Callisto- The Wet Wood Refused to Burn

Callisto’s story raises a lot of questions about sexuality. Firstly, the virgin-whore dichotomy takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to lesbians. Straight men love lesbians when they can be treated as sex objects but so many of them still believe being a lesbian is sinful and unnatural. Callisto and Artemis are depicted a lot in art despite there really not being much information or even solidified mythology surrounding Callisto. Viewers know that Artemis was actually a man in disguise gave them an excuse to look at women being sexual together without actually having to be accepting of lesbians. Meaning people were more comforted by the thought that Callisto was being raped by a man than the thought that she was having consensual sex with a woman. Similar to how featuring a consensual gay couple in media is still seen by many as more controversial than shows depicting brutal violence and rape.

Right-wing Christians are typically strongly against homosexuality but enforce rape culture by supporting arguments justifying assault. Again, believing that rape is more morally acceptable than consensual homosexuality. Gender essentialist arguments reduce all genders to their biological capabilities and revert a socially developed evolved humanity back to cavemen survival instincts. Essentially, the argument that God made men and women to have sex and populate the earth both justifies assault and condemns homosexuality.