Ipomea: Carthage around 400 AD there were a sizable proportion of transvestites (and possibly transsexuals or at least voluntary eunuchs). This was just passing gossip Gibbons recollected for us.Tat: Stuff and I visited Carthage a few years ago (in modern day Tunesia). It was the scene of the beginning of a week long fight that became so violent that I was afraid he might hit me, as he hit objects in anger. It was a bad week for Tunesian and Italian garbage cans, which Stuff seemed to like to smash since I wasn't willing to be hit. Our fight lasted until I left him on Christmas day in Italy (He's of Catholic heritage, so the holiday is meaningful.) The argument started because of the Tunesain male dominated culture where STuff interpreted the culture as dominated by homosexuals. He thought that because one saw only males in restaurants and at public events etc, and because males kissed and hugged a lot, the men must be gay. I knew that this wasn't true, that homosexuality is no more prevalent there than in most countries. In addition, in Gibbon's time the robes that some men wore may have looked like skirts and thus feminine to some Europeans. Given the ignorance most people suffer about transsexuals and transvestites, I wonder whether Gibbon's statement might be a misinterpretation of culture similar to what Stuff suffered?
, Jun 22,2001,03:36 
