Theorizing the prohibition against homosexuality. -- Before homosexuality. Homosexual relations in kinship-structured societies ; Inequality and the state: homosexual innovations in archaic civilizations ; Early civilizations: variations on homosexual themes ; Sexual asceticism in the ancient world ; Feudalism. -- The construction of modern homosexuality. Repression and the emergence of subcultures ; The rise of market economies ; The medicalization of homosexuality ; Bureaucracy and homosexuality ; Gay liberation. -- Epilogue: Under the sign of sociology