Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe by John Boswell

From pagan and early Christian times, same-sex unions were not only tolerated but sanctioned by the Catholic Church. According to the late John Boswell's book, celibacy was the highest virtue, and marriage, considered a necessary but not ideal state, was not even considered a sacrament until 1215. It was not until the 14th Century that anti-homosexual politics pervaded the West, and same-sex marriage ceremonies were abandoned.