前身機構為聯合國人權委員會)(注：上述圖示的中文翻譯為“聯合國人權理事會”)
 1992年，聯合國通過了這個決議以保護當時某些“官方承認的”少數族群“。此處顯示的是前兩個決議條款(簡短的提要)。

Sexual Minorities: Introduction

Every society accepts a certain segment of the spectrum of human sexual behavior as “normal”. However, some societies recognize a much wider segment of normality than others. Thus, some behaviors may be considered “normal” in one place, but “abnormal” in another. Some societies are relatively tolerant even of “abnormal” behavior unless it causes obvious harm, but many other societies severely condemn and try to suppress even socially harmless sexual “abnormalities”, i.e. private behaviors between consenting adults that do not affect others, but violate the proclaimed sexual norm. In the face of such condemnation, these adults feel unjustly restricted and oppressed. Very often, however, there is nothing they can do about the oppression. They just have to endure it and wait for some larger social change that would allow them to plead their case. Indeed, under favorable circumstances, various sexually oppressed individuals may be able to get together and organize as “sexual minorities” in order to fight for their “sexual rights”.
The term “sexual minority” is relatively new. It was coined in analogy to the older concepts of national, ethnic, and religious minorities, i.e. social groups that were formerly oppressed in some countries, but are now being recognized as deserving equal civil rights. However, before going any further, it may be useful to take a closer look at the concept of a social “minority” itself.

 

Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities Adopted by General Assembly resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992 Article 1 1. States shall protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities... . Article 2 1. Persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities ... have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own language, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination.