Many new sexual identities have been introduced in the last two years. The most common is still homosexuality. According to Merriam-Webster, a homosexual is defined as “sexually attracted to people of the same sex.” It has been traced back many years, appearing in ancient Japan. It is represented by nanshoku which means "male colours", 'colour' has the meaning of sexual pleasure (Wikipedia). In ancient Japan, homosexuality was seen as a normal practice that many, such as the middle class, adopted from the monastery (Leupp 53-54). It was a normal occurrence especially among the warrior class where, if allowed, an adult man had to take a boy as his lover until he came of age and homosexuality was seen as a "sin" that many could not believe was True. Many people didn't understand how you could love someone of the same sex. Until 1973 it was even classified as a mental illness because people believed there was something wrong with their head. Those who came out were shamed and discriminated against, and those who lived in the shadows lived in fear of being discovered. Families often disowned their relatives because they felt embarrassed and ashamed. The 1980s were also a very tough time for homosexuals, as the AIDS epidemic began. Many people didn't understand what was happening. However, it was quickly called a "gay disease" as most of the people infected were from the gay community. It was a time when many “gay men wondered why some got sick and others didn’t,” according to the HRSA website. While many sought to find themselves, others found themselves rejected and despised. The gay community itself was full of confusion as they didn't know what was happening or why it was happening. “Families often abandoned their children and siblings with AIDS, some never told their families they were gay, and some employees fired people who got sick” (HRSA website). Although it was all a misunderstanding since HIV/AIDS, intercourse between a boy and a man would have taken place in ancient Japan, although it was seen as a normal occurrence. Two males having sex was considered a natural event in Japan while in the United States many people condemn those sexual acts between males. They were shocked that such acts could occur, shaming many homosexuals. Another difference is that according to Chuck Stewart there was no religious opposition to homosexuality in Japan in non-Buddhist traditions. In the United States, however, the main opposition came from religious people, especially Christians. They believed and many still believe that a relationship is between a man and a woman and anything else is against the Bible. When the AIDS epidemic began, many religious leaders claimed that AIDS was “God's punishment” (HRSA website). It is the reason why many are against same-sex marriage as in their eyes the union should only be between a man and a woman. And one of the main differences between the two periods is the way in which homosexuality is mostly considered a traditional practice in Japan. People of that era also did not identify as gay or homosexual. In other words, they didn't go around proclaiming themselves gay but often had sex with other males. This is different from the US as people identified homosexual as their gender